Monday, November 30, 2009 |
Angels Vote Nick Adenhart A Full Postseason Share
Labels: angels, nick adenhart, postseason
Vin Scully Highlights At archive.org
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 |
OT: Happy Thanksgiving
Labels: offtopic
White Sox To Relieve Dodgers Of $500k Worth Of Andruw Jones' Salary
Labels: dodgers, ex-dodgers, white sox
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 |
Angels Release Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc
"We are going in a different direction next season and will use single announcing teams on TV and radio that will include Rory Markas and Mark Gubicza on Fox Sports West and KCOP and Terry Smith and Jose Mota calling the action on radio (KLAA AM 830). We believe this approach will create greater consistency on our telecasts, as well as a deeper familiarity with fans and viewers. We would like to thank Rex Hudler and Steve Physioc for their contributions through the years and we wish each of them well."As far as I'm concerned, neither Hudler nor Physioc were top-flight major league announcers. The TV crew going forward will be Rory Markus and Marc Gubicza, and the radio announcers will be Terry Smith and Jose Mota.
Via HH.
Sunday, November 22, 2009 |
Pickoff Moves
Mike Napoli, Baseball's Worst Defensive Catcher
Really? Even worse than Jorge Posada? Apparently so, according to a post at Driveline Mechanics. Jeff Mathis is also net negative runs defensively (-2.0), but still better than Napoli. Russell Martin at -3.3 is also sub-par. Gerald Laird, lately of the Tigers, ranked best (+13.3 total runs). Crazy.Torii Hunter To Have Surgery To Repair Sports Hernia
I always figured a sports hernia was a euphemism for some kind of testicular injury, but no; it's a consequence of a rupture where the abdominal muscles are thin rather than stemming from a lack of strength. Torii Hunter will have surgery to repair his, and should be back in plenty of time for spring training.Dallas McPherson Signs Minor League Deal With Oakland
... according to Jerry Krasnick. He had back surgery in July, and missed the rest of the season with the Giants' minor league affiliate in Fresno. Hard to believe he's only 29.Dodgers Move Luis Guerra, Three Others To 40-Man Roster
The Dodgers added Luis Guerra and three others to the 40-man roster prior to the deadline; the others were Ivan De Jesus, Jr., Trayvon Robinson, and Kenley Jansen.Labels: angels, dodgers, injuries, sabermetrics, transactions
Saturday, November 21, 2009 |
Scott Spiezio's Irvine Luxury Condo In Default?
Labels: ex-angels
Thursday, November 19, 2009 |
Tim Lincecum Wins Second Straight NL Cy Young
Cubs Ship Aaron Heilman To Arizona
Labels: cubs, diamondbacks, trades, transactions
Dodgers Cross Lackey Off Their Wish List, And It's Not Even December
Mannion said the divorce has not affected the club's day-to-day operations. Commissioner Bud Selig said Wednesday he believes the club is "in good hands" for now under McCourt, Colletti and Manager Joe Torre.Damning with faint praise?
Labels: dodgers
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 |
Catching Up On The Awards
- Monday: Rookies of the Year: Andrew Bailey, Oakland's closer; and Florida OF Chris Coghlan in a tight race.
- Yesterday: Zach Greinke won the AL Cy Young award
- Today: Managers of the Year: Jim Tracy (NL), and Mike Scioscia (AL).
Update: The Rockies extended Jim Tracy for three years; the coaching staff will be returned in its entirety as well.
Labels: angels, athletics, awards, managers, marlins, rockies, royals
Glenn Stout On Tom Yawkey
Labels: history, jackie robinson, red sox
Thursday, November 12, 2009 |
Pickoff Moves
The Coolest: Dock Ellis' LSD No-No, Animated Version
Via Jon, who got it from Big League Stew: Dock Ellis throws a no-hitter whilst on acid:
Gawd, I loved the 70's. You pups who weren't around then don't know what you was missin'. (On the other hand, the Internet.)
Dodgers Spring Training 2010 Schedule
Open at home against co-tenants White Sox on March 6 (does that seem kinda late to you?), with one Cactus League game vs. the Angels at Camelback (March 22) and one at Tempe (March 15).Ethier, Kemp, Hunter All Win Silver Sluggers
Per the Times. (Here's links to stories about Hunter and Ethier/Kemp at MLB.com.) Long-term Matt Kemp now.Labels: angels, awards, dodgers, funny, padres, pirates, spring training
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 |
Kemp, Hudson Do Indeed Win Gold Gloves
Labels: awards, dodgers, gold gloves
Meta: Image Server Problems
Labels: meta
Ken Griffey, Jr. Returns To Seattle; Russell Branyan Declines One-Year Offer
U.S.S. Mariner is nonplussed:
If we assume that the M’s are going to carry 12 pitchers again, that leaves them with a four man bench. One of those spots is reserved for the back-up catcher, and now Junior occupies another. That means the final two bench spots have to serve as the reserves for the other eight spots on the field. The in-house candidates for those spots are currently Jack Hannahan, Bill Hall, Matt Tuiasosopo, and Ryan Langerhans.What's odd is what this says about GM Jack Zduriencik; he's probably better than Bavasi, but by how much?...
We wouldn’t have made this move. That should be obvious by now. It won’t destroy the franchise, but it’s an inefficient use of resources, and exposes the team to some real problems if [Franklin] Gutierrez gets hurt. The M’s just became a little less likely to win in 2010.
In related news, Russell Branyan has turned down a one-year deal from Seattle, hoping to find at least a two-year contract somewhere. He filed for free agency earlier in the week.
Labels: mariners, transactions
Rosenthal: Angels Still Pursuing Lackey
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 |
Words Come Out Of Jamie McCourt's Mouth
Why didn't one of your lawyers stand up and stop you from saying something as ridiculous as you are the face of the Dodgers in your court filing?"Perfect"? How about "not just plain stupid"?"When you're trying to get everything submitted, you don't pay attention necessarily to the perfect language, but I signed it. When I became CEO, Frank used to say, 'Go be the face of the Dodgers, go be the external brand [in the community].' "
Are we going back to building Little League fields instead of signing free agents?Funny, it didn't come out that way. From the Nov. 26, 2008 LAT story (which has disappeared from the Times' website):"I get it, believe me. I know there's a different budget for both and so did the writer who quoted me. Our first order of business is to win the World Series, but we also have a platform to make an impact in the community."
"If you bring somebody in to play and pay them, pick a number, $30 million, does that seem a little weird to you?" Jamie McCourt asked in an interview at the Evergreen Recreation Center in East Los Angeles. "That's what we're trying to figure out. We're really trying to see it through the eyes of our fans. We're really trying to understand, would they rather have the 50 fields?"She's all but accusing the Times of quoting her out of context; but why the heck make that comment in the first place unless those two were conflated in her own mind?
You talk about the fans, what consideration is given to them when it comes to ticket prices?Interesting. But we have no way of knowing this as a fact."That was a big fight with me and Frank. I haven't wanted to raise ticket prices for several years. It was a big debate. You don't have to be a brain surgeon to know this isn't the time to raise ticket prices."
Finally:
Now the real haggling begins, months and months of it, but as an interesting aside, The Times learned the Dodgers hired a corporate strategist four years ago to evaluate the whole organization, including the relationship between Frank and Jamie.Update 11/11: In Jon's comment section:Jamie had never seen the final findings, proclaiming, "This is a big day for me," as she read the corporate strategist's conclusions on the power couple in charge of the Dodgers.
"It was clear that Jamie believed that the success of the relationship is the key to all doors. She believes that the partnership is at risk because Frank 'doesn't get it.'
"[Frank] doesn't value her talents, listens to her only on his terms and shows little respect/acknowledgment for her in public. [emboldening in this graf mine -- RLM] Jamie says that she can be a bigger asset to them if Frank could get by his need to dominate the public stage and better understand her business value."
Jamie is almost emotional when she finishes, and obviously overwhelmed. "You made my day," she says, "I'm not kidding you."
She contradicts herself, on one hand:Excellent question.
"I was handling everything from catsup dispenser to whether Joe Torre should be hired." But when it came to the questions about rising ticket prices and parking fees she resorted to the Frank card stating "That's a real estate move. I'm a baseball girl. Frank likes the real estate side."Posted by: Sal Coco | November 10, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Labels: dodgers, mccourts, stupid ideas
Torii Hunter Wins Ninth Gold Glove, Orlando Hudson Rumored To Win Also
There's also an unverified rumor that Orlando Hudson will pick up his fourth Gold Glove at second base. MSTI explains why he's not worthy; blame, to some degree, the improvement from the cement-handed Jeff Kent to, well, just about anybody.
Labels: angels, awards, dodgers, gold gloves
Monday, November 09, 2009 |
Cuban Slide? Mark Cuban Interested In Buying The Not-Yet-For-Sale Dodgers
Labels: dodgers
Dodgers Return Entire Coaching Staff For 2010
LOS ANGELES – The 2009 National League West Division Champion Los Angeles Dodgers today announced that their entire Major League coaching staff will return for the 2010 season. Led by manager Joe Torre, the staff has guided the Dodgers to two straight National League West Division titles and two consecutive National League Championship Series. General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.The coaches:
Larry Bowa – Third Base Coach (third season)
Mariano Duncan – First Base Coach (fifth season)
Rick Honeycutt – Pitching Coach (fifth season)
Ken Howell – Bullpen Coach (third season)
Don Mattingly – Hitting Coach (third season)
Manny Mota – Coach (31st season)
Jeff Pentland – Instructor (third season)
Bob Schaefer – Bench Coach (third season)Bowa will enter his fifth straight season as a third base coach for Torre and his third with Los Angeles. The 2010 season will be Bowa’s 45th in professional baseball as a player, coach or manager. The California native and longtime Phillies’ shortstop will be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame along with Dodger Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda this week.
Duncan played for the Dodgers from 1985-87 and 1989 was inducted into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. The San Pedro de Macoris native first joined the Dodgers as the first base coach in 2006.
Honeycutt will enter his fifth consecutive season as the Dodgers’ pitching coach and last year his staff led the Major Leagues with a 3.41 ERA. Since he took over the reigns in 2006, Los Angeles has posted a 3.88 ERA, which is the best in baseball over that time. In 2009, the Dodgers’ also led the Majors in opponents’ batting average (.233) and finished tied for second with 1,272 strikeouts.
Howell oversaw a bullpen in 2009 that led the Majors with a 3.12 ERA, finishing well ahead of the second-ranked Oakland A’s (3.46). Since Howell came onboard in 2008, the Dodgers’ bullpen ERA is a Major-League best 3.22 and the bullpens’ 999 strikeouts over that time ranks second to the New York Yankees (1,006).
Mattingly, who officially became the Dodger hitting coach at the 2008 All-Star break, will return for his second full season. In 2009, the club hit .270, which tied them with the New York Mets for tops in the National League. The Dodgers also led the National League with 1,511 hits and a .346 on-base percentage.
Schaefer will enter his 30
th year in professional baseball, a span that includes seven seasons as a minor league manager (1980-81, 1983-87). Schaefer also twice managed the Kansas City Royals on an interim basis, most recently in 2005. In a game against the Giants in San Francisco this past season, Schaefer’s knowledge of the rare “four-out rule” helped the Dodgers to an extra run in their 3-1 victory.Mota will enter his 31
st season as a coach with the Dodgers and 41st overall in the organization. He donned a Dodger uniform as a player in parts of 13 seasons from 1969-80 and 1982. His tenure as a coach is the longest in Los Angeles Dodger history.Pentland joined the Dodger organization in 2008 and next year will be his 13
th season as a coach on the Major League level. Since he officially joined the coaching staff on July 1, 2008, the Dodgers’ team batting average is .271, which is tied for second in the National League over that time.
Pickoff Moves
Late: Joe Torre Extension Mooted
T.J. Simers:"We were talking about my coaches and I've been thinking about it," Torre says while mentioning General Manager Ned Colletti's name and plans to chat again once Torre returns from a charity function in New York."It's been fun. When I came here, I was curious about how it might go. But the last two years have been invigorating. You see progress and your ego tells you maybe you had something to do with it."
How The Angels Missed Frank McCourt
Here's a Boston Globe piece about the McCourt divorce. One thing I had forgotten is that Frank was a potential "buyer" for the Angels at one point and got turned down for Arte. Before that, their bid for the Red Sox:“The seller was looking to sell, not swap a ball club for a parking lot,’’ says a Major League Baseball official with knowledge of the bidding. “There were guys writing checks for millions of dollars, and Frank was offering a parking lot. He was never seriously considered.’’And interestingly, this:
In Boston, the couple had split their time between a seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom house in Brookline and a 100-acre beachfront estate in Cotuit, which they bought in 1998 for $19.5 million and, according to court records, are trying to sell now for $50 million. In 2001, the builders of the Brookline home sued the McCourts, claiming they failed to pay $788,000 and engaged in “a pattern of broken promises, deception, and misrepresentation.’’ The case was settled out of court.Via BTF.
Update: And thanks to David Pinto for the link.
Rosenthal Floating Rumors Of Adrian Gonzalez Leaving San Diego
... and becoming a Red Sock? Meh.Labels: dodgers, front office, managers, owners, padres, red sox, rumors
Friday, November 06, 2009 |
Pickoff Moves
Tony Reagins Signs 3-Year Deal Long-Term Extension
Per MLB.com, Tony Reagins has signed a Dodgers Purge More Jamie McCourt Hires
In the Times:Six front-office employees who were hired by former Dodgers vice president Charles Steinberg were fired. They were public relations officers Mark Rogoff and Drew Merle, vice president of creative services Tom Catlin, graphics manager Courtney Cowsill, fan services and hospitality director Jahaan Blake and supervisor of the Ambassadors program Alyssa Shuman.Interesting anonymous comment in the DT thread where I first heard about this:Steinberg, who was hired by Jamie McCourt, was essentially fired by the team last month by her estranged husband, owner Frank McCourt.
The people mentioned got hired for the same reason they got fired. They came over from Boston with Dr. Steinberg, they were given elaborate titles, they were promoted over other worthy candidates for no better reason than they were "Dr. Charles' people". Once Dr. Charles left the building, everyone knew who was next.Frank, is that you?Fact is the Boston contingent that came over with Dr. Steinberg caused a rift in the Dodger front office. The aura of superiority they had, didn't appeal to many of the Dodger staffers that have been there and had put in their time. Many refused to assimilate with Dodger staffers and instead formed cliques.
A lot of good people left the organization when this group came in prior to the 2008 season. I am sure most will land on their feet wherever Dr. Steinberg lands, as they are often referred to as his entourage.
Bottom line is most of these "Boston" staffers failed to pull their weight.
Problem with Dr. Steinberg is that he tried to make the Dodgers into the Boston Dodgers. He was full of hot gas and empty promises, and he absolutely killed anything resembling a budget.
There are a couple of good people in that group, and they will be missed. However, can't say the same for all of them.
Good Luck to them.
Rangers Hire Ex-Rockies Skipper Clint Hurdle As Hitting Coach
Per the same LAT piece above.Randy Wolf, Five Others File For Free Agency; Manny Returns In 2010
MLB.com shows Randy Wolf, Jon Garland, Orlando Hudson, Ronnie Belliard, Doug Mientkiewicz, and Eric Milton as the six. Manny Ramirez has yet to inform the club whether he will exercise a $20M player option for 2010. Not having contacted the club but still eligible for free agency: Brad Ausmus, C; Juan Castro, SS; Mark Loretta, INF; Guillermo Mota, RHP; Will Ohman, LHP; Vicente Padilla, RHP; Jason Schmidt, RHP; Jim Thome, PH and Jeff Weaver, RHP.Wolf and Hudson are both Type A free agents. Type B free agents are Belliard, Padilla, Garland, Mota and Ohman.
Update: True Blue LA passes on a Tweet (oh, God, not another) from Dylan Hernandez saying that Manny Ramirez' return has been confirmed by Scott Boras.
Update 2: Dylan Hernandez at the Times:
"Obviously, he enjoys L.A.," Boras said. "If he went into the marketplace, the real negative was that he could end up playing in a place he wasn't comfortable playing."*cough*bullshit*cough
The Yankees' Payroll Sucks
Joe Posnanski says so:But the Yankees are a whole different argument. They are their own argument. The Yankees are not a big market team. They DWARF big market teams. They are quantitatively different from every other team in baseball and every other team in American sports. They don’t just spend more money than every other team. They spend A LOT more money than every other team. The Boston Red Sox spend $50 million more than the Kansas City Royals? Who cares? The Yankees spend $80 million more than the Boston Red Sox.Via Dodger Divorce.
Slightly OT: Angels Fan Volunteers To Be Lieutenant Gov
In the Times:Your other question probably is this: Why is it in your political interest to pick me? Here are four reasons:Actually pretty funny.I'll never upstage you. Remember how, during your first term, Cruz Bustamante made his own speeches right before your State of the State address each January? I'll never do that. I'll show up -- if I must -- wearing my usual writing attire: shorts, T-shirt and Angels cap. I will introduce you ("And now, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger"), and then I'll retire to a quiet corner of the Capitol where I can open up my laptop and get some writing done.
Labels: angels, dodgers, firings, front office, funny, transactions, yankees
Thursday, November 05, 2009 |
Doobie Doobie Doo: Lincecum Cited For Weed
Very Late: GMJ Looking To Move On
You Must Be At Least This Tall To Run The Dodgers
Jamie "won" ("this was really like one of those mid-September Royals/Orioles games...yeah, there's a box score, but is there really a story?"), though the bigger story might be the tone-deaf nonsense coming out of the attorneys' mouths. On the other hand, the pratfall-prone pair have been doing this since before they were introduced as the new owners of the Dodgers, and has it made one iota of difference?
The next hearing will be on December 15. Fasten your seatbelts. Jamie McCourt's attorney thinks Dodger ownership arguments won't even be heard until next year.
Labels: dodgers, stupid ideas
Dodgers Cut Ties With Jon Garland
Via True Blue LA, MLB Trade Rumors reckons Garland is a Type B free agent, who is worth something nominally; the risk is that he might accept arbitration if the Dodgers offered it. Given the shape of their pitching staff at the moment, that might actually be a risk worth taking, either way.
Labels: dodgers, transactions
Bobby Abreu Back For 2 Years/$19M
Labels: angels, transactions
Wednesday, November 04, 2009 |
Bronxpocalypse: Yankees 7, Philles 3
Best I can hope for is that all of Posada, Jeter, Pettitte, Matsui, Rivera, and a bunch besides turn into a pumpkin next year. That is one mighty old team out there. The supporting cast up the middle is good but not great.
And now, to the offseason.
Labels: phillies, postseason, recaps, suck, yankees
Warming Up For Tomorrow's McCourt Divorce Trial
Labels: dodgers, mccourts, stupid ideas
The McCourts, The Dodgers, And 6-4-2
The Dodgers have paid $8.5 million in signing bonuses for draft picks over the last two years -- the lowest figure among all major league teams, according to Baseball America.When I started this blog in 2004, the question before the house was whether the McCourts would prove sufficiently solvent to put a good team on the field. The results there have been surprisingly strong to date, but the direction they're headed now appears to be a huge question mark. With the Moores divorce in San Diego wrecking the Padres franchise for the past season and the immediate future, the results there can only serve as a warning. Part of me feels like saying "told you so" about the McCourts, who have, in the end, proven as selfish, vain, and brittle as they appeared in their first press conference. But the story has proven to take a different turn than I forecast, and I expect this next episode will do the same.The Dodgers, so proud of their heritage in Asia and Latin America, today are a non-factor in bidding for top amateur players abroad. In 2008, according to Baseball America, major league clubs combined to sign 115 such players for bonuses of more than $100,000. The Dodgers did not sign one.
"They're definitely not the pioneering team they were," Baseball America editor John Manuel said. "They've squandered that advantage."
Labels: blogs, dodgers, minors
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 |
Vicente Padilla Shot?
Jon passes on a Diamond Leung piece indicating that the injury was to his right leg, and was "not serious".
Vote Skeletor!
Labels: funny, managers, postseason, yankees
Waking Up From My Torpor: A New Juicy Blog, Dodger Divorce
So, if you're counting at home, the above adds up to $421 million in financing...for a $371 million purchase. That, friends, is a little scary. And there's more. In May 2005, McCourt announced a new, $250 million 25-year note which took out B of A and what remained of the debt to Fox (after the foreclosure on the Boston property). This increased the debt load to $521 million on a $371 million purchase. This financing, known as a private placement, was provided by an unidentified group of institutional investors, such as pension funds and insurance companies. The terms of the loan--5.66% fixed for 25 years--are relatively favorable to McCourt. The collateral for this new loan was reportedly the 300 acres of real estate surrounding Dodger Stadium--not the club itself. Importantly, one of the provisions of the private placement was that control of the Dodgers would not change hands.Fisher suggests that the McCourts' controlled assets are closer to $750M (not Jamie's claimed $1.2 billion), and might have a net worth of less than $600M.
Labels: blogs, dodgers, mccourts
Monday, November 02, 2009 |
Jamie McCourt Requests ... Well, Something About Nixing The Dodgers From Her Divorce Filing
Jamie McCourt argued in a motion Monday that the Dodgers should not be a party in a divorce hearing, asking the court to throw out papers filed in the team's name that "unnecessarily and gratuitously attack" her.The motion is expected to be considered Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court as part of a hearing to determine the validity of McCourt's demand for immediate reinstatement as the Dodgers' chief executive.
Labels: dodgers, mccourts, stupid ideas
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