Betemit Traded to Yanks

UPDATE (6:51 pm CDT): Now official. Winner here? Pick 'em. Dodgers needed to upgrade their pitching somehow and hopefully this will persuade Grady to stop using Roberto Hernandez, or use him less. Proctor's had a decent season (2-5, ERA around 3.80, ERA+ at 113) and it should only improve slightly in the N.L. Proctor should help the Dodgers at least for 2007. He's arbitration eligible for the first time after this season, so barring any health concerns due to work overload, he should be a nice addition for the long haul. Betemit was being seldomly used, and the Dodgers are obviously looking to Andy LaRoche to eventually take over at third for Nomar.

The talks between the Dodgers and A's for Joe Blanton broke down at some point last night but were rekindled this afternoon prior to the deadline. The Dodgers apparently made an offer of LaRoche, minor league shortstop Hu, and Jon Meloan for Blanton, but Oakland GM Billy Beane apparently felt Meloan wasn't close enough to Major League ready, or he felt he wasn't getting enough for Blanton. Or there just simply wasn't enough time to try to mix and match and get the right players for Oakland.

Personally I would have loved to had seen the Dodgers make a statement that they were serious about improving the rotation and serious about winning not only this year, but for years to come, as Blanton is in the same boat as Proctor contract-wise, but they apparently figured it was either Garland, Blanton or nothing. I just hope Penny and D-Lowe are healthy enough to continue their solid seasons without further aggravating their injuries, because after Billingsley, the rotation is very beatable. Who knows when Wolf will be back, too.

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ESPNEWS is reporting the rumored deal to send Wilson Betemit to the Yankees for Scott Proctor has been agreed to in principle. More to come...

Deadline Drama

Late report from ESPN.com tonight says the Dodgers and A's are in serious discussions tonight that could bring starting pitcher Joe Blanton to L.A. Problem is he could come costly. Oakland wants three front line prospects for him and two of the names being tossed around are Andy LaRoche and Jonathan Meloan. Blanton could really help bolster the rotation, though, and not just for the rest of this season, but for years to come. Blanton is just 26, is making just $380,000 and will be arbitration eligible for the first time this winter. That said, he'd be under the team's control for the next three seasons. As it says in the ESPN.com report, it's very rare for teams to give up on very good, young and cheap starting pitching, which might explain why Billy Beane might be asking for a lot in return. But I say, if you can get it done without giving up some of the obvious players (Kemp, Loney, Broxton, Martin, Billingsley, etc), then get it done. I'd really hate to see LaRoche go in a deal like this but this one has the potential to have a bigger positive impact on the team and it could be better one than the Brad Penny trade two years ago.

The other rumor involving the Dodgers flying around was Wilson Betemit to the Yankees for reliever Scott Proctor, whom the Dodgers traded to the Yankees in the Robin Ventura deadline deal a couple of years ago.

Was going to breakdown some of the trade rumors going around but several trades took place today already with less than 17 hours until tomorrow's trade deadline. The big one is Mark Teixeira and a pitcher going to Atlanta for Jarrod Saltalamacchia and three others. The trade, which will likely be announced tomorrow, is pending the players passing physicals. Kyle Lohse was traded to Philadelphia for a relief pitcher, and the Twins traded 2B Luis Castillo to the Mets for two minor leaguers. Nice deal for Omar Minaya and the Mets.

One possible trade was supposedly being held up by another. Octavio Dotel was all set to go from Kansas City to Atlanta for Kyle Davies, but the Braves are waiting for the Teixeira trade to finalize. Dotel may still end up somewhere else other than Atlanta by the deadline.

More to come. Stay tuned...

Starting Pitcher Notes

According to Dodgers.com, Penny has been penciled in as Tuesday's starter against the Giants, and D-Lowe is slated to start Saturday's game against Arizona pending a bullpen session on Wednesday. However, Randy Wolf has been shut down indefinitely due to his shoulder injury.

Rough Day at the Ballpark

Not a good day for the Blue. Dodgers got pounded again, 9-6, but not before rallying to get the tying run on base with two outs in the 9th inning. But once again, they failed with the bases loaded when Ethier struck out to end the game. And how's this for a "go figure": coming into today, the Dodgers lead the N.L. with a .290 BA with RISP, but were a league worst .232 with the bases loaded. As I said, go figure.

Jeff Kent had another amazing game as he nearly capped off a red-hot July (with one game to spare on Tuesday) with a 4-for-5 game today with 3 RBI, moving him into 55th place on the all-time RBI list with 1439. With one game left this month, Kent is hitting .448 in the month of July with 5 home runs and 20 RBI, and coming into today's game, had an OBP of .481 while slugging .718 for the month, raising his season totals to .305 with 15 home runs and 59 RBI while pushing his OBP over .380 and his slugging over .500. His sixth inning double was the 526th of his career, moving him past Ted Williams for 31st on the all-time list. And lastly, he has reached base in a Major League best 39 straight games.

No home runs today for Barry Bonds, so he remains at 754 as the "Hated Ones to the North" head south to Chavez Ravine for a three-game showdown starting Tuesday night. More on this Tuesday.

Today wasn't a good day to be a pitcher anywhere around the league. Some of these final scores today looked like an NFL Sunday scoreboard. Padres 18, Astros 11. Jason Jennings became the first pitcher in the modern era to give up 11 earned runs in the first inning when he did it in 2/3 of an inning. His ERA ballooned from 4.74 to 5.99. Yankees 10, Orioles 6. A-Rod still stuck on career home run #499. Royals 10, Rangers 0. Braves 14, Diamondbacks 0. Dodgers and D-backs remain tied atop the N.L. West as the Padres pull to within 1/2 game. And Mariners 14, A's 10.

Might be back shortly (or later tonight) with some trade rumor updates. If not, tomorrow morning. Stay tuned...

Interesting Notes on Penny & Bonds

Jon Weisman of Baseball Toaster's Dodger Thoughts put together this interesting item on Brad Penny. In a nutshell, he notes that Penny could become the first Dodger since Fernando in 1981 to have a higher batting average than ERA in a season. Penny's ERA crawled up to 2.51 after Thursday nights efforts, but after going 2-for-3 with the bat, his average sky-rocketed to .293. He also notes that Penny, who is a leading candidate for N.L. Cy Young, is also starting to get some recognition for N.L. MVP, and that his total aggregate VORP as a pitcher and a hitter puts him in some pretty solid company among all National League players.

Weisman, who is also a columnist for SI.com, also had this interesting piece today on the Bonds home run chase, and what could happen if he breaks Hank Aaron's all-time career home run mark in L.A. this coming week when the Giants visit the Ravine.

Enjoy!

Weekly Recap

Well, I was going to wait until I had my photos uploaded from my digital camera from my trip to Houston before I posted here again, but I got lazy, and lots has happened since Sunday.

Trip to Houston was fun. Saw two of the three games: the 10-2 Dodger win on Monday, and the 2-1 loss on Wednesday. Billingsley pitched a hell of a game on Monday, coming one out shy of a complete game shut-out, instead settling on just the complete game. Kent had a great game at the plate, going 4-for-4. He finished the three games going 7-for-11. Not too shabby. He hit a monstrous home run in Wednesday's game about 415-feet off the window panels in left field just to the left of the Citgo sign in Minute Maid Park. But Carlos Lee topped it with a shot just as big (it was the game winner) off the window panels on the other side of the Citgo sign in left-center field.

Should also add that Minute Maid Park, despite its laughable name, is really one of the nicer ballparks I've been to. It's clean, the food is good, the people are nice, and the atmosphere is great. It's easy to get into and out of, at least the parking lot we parked in. The park is situated in Downtown Houston near the convention center and Toyota Center (where the Rockets play). Very accessible from anywhere in the city. Anyway, nice venue.

I've never really been much of a fan of the DH-rule, but it got me thinking a little this week because of the two scares the Dodgers got this week from D-Lowe and Penny. Can't blame Grady for using Lowe in last Sunday's game for inning since he was schedule to throw that day anyway between starts. The pen had seriously needed a break at that point, and Lowe was willing to help the team for an inning. But apparently, Lowe tweaked something in his hip area, and aggravated it on a laughable play in Houston on Wednesday night. He was already hurting a little every time he planted his foot in his follow-through after each pitch. But I could really see the expression in his face after he got a hit to right field in the sixth inning Wednesday and was promptly thrown out by the right-fielder before he reached base. He seemed to really over-exert himself trying to avoid the embarrassment by trying to leg out the hit. Instead, he made one pitch to start the bottom of the sixth and couldn't go any further. His MRI on Thursday showed some irritation in his hip, so he might miss only one start, if any at all.

As for Penny, his scare on Thursday in Colorado was a simple abdominal cramp. He suffered the injury legging out an infield hit in the sixth inning of that game. He is not expected to miss his next start. But, am I the only noticing a trend here? Fortunately, for the Dodgers, these injuries don't appear to be serious, but they can't really afford any more injuries to their starters, especially during their at-bats when they're reaching the late innings and pitching solid games. Wolf is still not ready to return, and Schmidt is done for the season. You can bet, and hope, that Colletti is looking to bolster the rotation a little bit because this team can not afford to go forward with Hendrickson and Tomko in the rotation.

Speaking of bolstering the rotation, trade deadline is Tuesday at 1pm PDT. As of right now, it would appear the Dodgers are still in the mix for Octavio Dotel from Kansas City. Speculation is they are still dangling James Loney for Mark Teixeira from Texas (Why? I don't know), but they are considered to be a long-shot wild card for him anyway. They have not been tied to any of possible starting pitchers who are rumored to be available, but if Jon Garland, Aaron Harang or Bronson Arroyo are available, they should be talking to the White Sox or Cincinnati. Other pitchers who could be options are Shawn Chacon, Jose Contreras, Kyle Lohse or Kevin Millwood (but he has a huge contract still).

Several trades have already gone down since yesterday: Kenny Lofton was traded from Texas to Cleveland (his third stint there in his career) for a minor league catcher; Tadahito Iguchi was traded from the White Sox to Philadelphia for a minor league pitcher; Padres picked up Scott Hairston from Arizona for a minor league pitcher; Tampa Bay and Milwaukee swapped Seth McClung and Grant Balfour; and Cincinnati has reportedly picked up Jorge Cantu from Tampa Bay for two players.

Last night's game was obviously rained out, and will be made up sometime in September when the Dodgers are back in Denver. Last night's scheduled starters were set to go tonight, but Colorado bumped Josh Fogg, so Jeff Francis will opposed Tomko. No Gonzo tonight, so both Kemp and Ethier are starting. Tonight's line-up has not been posted anywhere yet. More storms forecasted for the Denver area so hopefully they can get the game in without any interruptions. Enjoy the game... game time is 5:05 PT!

Sunday Musings

I didn't get to see today's game as it wasn't part of the Extra Innings package today. I tried to follow as much as I could via MLB Gameday online but by the time the 9th inning rolled around, it started to fall behind and eventually it froze.

It's a shame they lost two games this weekend, one they SHOULD have won, and another they could have. I'd guess today's loss was tougher because they had a lead in the 9th inning, and it was a golden opportunity to close out the homestand on a high note, and they could have padded their lead in the division a little. Instead of a two-game lead, they head for Houston with a one-game lead on the Padres, who were shelled today by the Phillies.

Anyway, it really seems to me this team is in dire need of arms. The starting staff is starting to wear thin, and it's putting a huge burden on the bullpen. I'm still blown away by their need to have Roberto Hernandez on this team, and to even use him in close games, but I'll save my ranting on this issue for another time. (And why hasn't Jonathan Meloan been called up yet either? The kid's AA numbers are just sick: 5-2, 2.18 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and a 70/18 K/BB rate, in 45 1/3 innings pitched.)

Jonathan Broxton is no where near ready or capable of being a Major League closer right now. I love the guy, I love his stuff, I think he's a great pitcher and will someday make a great closer, but right now, he seems to panic or come apart at the seams, as a closer, when he gives up a hit or two or the defense lets him down to put more pressure on him. Maybe he's becoming too comfortable in his role as the primary set-up guy. Maybe he isn't mentally ready for it. I don't know. But he isn't ready for the gig, even on a temporary basis.

I'd like to sit here and point a finger at and pick apart Matt Kemp for his defensive lapse in the 9th that gave the Mets the extra out to score the tying run, but I didn't see the play, and still haven't seen it on SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight or ESPNEWS. I ripped apart Juan Pierre, and to an extent, Luis Gonzales, to shreds the other day for the mental gaffe in the outfield, but they're veterans. They know what they're supposed to do. Either way, Kemp has to make those routine catches. No excuses.

THE WEEK AHEAD: I am heading off to Houston Monday morning to catch the Dodgers against the Astros for two of the three games. (I will be at the games tomorrow and Wednesday.) Chad Billingsley gets the nod tomorrow, Mark Hendrickson goes Tuesday, and Derek Lowe on Wednesday. All three games are 5:05 PM starts in L.A. I will have limited or no access to the internet until I get back Thursday afternoon, so I'll blog about my stay in Houston then. Photos might even accompany my next entry! Anyway, until then, have a safe week and remember, THINK BLUE.

Last Night... and Today

I don't think I can be anymore clear about this when I say I'm still irritated by last night's game. Brett Tomko did a wonderful job of keeping the Mets at bay through six innings, giving the Dodgers a chance to win the game. Joe Beimel did his job in the 7th inning. Then 40-something year old Roberto Hernandez, who had been ineffective in the majors for who-knows-how-long that no one wanted him anymore except for Ned Colletti and the Dodgers, came in and all hell broke loose. I'm really beginning to think the Dodgers are doing whatever they can to lose games rather than win them. Last night was a perfect example. There is no excuse for Hernandez to not only be on ANY major league roster, but to even be EMPLOYED by one. I'm still sick to my stomach over this...

Anyway, today's game is on FOX, and while it will be shown in most of the country, I won't be able to watch it here in Dallas (we've been blessed with the White Sox/Red Sox match-up). Today's line-up has been posted on Inside the Dodgers and it's good to not see Nomar in the line-up for a change. While he managed to hit his third home run last night, something is beyond wrong with him these days. He just isn't the same hitter he once was. Saw a stat last night while watching the game on Extra Innings (we had the Mets feed last night) that just blew my mind: Nomar's OPS this year is 200 points BELOW his career average. Just sad.

Couple of non-Dodger items, sort of, I wanted to mention. Caught part of the White Sox/Red Sox game last night. J.D. Drew hit what appeared to be a 3-run home run in the first inning over the Green Monster at Fenway off White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras. The ball appeared to just barely clear the wall and ricochet back onto the field. The third base umpire, Tim McClelland, one of the best in the game, ruled the ball in play. Manny Ramirez, the runner at first base, circled the bases thinking it was a home run, but was tagged out at home plate for the last out, thus ending the inning. After a dispute and an argument from Red Sox manager Terry Francona, the umpires convened, and the play stood as it was called. Francona then began to argue again and was tossed from the game. Replays clearly showed it was a home run. The Red Sox and Drew got hosed on the play, but they ended up winning anyway.

Finally, want a good laugh? This story out of Florida regarding Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen is one for the ages. Enjoy!

Another Day

Fun game to watch last night. The results could have been better (if only the Dodgers could hit with the bases loaded).

Anyway, so far, in watching tonight's game, I'm beginning to become fed up with Juan Pierre again. Nevermind the guy is one of the least productive hitters on the team, but this guy has no business playing center field. Marlon Anderson hit a short fly ball to left center field with one out in the first. Both Pierre and Luis Gonzalez converge on the fly ball, both calling for it. As the center fielder, it is your job to "patrol" the outfield. After both calling for the ball, Gonzo cut in front of Pierre and ducked out of his way. Pierre slowed down and cut behind Gonzo and watch the ball drop between them for a double. There's really no excuse for it. What makes it even worse is the next hitter got a hit to score the run.

Dodgers now have first and third with two outs in the bottom of the first and Gonzo up... who just struck out looking to end the inning. End of 1, Mets 1, Dodgers 0.

Long Night?

Mets already up 3-0, with 1 out and 2 on... D-Lowe can't get ANYONE out. This is going to be a LONG night...

Forget it. Base hit for Shawn Green to right field which is overran by Kemp... 2 runs score... 5-0 Mets now... Green to third... And it's still the first inning...

Matinee Today

Day game today. Undefeated Chad Billingsley (6-0, 3.26 ERA) takes on Phils rookie Kyle Kendrick (4-0, 3.82) at 12:10 PM PT (2:10 PM CT). Line-up is now posted on Inside the Dodgers. FSN Prime Ticket has the game on HD today, so I'm going to check the game out on my 50" LCD HD Plasma. Enjoy the game if you're going. Hopefully the results will be better today than last night...

Latest Rumors

Apparently, according to papers in Kansas City, the Dodgers are showing interest in Royals relief pitcher Octavio Dotel. Reports are the Royals asking price is so ridiculously high, that Kansas City has asked the Dodgers for at least Russell Martin, James Loney or Matt Kemp in return for Dotel. I'm pretty sure at that point the Dodgers laughed and hung-up on the Royals.

But why Dotel? Why another reliever? Right now, starting pitching seems to be a more glaring need with guys dropping like flies onto the DL or struggling to get past the first inning without giving up three runs. They need depth in the rotation, and while starters are more costly to get, they are more valuable in the long run. By adding a starter, you bump one of the temporary starters back into the bullpen, essentially strengthening the bullpen that way.

There has been some speculation that Florida would like to move Dontrelle Willis and his contract, and that the Dodgers are showing interest in him, as well. While I don't think adding Willis could hurt the team, I don't think it would make or break them either. The Dodgers might be able to nab him cheap because his trade value is pretty low at this point (they could package Andre Ethier and a minor league pitcher for him). He hasn't had a great season (7-8, 4.81 ERA, 86 ERA+) and he's probably, at best, a number 3 rotation guy these days. On the flip side, Willis being traded somewhere else, likely to San Diego or Arizona (you can bet Florida won't send him to an East division rival), is the fact his career ERA against the Dodgers is near 7.

Stay tuned...

Massacre at the Ravine

Well, that was quick. Five-game winning streak? Down the tubes. And talk about an ass-beating of all sorts, Mark Hendrickson was just dreadful last night, and the offense was even worse. The pitching staff gave up an L.A. Dodger-record 26 hits in last night's embarassment. How bad was it? Here's Rotoworld's take on it:

"Just as disgusting as the Dodgers' pitching performance in the 15-3 loss was the fact that they couldn't do anything at all against (J.D.) Durbin, who entered with a 13.50 ERA and nine walks in 10 innings this season. The Dodgers never even tried waiting him out and got exactly what they deserved. The "Real Deal" ended up collecting half as many hits (three) at the plate as he allowed on the mound (six)."

Meanwhile, Grady Little was at it again. While Russell Martin got a well-deserved day off before today's game, Grady continues to insert Nomar ahead of Matt Kemp in the line-up. While I like Nomar as a person, he's just not the same hitter he once was, and he's more likely to do more damage to the offense hitting 5th or 6th than he would hitting 7th.

On the bright side, the Padres lost to "El Duque" and the Mets 7-0, so the Dodgers retain first place in the West by one game. Milwaukee beat Arizona meaning the Brewers and Dodgers both have 53 wins, tied for most in the N.L., but the Brewers have one fewer loss, therefore have the best winning pct.