Follow-Up

It's been about a week since my last post and a LOT has transpired during that time. I haven't had much time in the last week to sit down and blog, and at the moment, I don't have the time to go in depth with my thoughts on the whole Grady Little and Joe Torre situations. I promise, though, when I have a few extra minutes, perhaps this weekend when hopefully we'll know more, I'll comment a little more on Grady's decision to leave, and his likely replacement, Torre. In the meantime, for all the best, most accurate and latest updates, be sure to check out some of the Dodger blogs, including Inside the Dodgers, the L.A. Times and the Daily News (links in column to the left), as well as the Rotoworld player news module below them!

A Month Later...

Well it's been a month since I've had a chance to post anything, and we all know what's happened since. Dodgers got swept in Colorado, part of what has started an incredible run by the Rockies that has seen them win 21 of their last 22 games going back to Sunday before they swept the Dodgers, and earn themselves a berth in the World Series. And I must add, it has been a lot of fun watching the Rockies.

Back to the Dodgers. They went on an ugly tailspin that saw them finish 8 games out of first place and in 4th place overall in the standings. They barely finished better than .500 (the NL West is the only division in the Wild Card era to have four teams finish with better than .500 records). So now we move on to 2008...

Several players have already been cut loose: Shea Hillenbrand, Roberto Hernandez and Olmedo Saenz. Manager Grady Little will return as the manager next year despite the fact Joe Torre is suddenly available. Luis Gonzalez, Randy Wolf and Mike Lieberthal are unofficially a free agents (the filing period begins after the World Series). Gonzo is all but gone, and Lieberthal will probably return for another year as Russell Martin's primary back-up, but still no word on what they might do with Wolf. Jeff Kent's contract has become guaranteed for 2008 based on him reaching 550 plate appearances this year. But there is growing speculation in light of the clubhouse turmoil and differences between the veteran players and younger players towards the end of the season that Kent may not come back for another year.

The Dodgers have a lot of questions as they head into the off-season. Who's going to be the everyday third baseman next season? Will they pursue Alex Rodriguez should he opt of his contract with the Yankees? (Personally, I say, if he does, break the bank on him if you must!) Can Kent co-exist with Matt Kemp and James Loney should he elect to to return for his final year? Will they trade some of the young players for an established big bat in the middle of the lineup, say, of the Miguel Cabrera variety? Will Jason Schmidt be healthy enough to contribute every 5th game? Who will fill the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation? Will they move Juan Pierre to left field so they can pursue one of the better offensive and defensive free agent center-fielders on the this year's free agent market, i.e., Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter?

As the off-season kicks into high gear after the World Series, we should start to see some of these questions answered. Stay tuned after the World Series for more frequent updates and comments.

Correction...

The Dodgers have had one 5-game winning streak so far this season. But another one, or even longer, wouldn't hurt!

Trying To Keep Up

It seems like my posts are fewer are farther between, weekly instead of daily, but I promise to at least try to stay on this more frequent!

Anyway, great homestand so far, with one more to go tomorrow. We already know how that last game in Chicago turned out, and things were looking good in San Francisco last weekend, but they Giants got the best of us in two of those three games with late inning heroics off Brox, two games the Blue had in the bag, too.

The team has been playing great since they lost the opener on Monday to San Diego. The pitching has been soild, Chad Billingsley and Takashi Saito, most notably, and how about that James Loney?! This guy is just tearing it up! He's hitting EVERYTHING in sight these days, and is almost single-handedly carrying the offense on his shoulders. But it's nice to see the rest of the offense helping out a little, and its even nicer to see a couple of the vets making their presence felt, as well. We know about Kent and his recent surge again that has seen his average get back up to near .300, and check this out... Kent's the lone Dodger with 20 dingers! But Nomar and Gonzo have really made the most of their playing time these past few days, as well. Nomar's had two very nice games this weekend so far, and Gonzo's had two huge hits this week that helped them get a couple of wins.

Dodgers have won four straight (I believe they're looking for their first 5-game winning streak of the season!) and what a perfect time for a nice long winning streak! They've made up a lot of ground in the standings of late (just 1.5 behind San Diego for the Wild Card, and 3.5 behind Arizona for first with 13 to go), so every game is magnified now as they're knocking on the doorsteps of Arizona and San Diego. They have four remaining with Arizona (one tomorrow at the Ravine, and three next weekend in Phoenix), six with the Rockies (three in L.A., three in Denver) and the final three against the Hated-Ones-to-the-North.

As for tomorrow, Esteban Loaiza gets the nod against Eddie Gonzalez. Obviously it is very crucial that Loaiza has a better game than his last outing against the Padres...

Back In It...

Been a couple of weeks since I've had a chance to post anything. Sorry for the long layoff.

Been a good couple of weeks for the Blue. They officially signed David Wells (and dumped Brett Tomko - since picked up by the Padres) who's had two effective starts so far (he is now serving his suspension he received while he was with San Diego and Eric Stults took his spot in the rotation last night). The team also picked up Esteban Loaiza off waivers from Oakland, and he had a very good start on Monday against the Cubs in his first start . Loaiza is signed through next season so this could be a bargain pick-up and he should ultimately help them next year, as well, provided he's healthy.

Minus two rough weekends (one in New York, and one in San Diego) where they lost two out of three, the Dodgers have been rolling and have picked up as much as 4.5 games in the standings in both the division and Wild Card races. They are currently three games back in the Wild Card, tied with Philly (great finish yesterday against Atlanta if you didn't see or hear about it), and four games back of Arizona in the division, three back of San Diego.

Grady still insists, even this time of year when every game is bigger than the one before with less than a month left, on giving certain guys days off and playing certain guys who really shouldn't be playing at all. Still not sure how Gonzo still finds his way into the lineup every other day. And I'm beyond disgusted with Juan Pierre's play in centerfield, even moreso because he doesn't even come close to making it up with his offense. The guy still hits far too many balls in the air. And the bone-headed base-running plays have got to stop. This team runs out of so many innings it's almost laughable. I don't mind the aggressiveness on the bases but I hate guys who don't make fundamental judgments. And because he's only 22 and hitting around .345 over the last few weeks hitting in the three-slot in the lineup, Matt Kemp gets a slight reprieve from all of this even though he's the one making more mistakes on the base paths than anyone else.

Anyway, enough ranting. The team has won 13 of its last 20 and the offense has found its groove again. The pitching has been even better, on most nights. That said, getaway day at the Friendly Confines today as the Dodgers look to take three of four in the series and five of seven overall against the Cubbies. Lineup is posted already on Inside the Dodgers. No Kent (day off) but Gonzo is in there as the clean-up hitter (why?) and Martin's back after a day-off last night and a precautionary MRI on his knee. Enjoy the game Game time is in 90 minutes on FSN Prime Ticket with Vin!

Rangers Romp O's 30-3

No,that is not a typo. That was, indeed, the final score last night. In case you missed it, you missed history in the making last night. In the first game of a double-header against the Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore, the Rangers amassed 30 (yes, that's right, 30!) runs in a 30-3 beatdown of the Orioles. The Rangers, who trailed at one point 3-0 after three innings, scored in just four of the nine innings, scoring five runs in the 4th, nine in the 6th, 10 in the 8th and six more in the 9th, en route to the... well, rout! The 30 runs scored is a modern-day Major League record (110 years since the last 30-run outburst by one team in a nine inning game). The Rangers hit two grand slams, and they had two other hitters hit two home runs with 7 RBI... each! Some of the other numbers and tidbits are staggering! Want to see more of it? Check out ESPN.com's breakdown of the numbers here. There was even a save earned in this game!

What A Difference...

A week makes. Still no winning streak of more than three games, but only two losses (one being the 14-inning affair last Saturday against the Rockies that saw them erase a 4-1 deficit in the 7th and 8th innings) since last Tuesday's bizarre ending. And despite the Dodgers insistence of still giving Gonzo regular playing time (more on this in a minute) despite his poor second half, and despite Kemp and Ethier's hot hitting of late, the offense has regained its groove. The pitching, minus Brett Tomko's start on Tuesday, has been brilliant in the last week. But could that have been his last start? He is scheduled to go Sunday, but that could change by tomorrow.

A follow-up to a Buster Olney of ESPN.com report I mentioned a week ago, according to the Newark Star-Ledger (via MLBTradeRumors.com and Rotoworld.com), David Wells might be close to signing with the Dodgers for the remainder of the season. If the deal gets done by tomorrow, he could start Sunday's game in NY at Shea against the Mets. At this point, I figure almost anyone might be a better option than Tomko.

Ok, back to Gonzo. For those who know me, I've been very skeptical of the Dodgers signings this past off-season since they happened, especially Gonzo's (mostly because they had already inked Juan Pierre to his ridiculous five-year deal). Now, I like the guy, and he's been a solid ballplayer for many years (and he showed some of this in the first half of the season, silencing me during that time), but there really is no excuse for him getting any regular playing time these days. Rotoworld had this to say abut Gonzo a couple hours ago, and I can't help but agree with it:

Gonzalez is batting just .224 with one homer in 107 at-bats since the All-Star break. He's even stopped walking, with just five base on balls in the second half after he had 41 in 293 at-bats before the break. Especially after factoring in defense, the Dodgers would seem to be quite a bit better off with both Ethier and Kemp playing regularly right now. Blame Grady Little for continuing to sign play Gonzalez, but also blame GM Ned Colletti, who gave the 39-year-old a $7.35 million contract when there was very little upside to the move. Plus, Colletti had to know Little would stick with him far too long if he wasn't any good.

I'll leave it at that for now.

Anyway... nice effort the last two games in Philly. D-Lowe and Billingsley finally each found the win column again, but it was more than just run support. They both pitched solid games last night and today, respectively. They both looked like they finally found their groove again. D-Lowe had been struggling since his hip injury a month ago, and while Billingsley had been pitching solidly even before today, it was good to seem him finally get some run support for a win. The Dodgers touched the dish 20 times (15 last night) in these two games, and hopefully they can carry this combo of timely hitting and solid, effective, consistent pitching into this weekend's showdown at Shea as they continue their push back into a playoff spot.

This Just In...

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Dodgers (and Rockies) are showing interest in starting pitcher David Wells. Wells cleared waivers and became a free agent Thursday. Stay tuned as this story continues to develop...

Taking A Break...

And a good break it is for the Dodgers. They finally seemed to put it all back together again last night and earned a well-deserved and much-needed victory last night. And a team effort it was, too. Martin had two home runs and three RBI, Kemp had two hits, an RBI and a stolen base, and Pierre had two hits and a couple of stolen bases. Penny pitch a solid six innings before turning it over to Proctor, Brox and Saito in the final three innings. The win exemplified the way the team was playing earlier in the season when they were winning games. Hopefully they can continue that tonight. In the words of the manager in the movie Major League 2, "We won a game yesterday. We win tonight, that's two in a row. We win tomorrow, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before."

Didn't get a chance to chime in after Tuesday night's bizarre ending. Unfortunately, the way that game ended truly exemplified how this team has played over the last three weeks. Really, it seemed like they were finding ways to lose games, rather than finding ways to win them. So hopefully, they'll avoid games like that, and use last night's win as a starting point to get some kind of long winning streak going. This team has yet to have a winning streak of more than five games all season.

It's Been Awhile...

I've been busy the last two weeks studying for my insurance license here in the state of Texas, so my apologies for not having posted anything in 12 days. I'm going to try to keep this as short as possible for the time being, as well, for that reason.

I have been keeping up with what has happened to the team and I must say it doesn't surprise me in the least bit. Some of the holes and flaws in the lineup were obvious to me in Spring Training, and they were able to play through them and get away with them for three or four months. But it was only a matter of time before it finally all caught up to them.

The team has plummeted from a first place tie to fourth place, 6.5 games out, in a matter of less than three weeks. The offense is in shambles. Andre Ethier is the only guy hitting when it matters most. Matt Kemp went on a little lull at the end of July and hasn't been in the lineup much, since Grady pulled him. I'm still baffled by Grady's use of Gonzo over him, especially hitting him in the clean-up spot when Kent gets a day off. Gonzo's had just three extra base hits in almost six weeks. The team is in a 3-for-72 slide (or something to that affect) with RISP. The lineup looks a lit better now than it did say, a month ago. Pierre has been dropped to seventh. Martin bumped up to second, Loney to third. But still, no one is hitting when it matters most.

Was listening to Kevin Kennedy and Rob Dibble on XM the past two days, and I've never heard Kevin as defiant and animated as he was in tearing the team to shreds for what has happened over the last few weeks. There were several points he made. First, he questioned some of Colletti's off-season moves as they have now come back to haunt the team. He also ripped Pierre to shreds for the kind of at-bats he's had all year: swinging at first pitches constantly, hitting the ball in the air too much, not hitting the ball on the ground enough, not bunting when he should, defensive lapses in the field. He criticized Grady for not playing Kemp enough, even after he had his little slump again. Instead of giving him a day off to clear his mind, Kemp's been sitting much of the three weeks. He chastised Grady for throwing Hendrickson back into the rotation, and continuing to use Tomko, when he should have gone to Colletti and suggested bringing up Hull, Stults or Houlton and giving them a shot. Today he made a point of saying they weren't out of it yet, but it's too late in the season to think about making up one game a week in the standings. They need to make up half the deficit NOW. They all need to stop trying to do it all themselves individually, and just PLAY!

They didn't get off to a great start on the home stand last night. They need these next three games against Houston before the Rockies come to town Friday night for the weekend.

I'm sure everyone is fully aware by now of the recent acquisitions since the non-waiver trade deadline passed. Since then, the Dodgers traded for pinch-hitting specialist Mark Sweeney from the rival Giants (first trade between the two teams since 1985, and it certainly helped that Colletti was the Giants' GM's right-hand man before coming to L.A., and the fact the Giants are buried in last place in the NL West), signed Shea Hillenbrand to a minor league deal and assigned him to Vegas, and acquired catcher Chad Moeller from Cincinnati and assigned him, too, to Vegas.

Couple of roster moves and notes... Nomar has been put on the 15-day DL with a strained left calf. Eric Hull has been recalled to take Nomar's spot on the roster. Hillendbrand, who was brought up yesterday when they sent Delwyn Young back down, will start in Nomar's place tonight. Schmidt was moved from the 15-day to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster for Hillendbrand. Speculation, as well, that LaRoche will be called back up on Friday, and rumors persist the Dodgers are showing interest in White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras. Contreras was told he was starting Friday, and then depending how he does, could end up in the pen thereafter. Contreras has told the Sox that he wants to be traded if he isn't going to be a starter there next season. Stay tuned. Contreras could be traded before the end of the month as he has cleared waivers.

Still no home runs for Bonds. Still stuck on 754. Hendrickson did a great job last night keep him off balance, and keeping the game close. After losing the first game, Dodgers finally became the first home team to win a game between the two teams this year. Thanks to Furcal and Pierre for the win. They both had clutch bunt hits that made it all the way to Omar Vizquel at shortstop, and Omar's throw to get Pierre was late and got away from Aurilia at first, allowing Furcal to get to third. Pierre then stole second, and after Martin popped out, Gonzo sliced a hit inside third that scored both Furcal and Pierre to tie the game. Then Nomar put it away with his 5th home run of the year. Saito got the side out in order and the Dodgers walked away with a win. Proctor came in and made his Dodger debut (he never played for them before he was traded four years ago to the Yanks in the Robin Ventura deal). He made one pitch and Martin threw out a runner trying to steal second to end the seventh. A slow paced game that turned into a fun game to watch.

Meanwhile, great game in San Diego, too. Chris Young stole a grand slam away from the Padres with a web gem in the middle of the game. Then, up 5-1 in the bottom of the ninth with Jose Valverde on the hill, the Padres rallied for four runs capped off by a Milton Bradley home run. Game went to extras and Arizona scored four in the 11th capped off by a Chad Tracy three-run pinch-hit home run. Arizona won to remain one game up on the Dodgers in the NL West, but the Dodger remain even in the loss column.

Finale tonight between Dodgers and Giants. Zito vs. Tomko. Could be a slugfest with those two going. No official word on whether Bonds is playing or not, but Giants manager Bochy suggested last night if Bonds is feeling good, he'll be in there. We shall see. ESPN is picking up the game again, but hopefully I'll be lucky enough to be able to catch Vin Scully on FSN Prime tonight. (I was lucky enough to get stuck with Chris Berman and Joe Morgan, or Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow on the Giants broadcast on Extra Innings since the game was carried by KCAL in L.A.)

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.

All-Star Voting Update

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, June 27, 2007:

Back on February 16th, I posted a blog with my predictions for this year's All-Star game. One of my picks was Russell Martin as the NL catcher....

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

All-Stars:

C: Russell Martin, Los Angeles / 1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis / 2B: Chase Utley, Philadelphia / 3B: David Wright, New York / SS: Jose Reyes, New York / OF: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago; Carlos Beltran, New York; Andruw Jones, Atlanta / SP: Brad Penny, Los Angeles

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

All-Stars:

C: Joe Mauer, Minnesota / 1B: Travis Hafner, Cleveland / 2B: Robinson Cano, New York / 3B: Alex Rodriguez, New York / SS: Derek Jeter, New York / OF: Manny Ramirez, Boston; Vernon Wells, Toronto; Vlad Guerrero, Los Angeles / SP: Johan Santana, Minnesota

Several of you laughed or thought it was ridiculous.

Morg said: wow Martin as an All Star, thats a bold prediction lol

Nat said: I have to agree with Morg on this one. Despite his indiscretions, LoDuca still seems to be quite popular among the fans (Lord knows why, he was NEVER one of my favorites!)

And I know Zach had something to say too, but his profile got deleted once again and his comments have since been removed by MySpace. Well, to all of you who doubted it, read it and weep! From MLB.com:

LOS ANGELES -- With three days left in online All-Star balloting, Russell Martin has a 213,114-vote lead over New York Met and former Dodger Paul Lo Duca at the catcher's position for the National League. Martin would become the first Canadian catcher to start an All-Star Game.

Catcher
RANK	PLAYER NAME	NL TEAM	TOTAL VOTES
1.	Martin, R.	Dodgers	1,290,950
2.	Lo Duca, P.	Mets	1,077,836

For You Dodger Fans Tired of Colletti

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, May 23, 2007:

This was posted this morning on ESPN.com's Rob Neyer's blog...

Entering last night's game against Milwaukee, Dodgers third basemen had combined to bat .188 with one home run, which helps explain why they've called up rookie Tony Abreu.

When asked specifically about Abreu, Dodgers manager Grady Little explained the motive for the move:

"To get another hot hitter in the lineup. We're looking for somebody who's going to get hot. He's earned the right to get an opportunity right now.

"The kid brings life, he brings energy, he brings productivity."

Well, at least we can quantify one of those things. Abreu certainly has been productive this spring. In spring training, he batted .340 with three homers in 23 games. Abreu opened the season with Las Vegas, and he's batted .347 with two homers in 39 games. That's impressive. But it's only a couple of months. And Abreu, though his youth and his performance make him a legitimate prospect, wasn't all that good last year in Double-A.

Meanwhile, rookie Andy LaRoche entered this season as the Dodgers' No. 1 prospect. Promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier this month, he's batting just .241 with no homers. But, on the other hand, he's walked 13 times in 11 games, and scored eight runs. Granted, LaRoche has sometimes batted No. 8 in the lineup, and No. 8 hitters get a walks "bonus" because the pitcher is often due up next. But as Jon Weisman notes, it's not all about lineup position. LaRoche's walks are "something legitimate to tout."

The Dodgers don't seem all that impressed, though; Abreu started at third base last night. He and LaRoche both bat right-handed, so there's not a platoon there. And now it seems likely that neither will play often enough to get into a groove, which seems all the worse when you consider that both are just beginning to establish themselves as major leaguers.

The Dodgers do have a big lineup problem. They've got three everyday players -- Andre Ethier, Nomar Garciaparra and Juan Pierre -- who are not hitting, and it's certainly possible that they'll continue not hitting. I just don't know how replacing a Grade A prospect (LaRoche) with a Grade B prospect (Abreu) is going to solve that problem.

2007 Predictions, Part Tres

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, Febraury 16, 2007:

This is the third and final installment of my 2007 baseball predictions. In this blog, I make my fearless All-Star picks, individual award winners, as well as some league leaders in pertinent stat categories.

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

All-Stars:

C: Russell Martin, Los Angeles / 1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis / 2B: Chase Utley, Philadelphia / 3B: David Wright, New York / SS: Jose Reyes, New York / OF: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago; Carlos Beltran, New York; Andruw Jones, Atlanta / SP: Brad Penny, Los Angeles

Awards:

MVP: Albert Pujols, St. Louis / Cy Young: Jake Peavy, San Diego / Rookie: Chris B. Young, Arizona / Manager: Bob Melvin, Arizona

League Leaders:

Avg: Albert Pujols, St. Louis / HR: Pujols / RBI: Pujols / Runs: Jose Reyes, New York / SB: Juan Pierre, Los Angeles / ERA: Jake Peavy, San Diego / Wins: Peavy / K: Peavy / Saves: Takashi Saito, Los Angeles

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

All-Stars:

C: Joe Mauer, Minnesota / 1B: Travis Hafner, Cleveland / 2B: Robinson Cano, New York / 3B: Alex Rodriguez, New York / SS: Derek Jeter, New York / OF: Manny Ramirez, Boston; Vernon Wells, Toronto; Vlad Guerrero, Los Angeles / SP: Johan Santana, Minnesota

Awards:

MVP: Travis Hafner, Cleveland / Cy Young: Johan Santana, Minnesota / Rookie: Alex Gordon, Kansas City / Manager: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota

League Leaders:

Avg: Derek Jeter, New York / HR: David Ortiz, Boston / RBI: Ortiz / Runs: Jeter / SB: Chone Figgins, Los Angeles / ERA: Johan Santana, Minnesota / Wins: Santana / K: Santana / Saves: Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles

2007 Predictions, Part Duex

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, February 10, 2007:

Continuing with my baseball predictions for 2007, it's time to focus on the American League.

AL WEST:

1. Angels - It's hard to not pick the Angels to win this division with its rotation. One of the game's best rotations returns in its entirety. The lineup has a couple of new additions, including the head-scratching deal given to Gary Matthews, Jr. The Angels also added Shea Hillenbrand. The bullpen is loaded again with Francisco Rodriguez, Scott Shields and newcomber Justin Speier. In the end, if the Angels can score a few more runs, they should edge out Oakland for the division.

2. Atheltics - Oakland comes into 2007 minus a mainstay in its rotation over the last six years in Barry Zito. The health of Rich Harden remains a concern but the A's continue to boast insurmountable pitching depth, both in the rotation and in the pen. Frank Thomas left for greener pastures north of the border so Mike Piazza was brought in to fill those shoes. Piazza won't match Thomas' numbers from '06, but he should best his own '06 stats. If Oakland can stay healthy, they'll battle with the Angels yet again for the division title.

3. Rangers - Pitching, pitching, pitching. This has always been Texas' problem. They have a solid 1-2 punch in the rotation in Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla, but the rest of the rotation is a question mark. Eric Gagne was brought in to help solidify the bullpen, but his health is still a huge question. If Gagne falters early, Akinori Otsuka will take over. Scoring runs has never been a problem for Texas, and this season should be no different, thanks to one of the league's best hitter's park. Unless they get better pitching, third place is a lock. (EXTRA! Sammy Sosa has a minor league contract with Texas and could make the team out of spring training.)

4. Mariners - This is by far one of the worst runs teams in baseball when it comes to player personnel. GM Bill Bavasi traded a stud reliever in Rafael Soriano for a questionable fifth starter in Horatio Ramirez, and he traded for injury-prone Jose Vidro to play second base. Bavasi also signed troubled outfielder Jose Guillen. He might have saved face by signing Jeff Weaver to a one-year contract, but add him to a rotation who's number one starter is Jarrod Washburn, and features Ramirez and newcomer Miguel Batista, and this team is doomed before the season even starts.

AL CENTRAL:

1. Tigers - The defending AL champs come into 2007 with high expectations. Picked by many to finish no higher than fourth last season, the Tigers stunned the baseball world by making the playoffs just three years removed from losing 119 games. And they did it with a solid mix of pitching, offense and defense, and veterans and young rising stars. They return their entire rotation (Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, Mike Maroth and Jeremy Bonderman) and a solid bullpen anchored by Todd Jones as the closer. Their lineup remains intact with the addition of veteran Gary Sheffield. Barring any surprises, key injuries or inconsistencies from key players, the Tigers are primed to avenge its World Series loss.

2. White Sox - Picking from a trio that also includes the Twins and Indians to finish second is like picking which of your triplets is your favorite. There is no winner any way you slice it. But because of its veteran presence, especially in the rotation, the White Sox earn my pick for this spot. Chicago also returns a solid lineup that includes the resurgence of Jim Thome, and MVP candidate Jermaine Dye.

3. Twins - Under normal circumstances, the Twins would be my pick to finish second. But because of the injury to Francisco Liriano that will sideline him the entire season, the Twins slip to third. Johan Santana should continue to put up ungodly numbers, but the rest of the rotation is shaky after him. The Twins do have two of the games best young hitters in Justin Morneau and AL batting champ Joe Mauer. Joe Nathan also returns as one of the game's best closers. If the rotation can get enough innings and quality starts from anyone not named Johan Santana, the Twins could sneak up.

4. Indians - Its not easy putting this team this far down in the division. In fact, it is good enough to keep up with the White Sox and Twins. Their rotation from top to bottom might be better than the Twins, and the lineup is just as formidable as the White Sox. The additions of Josh Barfield, Trot Nixon and David Dellucci should compliment the rest of the offense nicely, and the pen has some much needed depth with the additions of Joe Borowski and Keith Foulke. The Tribe are good enough to finish at least second, and they will battle for the wild card.

5. Royals - Kansas City made one of the strangest and most surprising signings of the offseason when they gave Gil Meche five years and $55 million. The Royals are once again banking on their youth, and Alex Gordon provides a bright spot for 2007 and the future. However, in this division, the Royals will be lucky to not lose another 100 games.

AL EAST:

1. Yankees - The Bronx Bombers are doing something we havent seen them do in years: trade some of their over-priced, over-the-hill veterans in an attempt to restock its once depleted farm system, and they found takers for Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield and Jaret Wright. But the Yanks didn't take a big hit in trading those veterans and still look like the team to beat in the division. They brought Andy Pettitte back to the Bronx, and re-signed Mike Mussina to a rotation that includes Cy Young runner-up Chien-Ming Wang and injury-prone Carl Pavano. While the rotation still has some questions, all in all, with much of the lineup remaining intact from the playoffs, and with a reliable bullpen, the Yanks should win the division.

2. Red Sox - Boston has had an interesting offseason. They shelled out $51 million just to talk to Daisuke Matsuzaka, then signed him for another $50 million plus. They gave Julio Lugo $36 million, injury-prone but OBP-beast J.D. Drew $70 million, and signed/traded for a plethora of average middle relievers. In the end, they might have the division's best rotation with Matsuzaka, Curt Schilling, Matt Clement and Josh Beckett, and their lineup looks as scary as ever, but their bullpen is awful, with no real closer as Jonathon Papelbon is likely headed to the rotation. Unless the Sox can find a legit closer, they're stuck fighiting off five other teams for the wild card.

3. Blue Jays - Canada's only team has prepared itself to not only win now, but for years to come. The Jays added a big bat to their lineup in Frank Thomas, and inked superstar stud Vernon Wells to a long term extension. Add Lyle Overbay, Alex Rios and Troy Glaus to the offense, and the Jays will score a lot of runs. The rotation has one of the game's best in Roy Halladay, along with AJ Burnett, Gustavo Chacin, Josh Towers and newcomber John Thomson. The bullpen is anchored by closer BJ Ryan. You can make a legit argument for the Blue Jays in the wild card, and perhaps for the division title if things don't pan out for the Yankees or Red Sox.

4. Orioles - The O's are one of those strange teams you just can't seem to figure out. They have a good offensive core with Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora and Ramon Hernandez. They added Aubrey Huff and Jay Payton to compliment the offense. The rotation has an interesting mix of veterans (Kris Benson) and youth (Erik Bedard and Daniel Cabrera), but the problem last year was the bullpen. Baltimore did something about the lack of depth in the pen by adding three quality relievers in Danys Baez, Scott Williamson and Chad Bradford. The entire pitching staff should benefit from another year with pitching coach wizard Leo Mazzone, but in this division, it will take a mircale for the O's to finish any higher.

5. Devil Rays - Tampa is definitely headed in the right direction. The Rays have a nice core of young stars in the lineup (Carl Crawford, Delmon Young, Jorge Cantu, BJ Upton and Dioner Navarro) and in the rotation (Scott Kazmir, Jae Seo and Edwin Jackson). Unfortunately, the Devil Rays are stuck in a division with the two-headed monster that is the Yankees and Red Sox, and don't figure to put a dent in either of them.

Coming soon, individual award winner predictions!

2007 Predictions, Part One

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, February 9, 2007:

Well it's that time of year again. With baseball just around the corner (pitchers and catchers begin reporting to spring training next week), it's time for my annual fearless pedictions of division winners, playoff series winners and individual award winners. So without further ado, I begin tonight with the National League...

NL WEST:

1. Dodgers - This isn't a homer pick, this is a reality pick. The Dodgers won 88 games and scored 820 runs last year (4th best in the NL) while hitting the 4th fewest home runs in all of baseball. They lost J.D. Drew and replaced him with Luis Gonzalez, who had 52 doubles last season. If Jeff Kent and Nomar Garciaparra can stay healthy and get on-base in front of Gonzalez, the offense shouldn't lose a step. The additions of Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf to a rotation that already includes Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley gives the Dodgers more depth, and perhaps one of the best rotations in the NL. Takashi Saito returns as the everyday closer with up-and-coming Jonathan Broxton as the primary set-up man. Put it all together, and the Dodgers should return to the post-season.

2. Padres - San Diego won the division last year with 88 wins by virtue of their head-to-head record against the Dodgers, and they added some veteran leadership to their rotation in Greg Maddux. Their rotation should be good enough to win the division, however, the Padres boast perhaps one of the league's worst offenses, and they did very little to address this in the offseason. They did replace Josh Barfield at second with Marcus Giles, but unless they can outscore their opponents 3-2 every night, the Padres will be hard-pressed to repeat.

3. Diamondbacks - Arizona's line-up is loaded with young studs such as Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Chris Young and Chad Tracy. Couple that with CY Young award winner Brandon Webb, who anchors a rotation that features the return of Randy Johnson, Livan Hernandez and Doug Davis, the D-Backs should be able to hang around and compete with the Dodgers and Padres for the division. The telling tale for Arizona will be the effectiveness of its bullpen, which is anchored by Jose Valverde at the back end as the closer. The D-Backs could be a sleeper pick in the West if the Dodgers or Padres fall.

4. Giants - On paper, this team, offensively, looks old and horrid. They resigned (almost) Barry Bonds, Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz, brought back Rich Aurilia, and added Dave Roberts, Ryan Klesko and Benjie Molina to the mix, which already includes Omar Vizquel and Randy Winn. While these are all solid veterans, it's hard to imagine what this bunch can do as a group. Defensively, this team looks awful, mainly at the corners. The strength of the Giants appears to be, like the aforementioned teams, their rotation. While they may have jumped the gun and grossly overpaid for the services of Barry Zito, its hard not to imagine his potential in anchoring this rotation, which includes young studs Matt Cain and Noah Lowry, and veteran Matt Morris. The demise of this team is bullpen, or lack of one. The Giants will be lucky to stay afloat in this division.

5. Rockies - Colorado boasts perhaps the division's best lineup with Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Garret Atkins, Brad Hawpe, among others. They have a solid core of young starters in Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis, and a very reliable closer in Brian Fuentes. If the Giants should falter towards the end because of age and injuries, look for the Rockies to sneak out of the cellar.

NL CENTRAL:

1. Cubs - Chicago went on a mass spending spree, signing just about anyone who was in need of a contract. They began by bringing back one of their own, Aramis Ramirez, added the biggest bat on the market in Alfonso Soriano, added Ted Lilly to a shaky rotation that needed depth, and complimented all that with Cliff Floyd and Jason Marquis. Put it all together and you have the best lineup in the division, and a solid rotation (when healthy and effective). If all the pieces fall in place as they hope, the Cubs will still be playing baseball come October.

2. Cardinals - The defending World Series champs earn this spot by virtue of respect, but it will take a lot of luck, and getting hot at the right time for the Cards to repeat. They lost two key components of their championship rotation (Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan) to free agency, but they do return just about their entire lineup with one minor change at second base: Adam Kennedy replaces Ronnie Belliard. Last year's emergency closer, Adam Wainwright, will join the rotation as Jason Isringhausen is expected back as the closer. In the end, St. Louis is probably a second or third place team at best.

3. Brewers - Milwaukee suffered through a rough season in 2006 as expectations were high. The team was probably good enough to win the division, but it was too inconsistent. Now they're back, ready to prove everyone, themselves included, wrong in 2007. They added Jeff Suppan after trading Doug Davis to Arizona for Claudio Vargas, who join Ben Sheets, Chris Capuano and Homer Bush in the rotation. The line-up remains the same as it did at the end of last season, and Francisco Cordero returns for his first full season as the Brew Crew's closer. If the Cubs pitching crumbles, the Brewers could be sleepers in the Central. They will battle for the wild card.

4. Astros - Houston has had interesting off-season. They traded for starter Jason Jennings after Andy Pettitte bolted and went back to New York, and added Carlos Lee to the line-up. All the while, they are still waiting on Roger Clemens' decision on whether or not he will not only pitch in 2007, but where. Lee brings some added pop to the lineup, but the Astros take a big hit defesively with Lee. Brad Lidge is expected to resume his duties as the closer, but he will be on a short leash again. In the long run, the Astros just don't have enough.

5. (tie) Pirates/Reds - It's tough to decide which of these two teams is worse in this division, but on paper, they are about the same, primarily offensively. The Pirates added Adam LaRoche to their lineup, which already includes superstars Jason Bay and reigning NL batting champ Freddy Sanchez. The Reds are led by power-hitting stud Adam Dunn and veteran Ken Griffey Jr. The rotations are about the same, with mixtures of veterans and youngsters. The Reds probably boast the best of the bunch in Bronson Arroyo but the Pirates have the stud kid, Zack Duke. The Pirates do have a decent bullpen, something Cincinnati doesn't. These two "river city" teams will be battling it out to stay out of the cellar again.

NL EAST:

1. Mets - The Mets come into the season with bigger and better expectations. They cruised to the division title and swarmed into the NLCS in 2006, but they got bounced in teh NLCS by eventual champion St. Louis. They bring back the league's best line-up and deepest bullpen, but they do have some question marks. The rotation is depleted and a mess. They scrambled to re-sign 42 year-old Tom Glavine to a rotation that includes aging veteran Orlando Hernandez, and rookies Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine. Plus Pedro Martinez is not expected back until mid-season. However, it should all still be enough to repeat in the East.

2. Phillies - The Phillies added some much needed depth to their rotation, signing Adam Eaton and trading for Freddy Garcia. These additions all but make Jon Lieber expendable, while Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer round out the rotation. The lineup consists the league's hottest young power hitter in Ryan Howard, and superstar Chase Utley. The bullpen is a question mark, with Tom Gordon closing, and in the end, might be the achilles heel to the team's playoff hopes. However, the Phillies should sneak in as the wild card.

3. Braves - Atlanta's miraculous run of 14 consecutive division titles came to a screeching halt last season. They suffered through injuries and inconsistencies, and a depleted bullpen. The bullpen issues have been addressed with the additions of Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez to help closer Bob Wickman. The Braves were willing to part with first baseman Adam LaRoche to get Gonzalez, but they are confident a platoon of veteran Craig Wilson and rookie Scott Thorman can fill the void at first, and rookie Kelly Johnson at second. The rotation is a question mark, but if John Smoltz, Mike Hampton and Tim Hudson can stay healthy and consistent, the Braves should be able to stay afloat for a good part of the season.

4. Marlins - The firing of rookie manager of the year Joe Girardi was somewhat of a surprise, and an even bigger surprise is the possible stadium deal the Marlins have been coveting for so long. But even more surprising was the play of a young group of kids (Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez and Mike Jacobs), guided by Girardi, that many said would lose over 100 games in 2006. Instead, they battled for the wild card until the end. This year should be no different, with or without Girardi. However, Florida might still be a year or two away from being serious contenders.

5. Nationals - Washington is coming off a forgettable season, and they didn't much in the offseason to improve in any area. They lost their one and only marketable commodity to free agency in Alfonso Soriano. The only bright spot is third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who finished very well in the rookie of the year voting, and outfielder Ryan Church, who might be on his way out of DC anyway. That said, there isn't anything to be excited about in the nation's capital.

Coming soon, American League predictions!

My Day at the WBC

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, March 13, 2006:

When Major League Baseball announced last year that there would be a "world championship" tournament for baseball, much in the same manner as soccer's World Cup, I was a little hesitant to favor it because of the timing the tournament would take place: during spring training. But after attending the first two games of the second round yesterday, I got suckered into it.

The tournament started by featuring 16 teams from 16 countries from around the world. Some of the teams featured major leaguers, some had none. And it became pretty obvious after the first round which were the elite teams and which countries weren't because of the lopsided scores in some of the games (i.e. Japan beat China 18-2 in one game, and the United States beat South Africa 17-0 in another).

My family and I had gone out to dinner on Saturday night for my birthday. We went to our usual favorite spot in Encino. It also didn't hurt that we know the owner of the restaurant, and one of his employees is also a good friend of ours. That friend, Francisco, and done of his friend's, had bought six tickets for each of the first two second round games at Angel Stadium yesterday. Our friend, who's Mexican, told me in the restaurant that he and his friend had an extra ticket for the game, and asked if I wanted to go. So I did.

The two games that I witnessed, USA vs. Japan, and Mexico vs. Korea, were very entertaining, well played games. The atmosphere in the stadium was something I have never before experienced. It's one thing to be in a stadium packed with 56,000 fans of your favorite major league team. It's something completely different when you have a stadium almost as big filled with fans from two countries.

The first game, USA vs. Japan, started off rather shaky for Team USA. Jake Peavy of the Padres started and was taken deep on the second pitch of the game by Seattle's Ichiro for Japan. Japan got two more runs in the second and had a 3-0 lead after 2 innings. Peavy eventually settled down and kept his team in the game until Atlanta's Chipper Jones went deep. later, the Cubs' Derrick Lee hit a bomb to dead center for a 2-run shot, and the game was tied. Then it got interesting. IN the 8th inning, Japan worked the bases loaded against Minnesota's Joe Nathan and with one out, was looking to regain the lead. A Japanese hitter hit a fly ball to left for the second out. The runner at third tagged up and scored what was supposed to be the go-ahead run for Japan. As always, the defensive team threw the ball to third to protest the runner leaving early but one of the umpires called him safe, meaning the run was good. But USA manager Buck Martinez protested it, and the umpires got together and the home plate umpire overturned the other umpire's call, and called the runner out, thus nullifying Japan's go-ahead run. Japan was livid, in fact, more shocked by what just happened. Team USA came off the field to hit, but the runners on base for Japanese remained out on the bases still confused. A long discussion between the umpires and the Japanese manager, Japanese great Sadahuro Oh, ensued, but the umpires had made their call. Then in the 9th inning with the game still tied 3-3, Alex Rodriguez got a game-winning, walk-off, bases-loaded single to win the game for Team USA.

The second game, a mere 3.5 hours after the first game ended, featured Mexico and Korea. This game was less controversial as the first game, but it was still a very good, close game. Korea took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a 2-run home run by Seong Yeop Lee. The Dodgers' Jae Seo, pitching for Korea, pitched brilliantly for 5 innings, allowing just 1 run (a homerun by Luis A. Garcia) and two hits (Vinny Castilla of the Padres had the other). Mexico had a chance to tie the game several times, including in the 9th inning when they left the tying run at 3rd base against Korean closer Chan Ho Park of the Padres. Korea, 4-0 in the tournament, won the game 2-1.

The atmosphere at both games was quite amazing. I must admit though, the Mexicans really impressed me with their enthusiasm and energy. Aside from the small patches of Koreans throughout the stadium, the Mexicans packed Angel Stadium and were out in full force donning their country's red, white and green. Even the small patches of Koreans were very load and enthused. It was more like a World Series game. The atmosphere of that game reminded me a lot of Game 3 of the 2004 NLDS between the Dodgers and Cards at Dodger Stadium when Jose Lima pitched the game of his life. And while the stadium had about 10,000 empty seats for the first game, the Americans and Japanese were very much into the game, but in a different way than the Mexicans and Koreans. The American and Japanese fans seemed to take in the game with a little more seriousness, knowing they're both very good teams and should win their games. The Meixcans and Koreans were more overjoyed and just happy to be a part of the whole thing. Two very different atmospheres but still one that I was glad to be a part of.