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Sunday, May 29, 2005 |
Pickoff Moves
The Dodgers Won? Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 3
Not for one second did I believe Paul DePodesta's blatent BS that the Dodgers consistent losses to playoff teams were meaningless. This is not a good team. It is a team that's almost good enough to win the division, with some luck and good health, neither of which have they been getting much of lately. Today was kind of an exception to that rule, as they snuck past the Snakes, but boy can you see the end a-comin' for Gio. It fills me with sadness and fear; sadness because of what he's given the Dodgers over time, and fear because I have no idea how many games he'll be allowed to blow before Tracy finally relegates him to mopup duties.Ortiz begins to smell a bit. Okay, a lot. This outing, his May finale, marked his second-highest earned run total of the month, and that's saying something in a month where he's managed zero quality starts; in fact, he's only had three all year. The Snakes must be wondering where all that money went.
Dodgers Still Pumped On Jackson
This Daily News story indicating the Dodgers' faith in Edwin Jackson despite their callup of young Derek Thompson and his very successful (for a rookie straight out of AA ball) outing reminds me that the Dodgers are thinking "deadline trade".Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn, meanwhile, discounts Jackson's gaudy ERA, chalking it up to simple mathematics. Colborn pointed out that it takes only one or two bad starts to inflate a pitcher's ERA, but it takes several good ones to bring it back down.Thompson, Jackson and somebody else for a starter."He went through a learning curve, which always sets a pitcher back," Colborn said. "They all go through it. He came in and had success early without knowing why, and then he had to learn why. In learning that, a pitcher usually regresses. It takes about a year and a half or so."
Raul Mondesi Pines For Better Days
The Braves demoted former Dodger and Angel Raul Mondesi, calling up OF Kelly Johnson from AAA Richmond. This move was predictable from the moment Mondesi was signed; retirement is an option on the table, as is demotion to the bench.Giants DFA Matt Herges
The Giants DFA'd Matt Herges to make room for LaTroy Hawkins. Hawkins today blanked the Padres for one inning in his first appearance as a Giant. The Padres won anyway, 9-6, and are four and a half games ahead of the Dodgers in first place. The victory marked San Diego's twentieth win this month, a club record, and a road sweep of San Francisco.By way of followup to the Hawkins trade, McCovey Chronicles has some good commentary on this; on the one hand, he reads the Hawkins move as a smoke signal that the club feels optimistic about Bonds contributing this year; minus that, why bother making this trade? Williams is a decent enough pitcher, and though he had some growing pains, why ditch him unless there's a compelling case to win now?
Dotel Will Have To Learn To Live With The Pain
Good news: Dotel won't need surgery. Bad news: he'll have to learn to live with the pain. Ouch.Deadline+Columnist=Let's Get Rid Of The DH
Dumb idea; that pitcher-hits-a-home-run lameness is only so exciting and happens, what, once every three years for your team anyway (I saw OP smack one back in 2002 at the park and that was the last one I saw in person). Strategy? Guaranteed bunts. I'll put it this way: given a choice in the minors, they use the DH. It prolongs careers and adds excitement and real strategy to the game. Let's bring the DH to the National League, too, and end this destructive conflict. Or something.
Comments:
You may be right about Gio, who was never going to be as good as he looked in 2004. That was a fluke year if you look at his career. He had good times with the Dodgers, but the team has already released him once.
Personally, I'm fine with the two leagues having different rules. But no DH certainly adds strategy - not what the pitcher does when he bats, but whether to let him bat at all. That's one of the biggest questions in the game and one that has been never answered to any perfection - when do you take out your pitcher for a pinch-hitter. For that matter, there's the strategy of do you risk your good-hit, no-field player in the field or not.
And honestly - I'm not just saying this - I've never found a pitcher at-bat boring. He's a longshot to get a hit, but since when are longshots boring?
By the way, pretty much the entire Dodger starting rotation homered in 2002. Rare feat, though, I admit.
Personally, I'm fine with the two leagues having different rules. But no DH certainly adds strategy - not what the pitcher does when he bats, but whether to let him bat at all. That's one of the biggest questions in the game and one that has been never answered to any perfection - when do you take out your pitcher for a pinch-hitter. For that matter, there's the strategy of do you risk your good-hit, no-field player in the field or not.
And honestly - I'm not just saying this - I've never found a pitcher at-bat boring. He's a longshot to get a hit, but since when are longshots boring?
By the way, pretty much the entire Dodger starting rotation homered in 2002. Rare feat, though, I admit.
Pitchers are too valuable a commodity for their meager contributions at the plate. Likewise, offensive useful, defensively challenged guys -- i.e., half a player, but the important half -- get to be productive. Mo Vaughn was born to be a DH. Barry Bonds, if he ever plays again, should be a DH; and guys like Edgar Martinez wouldn't have had a career at all if it weren't for the DH. Why should Bonds have to change leagues and teams to stay useful?
Actually, strike that part about "half a player". It's more like three-quarters of a player.
Actually, strike that part about "half a player". It's more like three-quarters of a player.
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