Dodgers Blog

Freeway Series Preview

2008-06-27T01:36:24Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers will begin a three-game series tonight against their cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This series will prove which team truly deserves to be housed by the city of Los Angeles. In the past, unfortunately, the Angels have been victorious over the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have only won one game against the Angels thus far in the 2008 Regular Season. That sole victory came back on May 17, when Chan Ho Park made a rare start for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hopefully, history will repeat itself.

The Dodgers have declared pitcher, Chan Ho Park, as their probable starter for the series-opener. The relief pitcher has been making starts for the Dodgers in the absence of Hiroki Kuroda and Brad Penny on the Disabled-List. Although Park usually throws solid pitches from his short role in the bullpen, he has been a sensational starter.

Joe Saunders will be pitching for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In his only start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he surrendered two runs in seven and two-thirds innings on the mound. Hopefully, the Dodgers will be able to capitalize on his pitching since they have seen it once before.

Joe Torre has been victimized by the Los Angeles Angels previously, dating all the way back to his managing career in New York. He said, "The Angels are a great ballclub."They've got a great leader in Mike [Scioscia]. They play with a lot of confidence. They're winning just about every day." Hopefully, they will not win "every day," over the weekend.

During this series, the Dodgers must beware of the Angels powerful offense. Outfielders, Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero, have been the anchors of their offense in the 2008 Regular Season thus far. If the Dodgers can contain their hits within the infield, then they may have a realistic shot at sweeping the Angels.

Earlier in the week, however, Vladimir Guerrero was sidelined with a stomach illness. He has been consuming various fluids and is expected to return to the Angels' line-up for the Freeway Series. There has been limited coverage on his ailments and his performance may be affected by this condition. Regardles of whether Guerrero is playing at his fullest potential, it should be an exciting series. Lets go Dodgers!

Delwyn Young: The Successor

2008-06-22T02:02:01Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers had Delwyn Young in their starting line-up today against the Cleveland Indians. The slugger struck out three times and left a total of five men on-base. However, Delwyn Young is the future of the Dodgers organization.

Young was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2002 MLB Draft. Rounds earlier, the Dodgers drafted James Loney and passed up Matt Cain, Jon Lester, Micah Owings and Jeff Francoeur. Los Angeles was determined to select Delwyn Young, a second-baseman from Santa Barbara City College.

It is probable that the Dodgers' scouts found Young's versatility in the field appealing. Also, they believed that Young had the potential to become a phenomenal hitter with the ability to knock in runs during a pinch-hit situation. Since then, Young has met their early expectations.

In sixty-two at-bats during the 2008 Regular Season, Young has achieved a .306 batting-average. But, he has not yet established himself as a slugger with modest homerun power. However, as the Dodgers gradually push him into their starting line-up, he will begin feeling comfortable and start swinging for the fences.

In his past ten at-bats, Young has made contact for a wonderful .400 batting-average. However, Los Angeles does not want him to swing in the starting line-up on a daily basis. The organization does not want to rush the process of preparing him for a starting-job in the future.

Jeff Kent is forty-years old and will probably retire at the close of the 2008 Regular Season. Although he has been quite productive thus far, baseball has taken a definite toll on his body. The second-baseman no longer has the same range in the field and is prone to mid-season slumps.

It initially looked as if Chin-Lung Hu could be the future of the Dodgers at second-base. But with his recent slump, the Dodgers may hand over second-base to Delwyn Young. It would be the best move for the organization and their future.

Chin-Lung Hu started off the 2008 Regular Season hot, but was sent down to the Minor Leagues after his batting-average dropped to .159. Although he had a sensational glove, his hitting was below-par. Thus, Delwyn Young is the best candidate to succeed Jeff Kent at second-base.

Is Penny's 2008 Regular Season Done?

2008-06-19T02:04:38Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed their 2008 Opening Day Starter, Brad Penny, on the 15-Day Disabled List. The right-hander is listed as a victim of inflammation in the bursa sac and mild tendinitis in his right shoulder. The pitcher will probaby be unsuccessful throughout the remainder of the 2008 Regular Season.

The hurler has been complaining about pain in his shoulder for more than a month. The Dodgers were initially planning to test his arm strength in a bullpen session to be held this Friday. Obviously, Los Angeles felt that it was unneccessary and put him on the Disabled-List now without wasting any time.

It is expected that Penny will want to return to the Dodgers' Starting-Rotation after he misses two starts. But, Los Angeles may decide to keep him out of action until after the All-Star Break. It would be in the Dodgers best interest to keep him out of the Major Leagues as long as possible this season.

Brad Penny is not the same dominant pitcher that he was last season. The All-Star ace finished the 2007 Regular Season with a phenomenal 16-4 record and 3.03 Earned-Run Average. In comparison to his 2007 statistics, Penny's 2008 numbers have been on another world.

In 15 games thus far, Penny has posted an Earned-Run Average of 5.88 through 2008. Even worse is his pitiful 5-9 record this season. It is incredible that these statistics belong to a player who was considered a candidate for the prestigious National League Cy Young Award just this past season.

Joe Torre commented, "Structurally, he's fine. The thing that's tricked us all is when you look up there and see his velocity numbers -- they seem to be pretty consistent. At times, he looked really good. But again, his inconsistency certainly matches up with the fact that he's had this discomfort. Some days have been better than others." His arm discomfort may be at the roots of his disasterous performances in the 2008 Regular Season thus far.

In the long-run, Penny's arm may never be the same. The hurler will probably suffer from tendinitis throughout the remainder of his career. Tendinitis and inflammation of the bulsa sac, which means that there is a swelling around joints, is not a one-time incident. They usually return to haunt their victim throughout the rest of their life unless they undergo an extensive surgery. In other words, Brad Penny's performances throughout the remainder of the 2008 Reuglar Season will be plagued by these ailments.

The Dodgers cannot afford to have him surrender runs and blow games with inconsistent performances during the season. Los Angeles currently trails the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks by four games. Since the Dodgers officially placed Penny onto the Disabled-List, they have established a two game winning-streak. Hopefully, the Dodgers will continue to win with the absense of Penny in their Starting-Rotation.

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Blog Note: I expect to be blogging again at full force sometime in late June. Be sure to check back on DodgersBlog throughout the week for a couple of articles. If you have any questions concerning DodgersBlog in the meantime, feel free to contact me at DodgersBlog@aim.com

The Disabled-List Grows Larger Every Minute

2008-06-16T21:34:52Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a plethora of players on the Disabled-List. Unfortunately, their healthy players cannot carry the team to victory as they lost their past five games. Hopefully, a couple of their injured stars will return to the Dodgers' line-up within the next couple of weeks and save the team from a great fall through the Standings.

Chin-Lung Hu was recently demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas in favor of Andy LaRoche's recall to the Major Leagues. Hu was recently placed on the Disabled-List with blurred vision in his right eye. His poor batting performances may be attributed to the fact that he cannot see the ball well.

Andy LaRoche made his debut at second-base yesterday. It is possible that the slugger will reclaim his starting-job at third-base if starter, Blake DeWitt, continues to struggle. DeWitt, named the Rookie of the Month for May, has only connected on three hits in his last six games.

The Dodgers' Nomar Garciaparra may return to the Dodgers' line-up next week as a shortstop. He is expected to begin a Minor-League rehabilitation assignment tomorrow in Triple-A, Las Vegas. Hopefully, he will play shortstop as well as he did in Boston about eight years ago.

Brad Penny, after surrendering seven runs in only three and one-thirds innings in Saturday's loss to the Tigers, complained of shoulder soreness. The 2008 Opening Day pitcher was then shipped on the next flight to Los Angeles for an arm examination. If he lands on the Disabled-List, which is expected, then the Dodgers may decide to call up Minor-League ace, Eric Stults.

The ace recently tossed six shutouts innings during his last game in Triple-A, Las Vegas. Stults has posted a 3.59 Earned-Run Average in 2008 thus far with a 5-6 record. He looks like an excellent young pitcher to rejuvenate the Dodgers' Starting-Rotation.

The Dodgers have not been pleased with Jason Schmidt. The former All-Star ace had shoulder surgery about 51 weeks ago. Since then, he has experienced multiple setbacks including one this past week. The hurler complained of renewed soreness and stiffness in his pitching arm and will not resume his rehabilitation process until the pain is eradicated. He'll be fortunate to return to the Dodgers' Starting Rotation at any point during the season.

I apologize for my recent inactivity on Dodgers Blog. I am preparing for various New York State Regents Exams and Finals. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in the day and so many things that I need to do. I expect to be blogging again at full force sometime in late June. Until then, you can get your daily dose of Dodgers' content at my other blog covering the Los Angeles Dodgers (which I update more often): Absolute Dodgers.

Chatting with Padres Fans

2008-06-12T02:22:43Z

Although the Padres defeated the Dodgers, 4-1, in yesterday's game, I had a pleasant time chatting with a couple of baseball fans on MLB GameDay. It has always been my philosophy to get input on the Dodgers' players from around the horn, hearing both biased and unbiased opinions. Surprisingly, the Padres fans' spoke highly of the Dodgers' organization.

Me: Clayton Kershaw made his third Major League appearance yesterday. He pitched five and one-thirds innings, striking out five batters but giving up four walks. What did you think of Clayton Kershaw thus far?

Dude520: He's okay. I have seen better starts. He's got some fine tuning to do.

Me: He definitely has some "fine tuning to do." In yesterday's game, he averaged about seventeen pitches per inning. On that rate, he'll be lucky if he could reach six innings in each start.

Padre 44: I think he's young, wild, and will struggle against patient line-ups.

KBlack3232: Indeed. But, he will eventually calm down. But, as you mentioned, Kershaw needs to make some changes before he can become a good pitcher. Until next season, Kershaw will continue to struggle with high pitch counts.

Me: It's possible. Joe Torre claims that Kershaw "is still in the classroom." I think that most Dodgers fans, including myself, were expecting some invincible phenomenon to rise out of the Minor Leagues and start dominating in the Majors, like Blake DeWitt.

Dude520: Kershaw walked two batters on four straight pitches.

Me: When I saw Clayton Kershaw in New York, I made the same complaint. I thought that he started off strong and gradually lost his control and command on the mound. I'm sure that he's working on lowering his pitch-counts and improving his stamina with pitching coach, Rick Honeycutt.

KBlack3232: I sure hope so.

Me: Who do you think is better: James Loney or Adrian Gonzalez?

Padre44: Definitely Adrian Gonzalez. He has 18 HRs and 60 RBIs in 2008.

Me: I have to agree with you there. However, Gonzalez could develop better plate-discipline and cut down on his strikeouts. In 2008, thus far, he has already recorded 58 whiffs.

Padre44: Unfortunately. But, he's still more powerful than James Loney.

Me: I suppose. In your opinion, how does PETCO Park compare to Dodger Stadium? Living in New York, I seldom have an opportunity to visit both of those beautiful parks.

Dude520: The wind blows in at PETCO. Also, Dodger Stadium has a short left-field wall.

SgTrockFor: Yes. Also, at Dodger Stadium, the wind blows out.

Me: Interesting. I believe that both of the venues are considered to be extreme pitcher's parks. Hopefully, I'll visit both of them in the near future.

Padre44: You definitely should.

Me: Chad Billingsley had given up two homeruns in two innings of work thus far. What is he doing wrong tonight?

KBlack3232: He has a bad pitch-selection. His sliders are away and his fastballs are up.

Me: Indeed. Lastly, what do you think about the Joe Torre's decision to give Delwyn Young the start tonight? He usually gives Young one start every couple of weeks. I think that if we have him, we might as well use him. He doesn't get paid to sit on the bench.

BBack3232: He's going to get hot now that he's getting at-bats.

SgTrockFor: Good, we could use some hot bats.

Me: Indeed, we would greatly benefit from adding some hot bats to our line-up. In fact, the Los Angeles Dodgers are currently ranked as 22nd in team-runs scored. With an offensive surge from a couple of our top players, we could definitely improve upon that ranking. Anyways, it's been a pleasure chatting with all of you. Have an excellent night!

Chad Billingsley stayed in the game to pitch a total of seven innings, surrendering four earned-runs on eight hits. He was charged with his seventh loss of the 2008 Regular Season. Hopefully, he will be successful in his future starts.

DeWitt Named Rookie of the Month

2008-06-12T00:58:17Z

Gillette has honored Dodgers' third-baseman, Blake DeWitt, as May's Rookie of the Month. The 22-year-old will not only receive a trophy commemorating this award, but Gillette will also make a $5,000 donation to a charitable organization given in his name. Blake DeWitt's rise in Major League Baseball is the result of pure luck.

During the off-season, the Dodgers' top three third-baseman fell victim to injuries. The team scrambled for players and ultimately decided to call-up Blake DeWitt, a stunning third-baseman in AA-Baseball. However, DeWitt did not play like an inexperienced minor leaguer. He played like a Major League superstar.

Joe Torre has referred to the third-baseman as "a godsend." Once the Dodgers were stuck in their chaotic dilemma at third-base, they thought that they would have a major gap in their infield's productivity. Thankfully, the Dodgers thought wrong.

In the month of May, Blake DeWitt batted .322 with five homeruns and 18 RBIs. Although he may not be the Dodgers' top offensive star, he has been a major offensive contributor during the 2008 Regular Season thus. Once considered a temporary replacement, DeWitt is now a probable starting third-baseman for the future.

On May 19 against the Cincinnati Reds, Blake DeWitt had his best performance of the month - if not his entire Major League Baseball career. The slugger produced four hits and a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth-inning to seize the victory. This spectacular event indicated that DeWitt is also a clutch-batter.

Blake DeWitt's offensive contributions have impressed some of the best in the business. "The kid has the ability to use the whole field and that's his biggest advantage," said manager, Joe Torre. Hopefully, Joe Torre will have the privilege of managing DeWitt in the future.

Blake Dewitt possesses line-drive power and plate discipline. The 22-year-old could use some work on running around the bases and developing "more pop in his bat." However, the Dodgers are pleased with his current skills and offensive contributions.

Hopefully, this will not be the only prestigious award that DeWitt will win in the 2008 Regular Season. The third-baseman will be competing against Jay Bruce, Geovany Soto, Manny Acosto and Joey Votto for the eminent National League Rookie of the Year Award. If DeWitt continues to perform as well as he is now, the Award will be in his hands by the end of the season.

Dodgers Select Martin

2008-06-09T02:47:18Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected nineteen-year-old, Ethan Martin, in the 2008 MLB Player First-Year Draft. The Minnesota Twins nabbed outfielder, Aaron Hicks, right before the Dodgers went onto the clock in the first-round. But, Los Angeles won't be disappointed with Martin's success in the future.

Ethan Martin is known for portraying pure power at the plate. However, the 200-pound athlete struggles to make contact. Thus, it is possible that the Dodgers will not look to him for his offensive abilities.

Although he was initially listed as a third-baseman, the Dodgers will probably use him as a pitcher. The right-hander has thrown around 95 miles-per-hour from the mound. His value in the 2008 MLB Draft may have been higher if he marketed himself for his pitching abilities rather than his offensive abilities at third-base.

Tim Hallgren, the Director of Amateur Scouting, mentioned, ""Ethan has a good angle on his fastball with late sinking action anywhere from 90-96 miles per hour. He also has a plus-curveball that has late three-quarter downward action at the plate." This splendid report resembles a description of the young Clayton Kershaw. It is truly a compliment to be compared to a player like him.

The 2008 Gatorade Georgia State Player of the Year pitched his way to an outstanding 11-1 record and phenomenal 0.99 Earned-Run Average in his final year of High School. The ace also struck out 141 batters in only 79 innings of work. Hopefully, he will continue his pitching success with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It should also be noted that Martin has a substantial education. In High School, the ace maintained a respectable 3.6 GPA while in High School. He would have been listed on the prestigious Honor Roll if he had attended my High School. It is always reassuring to know that the Dodgers have an intelligent player on the mound, whom they will trust to make smart decisions with the ball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers made an excellent move by selecting Ethan Martin in the first-round. Although we may have been happier with Aaron Hicks, Martin is a spectacular pitcher and will soon be an asset to the Dodgers' organization. Hopefully, we will see him in a Dodgers' uniform soon!

2008 MLB Draft: Aaron Hicks To Dodgers?

2008-06-05T01:46:52Z

Tomorrow, June 5th 2008, will be the much-anticipated 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The Dodgers will be on the clock with the 15th pick overall. Thus far, there has been a plethora of speculation as to which teams will grab the top stars.

There is a possibility that the Los Angeles Dodgers will draft outfielder, Aaron Hicks. The nineteen-year-old athlete pitched for his High School team, throwing in the low-'90s. But, he is more comfortable playing in the outfield. The Dodgers won't be disappointed if they draft him.

The outfielder has the speed of Juan Pierre and the bat of Ichiro Suzuki. Hicks stole 44 bases in 35-games in 2007 and hit for a sensational .370 batting-average. He has excellent plate-discipline and a solid swing that has a ton of potential in Major League Baseball.

At this moment, Hicks does not have a lot of power in his swing. The youngster focuses on getting on base, as evident in his incredible .496 on-base-percentage. Then, he simply steals bases and comes around to score. In 2007, the speed demon scored 46 times.

The High School senior would be a perfect addition for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has been noted as the, "most electrifying player in the nation," and a player with "five tool potential across the board." Hopefully, the Dodgers will make the best decision for their organization when they're on the clock tomorrow!

Kershaw Gets His First Loss

2008-06-04T21:36:58Z

Clayton Kershaw made his third start in Major League Baseball today against the Colorado Rockies. He was charged with the loss, despite his decent performance. Hopefully, the rookie will be able to learn from this outing and improve his pitching mechanics for the future.

The left-hander opened up the game by striking out Colorado's Willy Taveras on a 1-2 count. Taveras stood there in disbelief as the pitcher sailed a pitch across the letters of his jersey. Kershaw's swell pitch indicated that he has better control on the mound than in his previous outing against the New York Mets.

Jon Herrera was then called out on strikes for the second out of the first inning. Kershaw released his "Public Enemy #1." The southpaw's 12-6 curveball is probably one of the sharpest pitches evident in the past couple of years.

The Dodgers' rookie decided to walk Ryan Spilborghs on the next play, sending fears to Dodgers' fans watching the matinee performance. The last thing that the Dodgers want is to have Kershaw lose his control on the mound like he did during his last start. But, Los Angeles ended the top of the first-inning on a ground-out.

Chris Iannetta started the top of the second-inning with an infield single. On a full-count to the Rockies' Jeff Baker, the batter drilled a pitch to deep-left center. The Rockies took the lead 2-0 on this magnificent home run.

Clayton Kershaw closed the top of the inning with a couple of strikeouts. The left-hander struck out Willy Taveras and Aaron Cook. The 20-year-old rookie seems to dominate Taveras, evident in his two strikeouts in today's game thus far.

In the top of the third-inning, Clayton Kershaw walked Ryan Spilborghs again. The right-handed batter has a .310 batting-average in the 2008 Regular Season thus far. However, Kershaw does not need to pitch around Spilborghs.

Pitching five innings, the rookie gave up a total of five hits and whiffed five batters. But, the southpaw also gave up four walks. Hopefully, Clayton Kershaw will develop better control on the mound like Sandy Koufax did in the 1961 Regular Season.

Chan Ho Park relieved Kershaw in the sixth-inning. The Korean pitcher struck out six batters over three innings. Although it would be great to have Clayton Kershaw as a starting-pitcher, it would be beneficial to have Chan Ho Park taking some starts instead.

The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed that they will skip Clayton Kershaw's turn in the Starting-Rotation after off-days in hopes of preserving the rookie's arm from overuse. It is possible that the Dodgers' organization is scared of Clayton Kershaw suffering from a similar case of Daisuke Matsuzaka in the future. However, the hurler will be available to pitch from the Dodgers' bullpen. This seems like the best option for the Dodgers at this time.

Joe Torre added, "This time around, this is what we're doing. Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt] has it mapped out in coordination with the organization's thought process and the innings pitched, so we talked this morning and that's the plan this time around." Hopefully, this plan will effectively counter arm fatigue in Clayton Kershaw's future.

At The Game: Dodgers Beat Mets 9-5

2008-06-01T05:04:43Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled away with a victory over the New York Mets last night, 9-5. Both teams were battling tooth and nail for about seven innings before Aaron Heilman gave up four runs in the top of the eight-inning. Clayton Kershaw's poor performance shall not be overlooked in this splendid victory for the Dodgers.

Clayton Kershaw did not pitch like the 20-year-old phenom people imagined. In three and two-thirds innings, he surrendered four runs and walked four batters. His control was nowhere to be found.

A lot of baseball analysts and fellow bloggers have compared the southpaw in his raw state to the legendary Sandy Koufax in his prime. However, Koufax was a pure strikeout pitcher. The Hall of Famer averaged about six strikeouts and two walks per game. Kershaw's last start with only two strikeouts and four walks doesn't even compare. It is possible that the only similarities between these two pitchers are that they're both left-handed and that their last names begin with a "K."

Sandy Koufax, however, was not always a strikeout pitcher. In his debut as a starting pitcher in the 1961 Regular Season, the southpaw gave up eight walks in only four and two-thirds innings on the mound. But, after waiting about two months for his next start, Koufax developed control and began his dominance in Major League Baseball.

Clayton Kershaw initially portrayed excellent resilience skills after Luis Castillo's two-run homerun in the bottom of the first-inning. The southpaw struck out David Wright on four pitches. Then, he closed the inning with two straight outs.

The rookie was pitching well until the bottom of the third-inning when he walked Jose Reyes on a full-count. The rattled hurler then walked the next two batters to load the bases. Carlos Beltran's inevitable one-out sacrifice fly scored Kershaw's third earned-run for the night. This was the start of the end.

The 20-year-old opened up the bottom of the fourth-inning with three straight singles. Reyes then knocked in a run on a fielder's choice. After walking Luis Castillo, Joe Torre yanked Kershaw from the mound. Evidently, the southpaw's resilience skills deteriorated as the game progressed and the Mets rallied for runs.

It is deceiving that 56% of Kershaw's pitches last night were strikes. Towards the end of his second Major League Baseball debut, the hurler walked the bases loaded. The youngster lost control on the mound and kept on throwing high pitches that were not even close to the strike-zone.

Joe Torre claimed the Kershaw was overthrowing. The veteran coach told the rookie, "It's learning. You just spent another day in the classroom." Hopefully, this motivation quote will inspire the youngster to learn from this experience and begin his dominance in Major League Baseball.

It is difficult pitching in Shea Stadium with 52,000 roaring fans. Kershaw said, ""The crowd, the stadium, they didn't affect me. It doesn't matter where you throw. If you don't have the stuff, you won't be successful. I learned a lot today about what to do when you struggle. Instead of trying too hard, I have to back off a little." Although Kershaw may not have been affected by the Mets' fans, I was.

While walking to the subway after the game in my new Dodgers' cap, I received a plethora of "boos," from the rowdy fans at Shea Stadium. Living in New York, I sometimes root for the Mets and enjoy attending games at their majestic stadium. But, I was disappointed by the disrespect and cruel remarks I received as the fan of a visiting team.

Chan Ho Park disregarded the fans at Shea Stadium when he relieved Clayton Kershaw in the bottom of the fourth-inning. The relief-pitcher tossed three and one-thirds innings, striking out three batters and allowing only one run. He was credited with the win for his phenomenal relief performance.

Russell Martin powered the Dodgers' offense in last night's game. The superb catcher batted 1.000 in the game with four hits, including a rejuvenating home run into the bleachers at Shea Stadium. His home run silenced the stadium as he quietly trotted around the bases.

Los Angeles racked up a total of twelve hits against the Mets. Blake DeWitt and James Loney added two each. Everyone in the Dodgers' starting line-up, except Luiz Maza, made contact with the ball at least once in the game. There were no shortage of his nor runs.

The Dodgers took the lead in the top of the eighth-inning when Aaron Heilman came into the game to relieve Pedro Feliciano. Mets' fans criticize the relief pitcher on a daily basis for blowing games and giving up runs in clutch situation. They had another reason to ridicule him after last night's performance.

Heilman was charged with both a blown-save and a loss in the game. The right-hander gave up four runs without getting an out. Willie Randolph should have pulled the pitcher from the mound earlier.

It is difficult to understand Randolph's rationale. While his relief pitcher was struggling on the mound, he failed to have a pitcher start warming-up in the bullpen. Considering his job is on the line, it is expected that Randolph would play it safe by pulling struggling players out of the game. Instead, Randolph's poor decision cost the Mets the game and subjected him to "boos," from thousands of unhappy fans.

The Dodgers' late victory put a smile onto my face in a crowd of so many frowns. But, Mets' fans should have something to smile about as Johan Santana takes the mound against Los Angeles on Sunday at 8:05 PM EST. Hiroki Kuroda will be the starting-pitcher for the Dodgers. Lets go Dodgers!

David Wright Whacks Penny for 2 HRs

2008-05-30T19:24:14Z

The New York Mets defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-4, to extend the Dodgers' losing-streak to four games. David Wright of the Mets smashed two homeruns off Brad Penny in back-to-back innings. Brad Penny's was handed the loss for his disastrous outing.

Brad Penny pitched four innings, surrendering five earned-runs on eight hits. By the time Penny was pulled from the mound, the Mets were ahead 6-0. The Dodgers were unable to dig themselves out of this major deficit.

Brad Penny has had a rocky start to the 2008 Regular Season. In his past five starts, Penny has recorded a despicable 0-4 record and an astronomical 9.43 Earned-Run Average. This is not the same All-Star ace that pitched for the Dodgers last season.

David Wright clearly has Penny's number. The young third-baseman has hit well against Brad Penny for most of his career. In 19 career at-bats against the Dodgers' pitcher, Wright has achieved a phenomenal .579 batting-average, with four homeruns and 19 RBIs. It may have not been the smartest move to start Brad Penny against David Wright and the powerful New York Mets.

But, Joe Torre did make a smart decision to start Jeff Kent in the clean-up spot. The veteran second-baseman returned from his lower-back ailments to hammer a home run against Claudio Vargas in the fifth-inning. It looks as if his previous slump is now part of his past.

Blake DeWitt also went long in the game. The third-baseman knocked in a couple of runs and enforced that he is one of the best players on the Dodgers' roster. It was fascinating to see him compete against David Wright, another young superstar who had a spectacular rookie season and is the future of his organization.

The next game in the Dodgers' exciting series against the New York Mets is at 7:10 PM EST at Shea Stadium. Clayton Kershaw will be the starting-pitcher for the Dodgers against the Mets' John Maine. I will be attending the game!

Dodgers Blog on the Homepage of Dodgers.Com

2008-05-30T01:27:56Z

Hello, everyone.

Did you take a look at the Dodgers' homepage on May 29th, 2008? (If not, I have posted a screen-shot of the prestigious page below).

Dodgers Blog stole the spotlight! Thanks to everyone who made this achievement possible. (The check-marks, compliments of Mark Newman of MLB.Com, denote where Dodgers Blog was featured).

The Entire Page (You can click on it for a Full-Size version):

Here is the official article that I wrote for Major League Baseball:

The Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series Collector's Edition Boxed DVD Set gives fans an opportunity to relive their past and witness some of the greatest moments in baseball history. The Oakland Athletics, featuring the emerging Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco -- otherwise known as the "Bash Brothers" -- were heavily favored over Los Angeles. However, as Vin Scully put it, "the impossible happened."

The seven-disk boxed set, originally priced at $69.95 but now available for $51.95 at the MLB.com shop, includes more than 17 hours of footage. It features the Dodgers' memorable National League Championship Series against the Mets, which set the stage for their title heroics. During the NLCS, Mike Schmidt delivered "Inside Pitch" scouting reports throughout the games. The overwhelming enthusiasm of fans at Shea Stadium in New York and the superb commentary provided by ABC's Sports Presentation opens up a door of memories.

Baseball fans from across the world would love this set, regardless of whether they love or hate the Dodgers. The footage from the 1988 NLCS against the Mets features clips of Dwight Gooden on the mound in his prime. Also, baseball enthusiasts will smile to hear the commentators compare a tall, lanky kid named Darryl Strawberry to baseball legends such as Roger Maris, Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson. It is incredible to see for yourself how the Dodgers (94-67) overcame the odds to defeat a Mets club that had led the NL with a 100-60 record and was seeking a second title in three years.

This boxed set captures the games in all of their glory. The sound quality in all of the recordings is simply phenomenal. In fact, it is possible to hear the crack of the bat when a player smashes a hit. The crystal-clear clarity accompanies this superior audio with rare camera angles from the ubiquitous Goodyear Blimp.

The 1988 World Series will forever be remembered for Kirk Gibson's unforgettable home run in Game 1. Gibson, suffering from hamstring and knee injuries, was "physically unable to start." Although Gibson's appearance was doubtful, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda sent him into the game as a pinch-hitter when they were losing by two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against eventual Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley -- the dominant closer of his time.

"You talk about a roll of the dice -- this is it," Scully tells the viewers.

Gibson, in his only at-bat during that World Series, would not let the Dodgers down. He whacked a deep fly ball to right. As the ball sailed over the wall, Jack Buck shouted: "I've seen a lot of dramatic finishes, in a lot of sports, but this one might top almost every other one." This memorable quote has been included exclusively in this set as a bonus as a voiceover of the original NBC recording.

You remember who hit the last home run of that game. But do you remember who opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the first inning? Mickey Hatcher, to deep left. Relive moments like that again, too. Bring back the moments with Steve Sax, Franklin Stubbs, Mike Marshall, John Shelby, Mike Scioscia, Jeff Hamilton, Alfredo Griffin, Alejandro Pena, Tim Belcher and the rest of that Dodgers cast.

Baseball fans also can witness the exceptional pitching of 1988 Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser. Facing one of most formidable offenses of the decade, the Dodgers' ace tossed a shutout in Game 2 of the World Series. Hershiser sealed the Dodgers' championship with another complete game to close out the series in five, and he received the World Series MVP Award.

The Dodgers proved once again the adage that good pitching stops good hitting, by silencing the Bash Brothers throughout the Fall Classic. McGwire and Canseco were unstoppable during the regular season, combining for 74 homers. But the powerful duo only managed two hits during the "California Classic."

Major League Baseball has included many generous bonuses from its vault. The Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series Collector's Edition includes memorable moments of the regular season, including Hershiser's record-breaking, scoreless-inning streak. Perhaps the most memorable bonuses, however, are rare interviews with the Dodgers that make this set a must for true baseball fans.

The original article can be read at: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080528&content_id=2789764&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la

Cubs Sweep Dodgers

2008-05-29T19:33:18Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers were swept by the Chicago Cubs in a disastrous three-game series. The Dodgers scored a total of only three runs against the Cubs. Hopefully, the Dodgers will generate more runs against the New York Mets in their upcoming four-game series.

The Recap of Wednesday's Game

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Dodgers, 3-1, on Wednesday. Hiroki Kuroda was credited with the loss, despite his stellar performance through six innings. In the bottom of the seventh inning, however, the Cubs scored three runs against the Japanese pitcher. Sadly, those were all the runs that Chicago needed to seize the victory.

It is unfortunate that Kuroda was tagged with the loss after his phenomenal performance. The starting-pitcher struck out three batters in the spectacular outing. Also, he was charged with only one Earned-Run on seven hits in six and one-thirds innings. He now has four losses in the 2008 Regular Season.

The Cubs' Sean Gallagher produced similar numbers in the game. In seven innings of work, the 23-year-old hurler struck out three batters and gave up one earned-run on four hits. Chicago always lucks out having a plethora of young talent in their starting-rotation.

Andre Ethier made contact for two hits in Wednesday's game. The outfielder is now batting .309 during the 2008 Regular Season. It is surprising to see that he is not a leading candidate for the outfield positions in the ballot results thus far for the 2008 All-Star Game in New York.

The Dodgers' sole run came from a single by Blake DeWitt with two outs in the top of the fourth-inning. DeWitt also recorded a strikeout and his seventh throwing error of the 2008 Regular Season. However, he has been essential to the Dodgers' offensive production in 2008 thus far.

The Recap for Thursday's Game:

The Los Angeles Dodgers were on the top of the scoreboard for five innings, until the Chicago Cubs pushed the game into extra-innings with a sacrifice-fly ball in the bottom of the ninth-inning. Then, in the bottom of the tenth-inning, Alfonso Soriano connected on an RBI-single to bring the winning-run home.

But, Derek Lowe pitched exceptionally well. The former-Red Sox hurler threw seven innings and struck out five batters. His fantastic performance was essentially wasted by the Cub's late-game heroics.

Russell Martin collected three hits for the night and scored a run. The catcher is currently batting .317 in the Regular Season. Unfortunately, however, he is only ranked in fourth place in the National League's 2008 All-Star ballots.

Chan Ho Park was charged with the loss in extra-innings, surrendering one run on two hits in only one-third of an inning. The Dodgers inability to provide adequate run support in this game cost them the loss.

The Dodgers will have an opportunity to break their three-game losing streak against the New York Mets tonight at 7:10 PM EST. Brad Penny will be starting for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Mets' Claudio Vargas. Lets go Dodgers!

Cubs Eat Dodgers, 3-1.

2008-05-27T23:04:57Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Chicago Cubs last night, 3-1. The Dodgers had several opportunities to score but couldn't capitalize with runners in scoring position. It's unfortunate that Chad Billingsley's solid start was wasted and credited as a loss.

Billingsley pitched six innings, striking out seven batters. The hurler also gave up a couple of runs on a monstrous homerun by Derrek Lee in the bottom of the first-inning. But, the pitcher was solid throughout the rest of his spectacular outing.

Juan Pierre knocked in the only run for the Dodgers on an infield single. The outfielder also recorded two hits and a stolen-base in the performance. Surprisingly, Pierre has been a major contributor to the Dodgers' recent success.

Jeff Kent added three hits for Los Angeles. The slumping second-baseman now has a less-than-mediocre .242 batting-average in the 2008 Regular Season thus far. Chin-Lung Hu gave the veteran a rest by replacing him as a pinch-runner later in the game.

Matt Kemp sped around the bases for two doubles in the game. The center-fielder has a spectacular .315 batting-average in the 2008 Regular Season thus far. It is puzzling that the Dodgers could not score more than one sole run against the Cubs with all of these hits.

Joe Torre commented, ""It was frustrating to be in position to tie a number of times and in position to win in the eighth. We have nobody to blame but ourselves." Torre may not be used to this type of frustrating behavior coming from New York.

The Dodgers have a second-chance to beat the Cubs tonight at 7:05 PM EST. Hiroki Kuroda will be pitching for Los Angeles and Tommy Lasorda will lead the crowd in the classic baseball tune, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," during the seventh-inning stretch. It will be a great game!

Dodgers Win in Kershaw's Debut

2008-05-26T19:32:49Z

The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a sweep by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, in extra-innings. In the bottom of the tenth-inning, Andre Ethier smashed an RBI-single through the infield. Takashi Saito was credited with the win for the Dodgers.

But, Clayton Kershaw was simply incredible. The southpaw made his debut in Major League Baseball, pitching six innings and striking out seven batters. The sparkling rookie also surrendered a couple of runs, shooting his Earned-Run Average up to a reasonable 3.00. The 20-year-old proved to over 46,500 fans at Dodger Stadium that he is the future of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Russell Martin praised the southpaw. He exclaimed, ""A left hander who throws 96 with a snapdragon curveball and a nasty changeup. Not a lot of guys have that kind of stuff in the Majors." It is evident that Kershaw is a true gem in the Dodgers' organization.

Martin knocked in a couple of RBIs and recorded his eight double of the 2008 Regular Season. The catcher is now batting .314 in 2008. He started off the season struggling, but has recently become an integral component of the Dodgers' success thus far.

Jeff Kent took a breather in his slump and did not participate in the game. His back-up, Luis Maza made contact for two hits, including the first homerun of his professional career. The infielder now has a terrific .500 batting-average through the 2008 Regular Season. Maza is doing an even better job than the slumping veteran, Jeff Kent, at second-base.

The Dodgers will take a trip to Chicago to play the Cubs in a three-game series. Chad Billingsley will be the Dodgers' starting-pitcher for the first game. Lets go Dodgers!