A .500 Team

The Dodgers lead the league in runs scored, yet are a .500 team right now, and in 3rd place in the NL West. WHY?

Over 14 games they have scored 93 runs, an average of 6.64 runs per game. How often do teams score over 6 run a game, but more importantly, how many teams score 6 runs a game and LOSE?

The Dodgers lead the National League in Runs, Hits, Slugging %, and have the highest team batting average .315. The next closes team is the Phillies with 83 runs scored and a team average of .281…that’s a significant difference. Yet, the Phillies are 9-5 and first place in the East, while the Dodgers are 7-7 and in third place in the West.

The Dodgers pitching is 26th in MLB and 13th in the National League with an ERA of 5.37. Starting pitchers are not going deep into games, and the bullpen has been unreliable. Kershaw and Billingsly are still young, but how long we we allow that to be an excuse for going 3 innings? Belisario came back yesterday and pitched a scoreless inning. Kuo should be back soon too, so we can only hope they are able to bring a little consistency late in games.

The Dodgers are a great team. Their bats are on fire right now, and as soon as the pitching comes together the team is going to be unstoppable.

I just hope it happens sooner rather than later.



*I Love This Game*

Home Opener 2010

"It's tiiiiiiiime for Dodger baseball." I can't wait to hear the One and Only VIN SCULLY call the game today!

Nothing looks better than the crisp, bright white of a Dodgers home uniform. Somehow, the white is whiter than any other team in baseball. The bright blue Dodgers written in script across the front and the red accent number comes together beautifully. It's worn with pride.

Larry King, a true Dodger fan has said, "And to see those white Dodger uniforms, which are still the whitest uniform in sport. There's no uniform whiter than the Dodgers. They were white white."

On another note, I'm extremely disappointed the Dodgers chose to have Will.I.Am throw out the first pitch. In LA you can get a celebrity to throw out the first pitch at ANY game during the season. This is the HOME OPENER. The Dodgers are one of the most storied organizations in Major League Baseball. Why would they not get a legend?

*I LOVE THIS GAME*

#34 Nick Andenhart

A year ago today, after pitching 6 scoreless inning for the Angels, Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver. #34 was only 22.

I remember the sadness of that day. One of the sports radio stations I was listening to opened up the phone lines for people to call in to express their sadness and sympathy for the Adenhart family, as well as the families of the other 2 who lost their lives that night. All of southern California, as well as the baseball community nationwide mourned.

Today we remember the life of Nick Adenhart, taken too soon.

Please, don't drink and drive.


*I Love This Game*

Win #1 in 2010

The Dodgers got their 1^st win of the season out of the way today after dropping the first 2 games to the Pirates.

Billingsley pitched well, and look a lot better than Padilla and Kershaw in games 1 and 2. He was able to pitch himself out of trouble, but his pitch count was over 100 by the 6^th and was pulled after getting the first out of the inning. He ended the game with 7 strikeouts and 4 walks.

The Dodgers bench is deep. They proved themselves today: Reed Johnson in Left, Garrett Anderson in Right, Ronnie Belliard at third, Jamie Carroll at second, and Brad Ausmus catching. Combined they were 9 for 20 including a Belliard HR. They had 6 of the Dodgers 10 RBIs.

James Loney's bat got hot, going 3-5 with 2 RBIs after going 0-9 in the first 2 games.

They also did better with runners in scoring position, although they are still leaving too many on. In the first 2 games they were 4/28 with runners in scoring position. You can't win games without scoring runs.

This team looks more like the Boys in Blue I know. Not sure who showed up Monday & Wednesday, but I hope we don't see them too often this season

AND With this game, Brad Ausmus is ranked 7th all-time games caught

The Spring Training Tradition

Spring Break '06, my senior year at Chico State. All my spring break plans had fallen through, so instead I decided to go home to Lake Tahoe. My Dad decided we should go somewhere warm, so he kidnapped me and our Spring Training Tradition was started...

We had plane tickets, but got to Arizona without a hotel room or game tickets. Our flight landed around 12:30 and we picked up a spring training map from the people at Hertz. They told us the Brewers game started at 1 and we could probably make it by the 2nd inning. We did, and before we knew it we were at a ball game, sitting right behind home plate, eating nachos, pretzels and drinking ice cold beer, in March.
We woke up early day 2 and checked out the Cubs practice facility. It was so open and fan inviting. We were literally mingling with the players and coaches. We decided to head out and get tickets to the Cubs game for that day. We missed the entrance to the stadium, had to turn around, and ended up pulling up on the street in front. I stayed in the card and Dad ran to get tickets. When he came back he had good news and bad news. The bad news; the game was sold out. The good news; right as he was being told there were no tickets, a season ticket holder at the window next to him was turning in two tickets for that game. What are the chances!? The trip was amazing, and we knew it had to become a tradition.

Spring Training '07 we decided to include the rest of the family; my Mom and Brother came along for the weekend. Adding other people to the mix changed the dynamic of the trip. They aren't the passionate baseball fanatics that Dad and I are, but it was a great family weekend. We decided it was back to just the two of us though.

Spring Training '08 had a different location. We passed up Arizona that year to go to Seattle WA and meet the newest member of the Evans family. Tristan Robert Evans was born January 21, 2008. I am the proud aunty of the most amazing little boy ever. He's the only thing worth missing spring training for.

Spring Training '09...The Dodgers are in Arizona!! How awesome is this? We bought tickets to check out the Dodgers all 3 days we were in town. In addition to checking out the Cubs practices, we now got the opportunity to go explore Camelback Ranch. The new home for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That trip included a lifesaver throw into one of Camelback Ranch's lakes and a $20,000 batting practice ball...

Spring Training '10...Countdown to Arizona... 14 Days...


I LOVE THIS GAME

D-O-D-G-E-R-S (Oh Really? No, O'Malley) - Danny Kaye

RIP Willie Davis...Immortalized in song...

So I say D, I say D-O,
D-O-D,
D-O-D-G,
D-O-D-G-E-R-S, team, team, team, team
O, I say O-M,
O-M-A,
O-M-A-L,
O-M-A-L-L-E-Y, Oh really? No, O'Malley
Sandy Koufax, oh my Drysdale, Maury Wills
I love you so
And we defy
Defy the J-I,
J-I-N,
J-I-N-T,
J-I-N-T-S, Giants!
Play ball
Orlando Cepeda is at bat with the bases jammed
Orlando Cepeda with a Wham! Bam!
He hit a grand slam
In the very first inning
But it's only the beginning
In the third like a bird we get two on an away
Then Fairly hits into a double play
Here comes big Frank Howard yes-sirree
Boy what a swing!
Strike three
Oh dem B, oh dem B-U,
B-U-M,
B-U-M-S, dem bums, dem bums, dem dry bums
Oh they may be bums but they're my bums
Top of the fifth
"Say Hey" Willy Mays hits a 3 bagger down the right field line
But he's out trying to stretch it to a homer
As Roseboro tags him on the bottom of the spine
With a crack you can hear all the way back up to San Francisco
Open your hospital
Inning six
Maury Wills draws a walk in the coach's box
Leo Durocher, Leo Durocher starts to wiggle and to twitch
A signal? No, an itch
Go Maury, Go Maury, Go, Go, Go
Maury goes
The catcher throws
Right from the solarplexus
At the bag he beats the tag
That mighty little waif
And umpire Conlan cries "you're out!"
Out? Out?
Down in the dug-out Alston glowers
Up in the booth Vin Scully frowns
Out in the stands O'Malley grins
Attendance fifty thousand
And what does O'Malley do? Ahh!
Bottom of the ninth
Four to nutin'
Last chance
Push the button
Oh we're pleadin', beggin', on our knees
Come on you Flatbush refugees
Maury Wills at bat
Hit it for me once
Stu Miller throws
Maury bunts
Cepeda runs to field the ball and Hiller covers first
Haller runs to back up Hiller, Hiller crashes into Miller
Miller falls, drops the ball and Conlan calls "safe!"
Yeah Maury!
Gilliam up
Miller grunts
Miller throws
Gilliam bunts
Cepeda runs to field the ball and Hiller covers first
Howard runs to back up Hiller, Hiller crashes into Miller
Miller falls, drops the ball and Conlan calls "safe!"
Yeah Conlan!
Willie Davis gets a hit and Tommy does the same
Here comes Mr. Howard with a chance to win the game
Hit it once
Big Frank bunts?
Cepeda runs to field the ball, so does Hiller, so does Miller
Miller hollers Hiller
Hiller hollers Miller
Haller hollers Hiller points to Miller with his fist
And that's the Miller, Hiller, Haller hallelujah twist
The Davises score it's four to four
Howard's still running the bases
From second to third it's almost absurd
Amazement on everyones faces
He's heading for home
He hasn't a chance
The poor nut is gonna be dead
But the ball hits him right in the seat of his pants
And he scores
That's using your head
So I say D, I say D-O,
D-O-D-G-E-R-S
The team that's all heart
All heart and all thumbs
They're my Los Angeles
Your Los Angeles
Our Los Angeles
Do you really think we'll really win the pennant?
Bums! Oooo dem bums!

The Great Sock Debate

Maybe I'm "old school", but I like when pants come just below the knee, and socks show; a la Doug Mientkiewicz, and Juan Pierre (again with the mention of Pierre. I know he had a career season for the Dodgers last year, but he had it when they need it the most. Not only does he did play his heart out during those 50 games, but after his stint as the starting left fielder was over, he graciously took his seat on the bench and waited for his chance to pinch hit/run/or head back out into "Mannywood", and when he was called on, he usually delivered. Anyways, back to the socks. Socks seem to be a forgotten part of the overall appearance of the uniform. The different colors were a way to distinguish teams and for me, that is what a baseball uniform should look like.

Barry Bonds and Manny, have the "I'm too cool" baggy pants over the shoe look. I hate it. I remember in the '90's when I first saw Bonds with his. I grew up in Giants country so I didn't like him to begin with, and his sloppy looking uniform just added to that dislike. I think that guys who wear baggy pants have a certain attitude, like, I'm a superstar, I earned these extra 4 inches of pant.

Doesn't UNIFORM mean that they should all look the same? From Answers.com: adj.

1. Always the same, as in character or degree; unvarying.
2. Conforming to one principle, standard, or rule; consistent.
3. Being the same as or consonant with another or others.
4. Unvaried in texture, color, or design.

Maybe I just don't like change...

I LOVE THIS GAME