2008 Los Angeles Dodgers Official Thread

[PMJackson21 0]

Rockies starting rotation1 Jeff Francis (L)2 Aaron Cook ®3 Ubaldo Jimenez ®4 Jason Hirsh ® (D.L.)5 Franklin Morales (L)5 Mark Redman (L)Let's not carried away, shall we?Sidenote: Patrick, glad the Dodgers won and you didn't have to kill yourself.

LOL, I hesitated on my wording there because I couldn't recall much of their rotation past Francis and that Jimenez kid. Or was it Morales that is highly touted? You are right, but then again, compared to past Colorado rotations that one is looking pretty solid.Re: sidenote - Heh thank you, I was able to listen to all the Bay Area sports talk I could handle yesterday and today, and listen to fans/commentators rip the Giants. I really shouldn't take much pleasure from watching the Dodgers beat a 100 loss team, but I can't help myself. I literally broke out in evil/gleeful laughter when Zito got lit up in the first.On my own side note, from what I've read/heard, Opening Day ceremonies at Dodgers Stadium yesterday were incredible. I hate Plaschke, but he does write 'sappy' pieces well:http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb...,7133434.column

[SBriand 4]

Damn they took Kemp out and put Pierre in. Booo, I have Kemp on my fantasy team.

[PMJackson21 0]

Damn they took Kemp out and put Pierre in. Booo, I have Kemp on my fantasy team.

Completely unacceptable for the Bison to lose ABs to Pierre. Cain looks good, poor guy better hope he gets some run support (prob not, but Lowe looks sloppy so you never know).

[SBriand 4]

So we have a free preview of MLB Extra Bases on Comcast so I can actually watch this game. I don't know how long I will last listening to this guy doing the game. I believe in 3 innings he has brought up Pierre and his consecutive game streak coming to an end yesterday. He needs a color guy badly. Ugh.

[PMJackson21 0]

So we have a free preview of MLB Extra Bases on Comcast so I can actually watch this game. I don't know how long I will last listening to this guy doing the game. I believe in 3 innings he has brought up Pierre and his consecutive game streak coming to an end yesterday. He needs a color guy badly. Ugh.

How dare you speak badly of Vin Scully. You should feel privelaged that you get to listen him, while I'm stuck in SF area so I have to watch the Giants telecast. :)FWIW, Scully has never had a color guy and never will.

[SBriand 4]

How dare you speak badly of Vin Scully. You should feel privelaged that you get to listen him, while I'm stuck in SF area so I have to watch the Giants telecast. :)FWIW, Scully has never had a color guy and never will.

oopsHe must be getting old. Anytime Pierre is on the screen he has brought up that hos consecutive game streak (since 2002) had come to an end yesterday. It's weird.Wow, so that is Skully. lol Loney needs to get some some RBI's here.edit: bs

[PMJackson21 0]

oopsHe must be getting old. Anytime Pierre is on the screen he has brought up that hos consecutive game streak (since 2002) had come to an end yesterday. It's weird.Wow, so that is Skully. lol Loney needs to get some some RBI's here.

A bit high on that 3-2 pitch to Loney but that's the umpires zone. At least Cain has thrown a ton of pitches, and quite a few in pressure spots, so hopefully we can get into that vaunted Giants bullpen soon.Scully def comes across as senile now at times, but so do our grandparents, and we still love them.

[SBriand 4]

wow, all that for just having to move 3 steps to the left

[SBriand 4]

wooooooo! Way to go Pee Wee!

[GeneralGeeWhiz 0]

I'm on suicide watch. Brb next life

[PMJackson21 0]

I'm on suicide watch. Brb next life

Well....at least Cain looked good.Raffy looks really good for us, what a surprise in a contract year.

[JoeyJoJo 18]

I don't know how long I will last listening to this guy doing the game. I believe in 3 innings he has brought up Pierre and his consecutive game streak coming to an end yesterday. He needs a color guy badly. Ugh.

Please don't be talking about Scully, please don't be talking about Scully, please don't be talking about Scully.

How dare you speak badly of Vin Scully.

Oh man. I will now officially discount SBriand's opinions on all things baseball related by at least 6 levels.

[SBriand 4]

Please don't be talking about Scully, please don't be talking about Scully, please don't be talking about Scully.Oh man. I will now officially discount SBriand's opinions on all things baseball related by at least 6 levels.

In all fairness I was born and raised on the east coast and got no farther west than Detroit Mi. Getting to hear Dodger games is near impossible unless I had some sat dish which I have not. This is honestly the first time I have heard Scully. I feel really bad about my comments and I did stay up and watch the whole game and I can honestly say that I grew to like Scully. I am so used to listening to Rod and Mario do Tigers games, or Price and Davidson on the radio, and Mickey and Ken doing the Wings broadcasts that having one guy just talk like that was a new experience for me. I truly feel ashamed.I will be in the copy room if you need to slap me around a bit.

[PMJackson21 0]

In all fairness I was born and raised on the east coast and got no farther west than Detroit Mi. Getting to hear Dodger games is near impossible unless I had some sat dish which I have not. This is honestly the first time I have heard Scully. I feel really bad about my comments and I did stay up and watch the whole game and I can honestly say that I grew to like Scully. I am so used to listening to Rod and Mario do Tigers games, or Price and Davidson on the radio, and Mickey and Ken doing the Wings broadcasts that having one guy just talk like that was a new experience for me. I truly feel ashamed.I will be in the copy room if you need to slap me around a bit.

Heh I forgive you, not sure about JJJ though. Vin is def something that has to grow on you I think, especially if you are used to modern day broadcasts. He has a style that is completely different then others, and is more about providing a great description of the atmosphere of the game, then play by play.

[Jackets1407 0]

Well....at least Cain looked good.Raffy looks really good for us, what a surprise in a contract year.

Trust me everyone here in Atlanta knows all to well about how good Raffy tends to look in a contract year!!!

[GeneralGeeWhiz 0]

At least we won one!

[PMJackson21 0]

At least we won one!

I had my home game last night so I missed all but the very end of it. I was able to turn it on just in time to see Pierre fail to bunt the runner over, then get a horrible jump on the 3-2 pitch to Furcal and get thrown out. Gee, and I thought the two things Pierre could be counted on were being able to bunt and stealing bases. Sigh.Weird game though with the rain delays, pitching decisions.

[kers2 0]

So we have a free preview of MLB Extra Bases on Comcast so I can actually watch this game. I don't know how long I will last listening to this guy doing the game. I believe in 3 innings he has brought up Pierre and his consecutive game streak coming to an end yesterday. He needs a color guy badly. Ugh.

No f'ing way

Please don't be talking about Scully, please don't be talking about Scully, please don't be talking about Scully.Oh man. I will now officially discount SBriand's opinions on all things baseball related by at least 6 levels.

Agreed

In all fairness I was born and raised on the east coast and got no farther west than Detroit Mi. Getting to hear Dodger games is near impossible unless I had some sat dish which I have not. This is honestly the first time I have heard Scully. I feel really bad about my comments and I did stay up and watch the whole game and I can honestly say that I grew to like Scully. I am so used to listening to Rod and Mario do Tigers games, or Price and Davidson on the radio, and Mickey and Ken doing the Wings broadcasts that having one guy just talk like that was a new experience for me. I truly feel ashamed.I will be in the copy room if you need to slap me around a bit.

Ok at least you apologizedOne of my wishes in life is that Vin Scully could be 30 years younger so I could listen to him for 30 more years. The man is just awesomeI would enjoy listening to him describe grass growAlong those same lines, its really amazing that Vin is still enjoyable and doesnt seem to have lost his wits like others. For example, we get Ralph Kiner here for the Mets on sports NY, and he is just horrible now. Slurs every word, has no idea what he's talking about anymore (started about 3 years ago). How and why they still roll him out there to do games is beyond me. Dick Enberg is another. I used to like both of them but they're way too old and bad now.

[PMJackson21 0]

It's early and all but...Andruw Jones at the plate reminds me of the worst parts of Raul Mondesi and Adrian Beltre (besides the year his ankle was hurt and he couldn't dive at outside part of the plate, and amazingly had a great year by staying back on it). I'm pretty sure any pitcher with a decent slider and control can make him look bad right now, it's pretty embarrassing.Russell Martin looks thinner this year....and he also looks off at the plate...Juan Pierre is playing waaaaaaaaaaay too much. I could care less if Torre wants to 'protect' Kemp from tough righties like Lincecum, Peavy, Haren, etc. If he wants to keep Kemp from playing against guys like that, then that means he will be playing like 50% of the time considering how many tough righties are in the NL West. Pierre hasn't disappointed me either, most recently with his 6-4-3 dp last night after Dewitt had drawn a lead off walk in a (at the time) 5-3 game. I can now cross off 'Won't ground into DPs' from the 'Somewhat Possitive things JP does' list.There is no way the team can be successful if Jones, Martin, and Kemp all have bad years offensively.

[SBriand 4]

At least your team has won a game.

[PMJackson21 0]

At least your team has won a game.

I was listening to the Giants postgame show yesterday (honestly, in a way I am a bigger fan then 95% of Giants fans....know thy enemy and all...), and Krukow (who is on a short list of people I would beat down if there were no repercussions) was rooting for the Tigers to lose, so the Giants didn't look as bad. Any time the 2008 SF Giants are competing against you for anything, that is a very bad sign.The only Tigers game I've been able to watch was Sunday's, which I surmise is a good barometer for the year thus far.

[SBriand 4]

I was listening to the Giants postgame show yesterday (honestly, in a way I am a bigger fan then 95% of Giants fans....know thy enemy and all...), and Krukow (who is on a short list of people I would beat down if there were no repercussions) was rooting for the Tigers to lose, so the Giants didn't look as bad. Any time the 2008 SF Giants are competing against you for anything, that is a very bad sign.The only Tigers game I've been able to watch was Sunday's, which I surmise is a good barometer for the year thus far.

LOLSunday was probably the worst of the 6. That was a just a complete meltdown.They are on the road now and I think that will help. Hopefully. The bullpen still sucks and hopefully half of the starting rotation can get their act together, but there is no way this lineup continues to suck. Too many good bats.

[JoeyJoJo 18]

It's early and all but...Andruw Jones at the plate reminds me of the worst parts of Raul Mondesi and Adrian Beltre.

It's not early; he's always looked like that.When the Dodgers made this trade I said, "Oh good, more Beltre-esque at-bats." Maybe not on here, but I did say it to my friends.Or maybe I just thought it?Regardless, I concur.

[PMJackson21 0]

It's not early; he's always looked like that.When the Dodgers made this trade I said, "Oh good, more Beltre-esque at-bats." Maybe not on here, but I did say it to my friends.Or maybe I just thought it?Regardless, I concur.

If you want to go back even further, I remember always asking my dad why that oaf Mike Marshall 'always swings at balls in the dirt'. Mondesi couldn't lay off the outside slider, and Beltre obv is the most recent example. The old school way of thinking (doesn't apply to that big white oaf Marshall), was that Latin/Caribbean players are free swingers and had poor plate discipline. I can't recall it off the top of my head, but there is an old quote/saying from the Dominican Republic saying something along the lines of, 'you can't walk yourself to the Major Leagues'. Vlad is a good example of a player who fits that, but players like Bobby Abreu don't at all. Someone did a statistical study a few years back that I remember seeing online, and didn't conclusively prove anything. The Latin/Carribean players had a slightly less pitch per AB avg then other nationalities, but only like .5 an AB or something.I'm guessing/hoping that Jones is just pressing himself too much with a new team, and coming off a career worst year. His plate woes are similar to Kemp's actually; he's over anxious, and is trying to hit outside pitches when he should be waiting for stuff middle-in. If he can recognize breaking ball early, then he should know that if it starts outside, it's not going to be a strike. If you are talented enough to hit major league pitching, then it's amazing how simple it can look if you lay off breaking balls, get ahead in the count, and then sit on a fastball (again, see Beltre's ABs his one good year). Easier said then done though.....Hopefully all 3 (Jones, Kemp, Martin) look better tonight against a softer throwing lefty/Doug Davis...

[JoeyJoJo 18]

I can't recall it off the top of my head, but there is an old quote/saying from the Dominican Republic saying something along the lines of, 'you can't walk yourself to the Major Leagues'. Vlad is a good example of a player who fits that, but players like Bobby Abreu don't at all. Someone did a statistical study a few years back that I remember seeing online, and didn't conclusively prove anything. The Latin/Carribean players had a slightly less pitch per AB avg then other nationalities, but only like .5 an AB or something.

"You can't walk your way off the island."I haven't seen a study like that, but that's interesting. I love the way anecdotes just get accepted as fact over time.Vlad is the most impressive hitter I've ever seen. He can take any pitch and not just make contact, but hit it hard. I'm not saying he's the best hitter, but I love watching him. Like that home run in the All-Star game against Penny. Penny was throwing serious gas and had struck out the first two guys on all fastballs and then Vlad hits one out to the opposite field on a fastball about shoulder high. So great.