Dodgers Digest

Sabathia Not To Los Angeles

2008-07-06T23:39:00.000-04:00

C.C. Sabathia will be not be heading to Los Angeles. Although Major League Baseball has not made an official announcement, various sources believe that the Milwaukee Brewers struck a deal with the Cleveland Indians sometime in the afternoon. Regardless of whether this deal is true or not, the Dodgers are officially out of the sweepstakes.

The centerpieces of this potential deal are C.C. Sabathia and Matt LaPorta. Sabathia has already established himself as a premiere ace in Major League Baseball. Matt LaPorta, on the other hand, is a promising young outfielder in AA Baseball. The Indians essentially made a long-term investment for the future by letting go of one of their present stars.

The Indians will need power batters in the future. LaPorta's 20 HRs and 66 RBIs in AA Huntsville is right up in their alley. Thus, their organization decided to deal for the prospect rather than invest in the Dodgers' generous offerings of established players, such as Derek Lowe.

This reminds me of the deal that brought Hanley Ramirez to the Florida Marlins. The Marlins let go of Josh Beckett, one of their top aces at the time, for a player that had a bright future. Evidently, their organization made a smart move as Ramirez is now regarded as one of Major League Baseball's top shortstops in the game.

C.C. Sabathia, now part of the Milwaukee Brewers, will be a free-agent in 2008. Unless the Brewers decide to extend his contract, he will be up for grabs during the off-season. The Dodgers may have another chance to add Sabathia into their starting-rotation.

No Happy Endings

2008-07-06T00:12:00.003-04:00

What ever happened to happy endings?

The Giants defeated the Dodgers today, 5-2. But you can not point the finger at Chan Ho Park. He struck out seven batters and only gave up one run through six innings. However, his solid performance was wasted by the bullpen.

Joe Beimel and Brian Falkenborg combined to give up four earned-runs on three hits while only getting two outs. Earlier in the 2008 season, the Dodgers' bullpen was regarded as one of the best in Major League Baseball. Despite this horrific performance, the Dodgers' bullpen is still one of the finest around.

In all of Major League Baseball, the Dodgers rank third with the lowest bullpen ERA (3.11). As imaginable, this statistic is higher than it was earlier in the season. Evidently, however, this commendable ERA is still among the best in the league.

Also, the Dodgers' bullpen ranks second-overall in the strike-outs column (265). This can be attributed to Hong-Chih Kuo and Takashi Saito. Together, the two relief pitchers amass for about 40% of the bullpen's total strikeouts.

Eric Stults will be pitching for the Dodgers tomorrow against the San Francisco Giants. Hopefully, the Dodgers' bullpen will revert back to their dominant ways. If not, Ned Colletti and the Dodgers have some major issues on their hands.Picture of the Day:

From the Camera of George Nikitin (AP Photo)

Colletti Looking for a Shortstop. Know Anyone?

2008-07-05T02:06:00.000-04:00

Ned Colletti is on the lookout for a new shortstop. However, the General Manager has not yet posted a listing in the local paper. Hopefully, Los Angeles will find a reliable replacement for Furcal at shortstop before it is too late and the Dodgers are out of the playoff picture.

The Dodgers expected Angel Berroa and Luis Maza to hold up the infield until Rafael Furcal returned. But that won't be anytime soon as Furcal recently went underneath the knife for back surgery. The Dodgers must find someone to fill up their gap in the diamond.

It is rumored that the Dodgers are willing to trade:

Matt Kemp
James Loney
Andre Ethier
Andy LaRoche
Derek Lowe

It's surprising that the Dodgers are that desperate for a shortstop. Is Ned Colletti really going to trade away all of Los Angeles' promising young stars? We will find out.

Jones Back

2008-07-05T00:42:00.000-04:00

The Dodgers welcomed outfielder, Andruw Jones, to their line-up in yesterday's game against the Houston Astros. Although the fans were pleased by Los Angeles' 10-7 victory, they were not happy about Andruw Jones' ugly performance. The batter could not get on-base, striking out four times in the game.

Jones hit the Disabled-List in May with a knee injury. The new Dodger was batting .165 at the time and many fans were pleased to hear the news that Jones would be out of the line-up. The Dodgers finally had an opportunity to start Andre Ethier, Juan Pierre, and Matt Kemp simultaneously in the outfield as the fans desired.

Joe Torre passed of his slugger's pitiful performance by saying that, "He's rehabbing right now." Since Torre's days in the Big Apple, he has always established a fair ground with his players built around mutual respect. The last thing the veteran manager wanted to do was to say something negative to the press that would send the athlete into an even deeper slump.

The former-Brave will get Sunday off. Working two days and getting a day off? This is a schedule that the outfielder could get used to.

Dodgers Look Into Sabathia

2008-07-04T23:27:00.003-04:00

I apologize for the recent inactivity. I have been considering whether or not to taking my blogging to the next level by purchasing a domain and either moving to Wordpress.Com or staying on Blogger. Thus far, I have been unable to make any major decisions or progress.

In recent reports, the Dodgers have been chasing after C.C. Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians. The premiere ace has a 6-8 record thus far in the 2008 Regular Season. However, despite his mediocre record, he is a hot item on the market as the trade deadline whips around the corner.

There have also been reports that Sabathia could head over to the Yankees, Brewers, and Phillies. The more potential suitors, the less of a chance that we'll see Sabathia in a Dodgers jersey. But, the Dodgers' current offer (rumored, not official yet) seems quite promising:

Chin-Ling Hu
Andy LaRoche
James McDonald

Here is the Brewers' best offer to the Indians:

Matt LaPorta

Evidently, the Dodgers are being more generous than the Milwaukee Brewers. We will see how this story develops in the upcoming weeks.

Weaver's No-Hitter To Go Down as Loss?

2008-06-29T00:00:00.006-04:00

Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is currently throwing a no-hitter over in Los Angeles. However, the Dodgers are winning Game Two of the Freeway Series, 1-0. It would be shocking if Weaver's spectacular no-hitter goes down as a loss in the record books.

In the bottom of the fifth-inning, Matt Kemp reached first-base on a fielding error. Then he broke for second-base and advanced to third-base on a throwing error. Blake DeWitt's sacrifice-flyball to right-field brought Kemp home to put the Dodgers ahead, 1-0.

Chad Billingsley has been pitching well in tonight's game. Thus far, he has struck out seven batters in 6.2 innings on the mound. But since he has already thrown 109 pitches in tonight's game thus far, it looks as if Joe Torre will throw in a relief pitcher to start the eighth-inning.

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On a personal note, I picked up a copy of the 2008 Dodgers Yearbook earlier today. It highlights 50 Years of Dodgers History and includes the usual colorful player pages. I'll be sure to share any interesting facts that I find out while reading about the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Juan Pierre for Adam Dunn?

2008-06-28T23:09:00.007-04:00

There is a rumor circulating around Los Angeles that the Dodgers may trade Juan Pierre, Chin-Lung Hu and cash for Reds' slugger, Adam Dunn. This rumor has not yet been confirmed by either of the organizations. However, this potential trade would hurt the Dodgers' organization.

Although Adam Dunn has sensational power, evident in his 18 HRs and 44 RBIs in 2008 thus far, he cannot hit for contact. His current .221 average has been hurting the Reds' organization. Since Dodgers fans have been dissatisfied with Andruw Jones' .165 batting-average in 2008, they will probably become angered if Adam Dunn struggles at the plate to hit for contact in a Dodgers' uniform. He's not the full package of power and contact.

The Dodgers cannot afford to lose outfielder, Juan Pierre. Although Pierre has been the subject of criticism in the 2008 Regular Season thus far, his spectacular 34 SBs has been quite beneficial to the Dodgers' offense. He may also serve as a permanent lead-off man until Rafael Furcal fully restores his abilities. After he comes off of the Disabled-List, it is suspected that he will still need some additional time to adjust back to Major League Baseball.

Chin-Lung Hu may not be the future of the Dodgers' organization at second-base. But he is a solid infielder with a bright career ahead of him. Los Angeles may need his duties in the future if one of their middle-infielders hits the Disabled-List or if Delwyn Young, their probable player to succeed Jeff Kent at second-base, struggles. Hu is insurance.

Game Notes: Freeway Series (Game One)

2008-06-28T01:09:00.004-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a comfortable 6-0 lead over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim heading into the eighth inning of Game One of the Freeway Series. As of this point, it looks as if Chan Ho Park will receive his third win of the 2008 Regular Season. He had a spectacular outing tonight, striking out a total of seven batters in six innings of work. Below are some additional notes on the spectacular game thus far.

Russell Martin smashed a homerun in the bottom of the first-inning to put the Dodgers on the scoreboard. The catcher has smacked eight homeruns in 2008 thus far. Be sure to send him to New York for the 2008 All-Star Game by clicking this link and voting for him.
In the bottom of the third-inning, the Dodgers perfected a double-steal. Juan Pierre broke for third-base and Russell Martin hustled over to second-base. Unfortunately, neither runners were able to score during the inning.
After a throwing error pushed Matt Kemp to third-base in the bottom of the fifth inning, Jeff Kent's sacrifice-flyball brought him home. Then, James Loney hit an RBI-single afterwards to put the Dodgers ahead of the Angels, 3-0.
Justin Speier relieved Angels' pitcher, Joe Saunders, in the bottom of the sixth-inning. Saunders pitched five innings, surrendering two earned-runs on five hits. He did not look as dominant tonight as he did during his last start against the Dodgers.
In the top of the seventh-inning, Brian Falkborg came in to replace starter, Chan Ho Park, on the mound. Falkborg went on to pitch a perfect frame, striking out one batter. Although he throws a fair share of balls relative to strikes, he has been a sensational asset to the Dodgers' organization in 2008 thus far.
Andre Ethier put the Dodgers ahead 6-0 over their cross-town rivals with a monstrous three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh-inning. Luis Maza and Russell Martin came in to score on the play. He now has seven homeruns in 2008 thus far.
Takashi Saito and Jonathan Broxton pitched perfect innings to finish off the Angels in Game One of the Freeway Series. Game Two is scheduled for later today at 10:10 PM EST. Chad Billingsley will be pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Angels' Jered Weaver.

Update: Brad Penny

2008-06-28T00:44:00.004-04:00

Brad Penny will not pitch in today's simulated game, confirmed the Los Angeles Times. The hurler recently experienced discomfort after throwing from the mound on Wednesday. He will need more time than Hiroki Kuroda to return to the Dodgers' starting-rotation.

Penny is eligible to come off of the Disabled-List as early as next week. Yet, the hurler is in no shape to return. He cannot even face batters at this stage in the game. Despite being scratched from today's simulated game, Penny will throw some pitches to a catcher.

Update: Hiroki Kuroda

2008-06-28T00:30:00.004-04:00

Hiroki Kuroda is expected to return to the Dodgers' starting-rotation on Tuesday or Wednesday. The injured hurler was scratched from yesterday's simulated game due to a stiff-neck. Hopefully, his return to the mound will not be delayed further.

Kuroda has another simulated game scheduled for later today. His performance in the start will truly determine whether or not he is ready to return from the Disabled-List. Since the Dodgers are not yet ready to demote ace, Eric Stults, Kuroda will serve as the extra-man in their rotation upon his return.

Vlad Out in the Freeway Series?

2008-06-27T00:21:00.004-04:00

Vladimir Guerrero, the top offensive star of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, may be sidelined for the Freeway Series with a stomach illness. The slugger left Tuesday's game with "flu-like symptoms," and has been consuming various medicines to combat the illness. Although the Dodgers would be fortunate to have him watching their upcoming series against the Angels rather than playing in it, I never wish misfortune upon any player.

Guerrero did not feel well enough to pinch-hit in yesterday's game against the Washington Nationals. Mike Scioscia said that the outfielder would be "good to go," for Friday's game against the Dodgers. Yet, there have been limited coverage on his progress and there is a possibility that he will sit out tomorrow's series-opener.

Recap: Dodgers Lose to End the Series

2008-06-26T21:20:00.006-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up their three-game series with the Chicago White Sox with a definitive loss earlier today. The White Sox held the Dodgers to only five hits during the entire game. However, both teams struggled offensively as the final score was only 2-0.

Clayton Kershaw was charged with the second loss of his career after surrendering two runs on six hits in four innings. Through four innings of work, the rookie tossed 69 pitches. Evidently, he needs to work on minimizing his pitch count and developing better control on his pitches.

Brian Falkborg made his 2008 debut for the Dodgers in today's game. He pitched one full inning, walking one batter. He needs to work on throwing strikes and not just waiting for batters to hit his pitches into play for an out.

The Dodgers look forward to an exciting Freeway Series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starting tomorrow night at 10:40 PM EST. Chan Ho Park is expected to be the starting-pitcher for the series-opener. Hopefully, the Dodgers will be more successful against the Angels than they were against the Chicago White Sox.

Recap: Stults Is the Star

2008-06-26T21:08:00.003-04:00

Eric Stults stole the spotlight in last night's 5-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The 28-year-old hurler pitched his first complete game, allowing a total of only four hits. He also struck out three unlucky batters in his spectacular outing.

The youngster said, "When I was walking into the dugout after the eighth, I looked at the scoreboard and the pitch count. Joe shook my hand and said, `Good job,' and I went and sat down. And Russell was like, `You want to keep going?' I said yeah. So he went up to Joe, asked him if I could keep going. Joe looked at me and I was nodding my head yeah, so he said, `We'll take it one hitter at a time.' "Stults retired the side in order without any issues.

Blake DeWitt also had a significant impact on the outcome of the game. The rookie connected on a double in the bottom of the fourth-inning, sending James Loney and Matt Kemp home. These were his first RBI's since May 31.

Proctor on the DL

2008-06-25T23:01:00.005-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed relief pitcher, Scott Proctor, on the 15-Day Disabled-List with tendinitis in his right elbow. Proctor will now have an opportunity to rest and freshen up his pitching skills while on the Disabled-List. However, he will probably be done for the 2008 Regular Season.

The 31-year-old is lucky to have a job after his most recent performances. In the 2008 Regular Season thus far, the reliever has posted a pitiful 6.82 ERA. He has not been helping the Los Angeles Dodgers at all this season.

The Dodgers have called up reliever, Brian Falkborg, from Triple-A Las Vegas. The minor-league closer will pitch in the middle-relief role for Los Angeles in 2008. Hopefully, he will more helpful than Scott Proctor out of the bullpen.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are leading the Chicago White Sox, 2-0, in the top of the fourth-inning. Andre Ethier and Russell Martin knocked in runs on singles in the bottom of the first-inning. Send Russell Martin to New York for the 2008 All-Star (and not as a spectator) by clicking this link. I will have more information and analysis on this game tomorrow morning.

Ben Sheets to Hit the Market

2008-06-25T13:43:00.005-04:00

Ben Sheets of the Milwaukee Brewers is expected to test the free-agent market during the off-season. In 2008 thus far, he has achieved a spectacular 9-1 record to accompany his dominant 2.59 ERA. The Los Angeles Dodgers may be interested in signing him during the off-season.

The hurler said, "In all honesty, that would be pretty tough (not to test the market). We're getting pretty deep (into the season). It would be hard not to (test the market) especially when you starting putting together a (big year)." Will the Dodgers go after him?

Sheets is currently 29-years-old and makes around $12 Million-per-year. This year, thus far, has been the best season of his career. Although his current numbers are quite appealing, the Dodgers will probably not buy into the hurler's expectations for a monstrous long-term contract.

Offensive Inconsistency

2008-06-25T13:40:00.002-04:00

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Joe Torre is looking for offensive consistency in the Dodgers' youthful line-up. He taught the organization during Spring Training to execute on scoring opportunities and to make opposing pitchers work on the mound. The Dodgers haven't been doing that recently, resulting in losing 20 out of their last 30 games.

In the Dodgers' recent series against the Cleveland Indians, they left a total of 23 runners-on-base. Los Angeles only scored 10 runs in the entire series. If they were able to capitalize on some of their various scoring-opportunities, they would have probably been able to get more than one win in the three-game series.

Joe Torre said, "There really wasn't a lot of at-bat finnesse to it. That has to change. It has (taken) a long time. We certainly know we're capable of being a better, more consistent offensive team." Hopefully, Joe Torre can change his team's ways and get a win tonight over the White Sox.

Game Notes: White Sox vs. Dodgers

2008-06-24T23:31:00.005-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers' late-game with the Chicago White Sox is already underway. Thus far, Derek Lowe has struggled to contain Chicago's offense. For all of you new readers out there, the game notes which I have provided below, are basically the equivalence to a live-blog but with an emphasis on commentary. Also, my game notes attempt to exclude most of the boring and unnecessary details about the game.

Top of the First-Inning

Orlando Cabrera, AJ Pierzynski, and Carlos Quentin opened up the game by filling up the bases on consecutive hits. Hopefully, Derek Lowe and the Los Angeles Dodgers can get out of this mess without surrendering a ton of runs. But with bases-loaded and no outs, it looks as if the White Sox will score some runs this inning.
Derek Lowe gets Jermaine Dye to strike out swinging for the first out. Dye whiffed on Lowe's 86-MPH slider. When Lowe places his slider well in the strike-zone, it can be one of the deadliest pitches in his repertoire.
Nick Swisher hit a deep sacrifice-fly to left-field scoring Orlando Cabrera. But, the Dodgers ended the inning on the next play when they got Pablo Ozuna to ground out. The Dodgers are lucky that only one run scored during this inning.

Top of the Second-Inning

The top of the second-inning began with a single by Dewayne Wise. If Derek Lowe continues to open up innings by giving up hits, he won't be pitching deep into tonight's game. Joe Torre won't allow him to surrender endless hits on the mound.
After Derek Lowe struck out Alexei Ramirez, Mark Buehrle connected on a sacrifice-flyball to move Wise to second-base. With runners in scoring-position and only one out in the inning, Dodgers fans must have a bad feeling in their stomach (and it's not from the Dodger Dogs).
Orlando Cabrera scored Wise on an RBI-single. Derek Lowe has given up two runs thus far. On average, he usually surrenders about four runs every nine innings. Since he probably won't be pitching nine innings, does that mean that he will surrender those runs earlier in the game?
Thankfully, the Dodgers ended the inning before it got any worse. AJ Pierzynski grounded out to James Loney who took the ball to the bag himself. On this rate of surrendering one run per inning, Derek Lowe may only last a few more innings before Joe Torre yanks him from the mound.

Bottom of the Second-Inning

Andy LaRoche grounded into a spectacular double-play tagging James Loney out on the force at second-base. The Dodgers need to buckle down, both offensively and defensively, if they hope to win this game.

Top of the Third-Inning

Joe Torre must have had a chat with Derek Lowe in the Dodgers' dugout. The hurler retired the side 1-2-3, striking out both Jermaine Dye and Nick Swisher. Evidently, Lowe must have Dye's number thus far in tonight's game.

Top of the Fourth-Inning

Derek Lowe opened up the fourth-inning by walking Pablo Ozuna on four straight pitches. Then, Dewayne Wise whacked a double pushing Ozuna to third-base. But, the Dodgers got three straight outs on groundballs to end the inning.

Bottom of the Fourth-Inning

Jeff Kent was called at safe at first-base on a throwing error by Orlando Cabrera. Russell Martin excited Dodgers fans by following up on the play with a single pushing Kent into scoring-position. But, unfortunately, the Dodgers could not capitalize on this scoring opportunity.

Bottom of the Fifth-Inning

On a 1-1 count, Delwyn Young smashed a deep homerun to left-field. On my other blog, I wrote an article boldly naming him as the future of the Dodgers organization at second-base. He's making me look good tonight.

Top of the Seventh-Inning

Derek Lowe whiffed both Mark Buehrle and Orlando Cabrera to end the inning. It's surprising to see him dominating this late in the game when he struggled earlier on tonight. Lowe should be able to pitch another inning or so if he doesn't get battered by the White Sox.

Top of the Eighth-Inning

With one-out in the inning, Carlos Quentin singled to center-field. The Dodgers should be warming up a pitcher in the bullpen right about now. Lowe's time to retire for the night is in the near future.
Jermaine Dye takes an offering to deep center-field for a two-RBI homerun. Tonight, Derek Lowe, has surrendered a total of four earned-runs (as he usually does). The Dodgers are warming up Cory Wade in the bullpen.
Cory Wade came in to relieve Derek Lowe after he gave up a single to Nick Swisher. Lowe threw a grand total of 104 pitches tonight. He will probably end up with his seventh loss of the 2008 Regular Season.
Nick Swisher scored on a terrific Dewayne Wise triple. The Chicago White Sox are simply brutalizing the Dodgers right now. Dodgers fans are probably turning off their television sets across the nation.
Alexei Ramirez knocked in another run on an RBI-single. The Los Angeles are now trailing the Chicago White Sox, 6-1. It is almost impossible for the Dodgers to stage a comeback with only two more innings left to score. But, then again, anything is possible!

The Rest of the Game

Troncoso tossed a perfect-frame, but the Dodgers could not score. This game goes down as a loss for the Dodgers. They have an opportunity to seek revenge against the White Sox tomorrow night at 7:10 PM PST (10:10 PM EST). Hopefully, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be more successful tomorrow.

Update: Here are highlights of the game:

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Blog Note: I wrapped up my final test in school today. In other words, as Alice Cooper put it, "School's out for summer!"

Around the Division

2008-06-23T22:21:00.005-04:00

To conclude this off-day, I would like to take a quick glance around the National League West. Although this blog focuses strictly on the Los Angeles Dodgers, it is essential to analyze our division rivals from time to time.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are currently leading the Boston Red Sox in the top of the ninth-inning, 2-1. Dan Haren pitched six innings for Arizona, striking out a total of five batters. In 2008 thus far, he has achieved a 7-4 record with a 3.26 ERA.

Chris Young has been powering the offense in tonight's game thus far. The center-fielder doubled in a run in the top of the seventh-inning. Overall, however, it's been a pretty slow offensive game for both teams. They have only connected on ten hits combined.

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are losing to the Royals, 7-4, in Kansas City. The Rockies are only 3.5 games behind the Dodgers and thus Los Angeles would be pleased to see the Rockies fall to the Royals, an organization which has struggled in recent years. In tonight's game thus far, Kansas City has limited Colorado to only five hits through eight innings. The Rockies haven't looked any better defensively.

Jeff Francis, supposedly one of Colorado's best pitchers, surrendered seven earned-runs in only 4.1 innings of work. Surprisingly, in only about four innings on the mound, Francis managed to throw a total of 88 pitches (63% strikes). If the Rockies lose, the hurler will probably be charged with his seventh loss of the 2008 Regular Season.

The Dodgers must beware of Matt Holliday, though. The slugger booted his ninth home-run of 2008 in the fifth-inning of tonight's game. However, Garrett Atkins remains the Rockies' top offensive star.

Injury Update: Hiroki Kuroda

2008-06-23T20:59:00.007-04:00

The Dodgers starting rotation has been plagued by shoulder injuries. Both starters, Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuroda, are suffering from a similar condition. However, Kuroda's return to the rotation looks more promising than Brad Penny's return. Penny is expected to be out of action until after the All-Star Break.

Hiroki Kuroda's game of catch was cancelled on Saturday as a, "precautionary measure." Thankfully, the Dodgers do not want to rush his return and cause any unwanted long-term ramifications. As the Dodgers have learned through investments in players such as Nomar Garciaparra, long-term injuries can be truly devastating to an organization.

Kuroda is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. Then, based on his performance, the Los Angeles Dodgers will decide whether or not to activate him from the Disabled-List. If the Dodgers feel that he is not yet ready to return, they will likely give Chan Ho Park another spot-start on Saturday. It would be beneficial to give Park an additional start and keep Kuroda fully-rested for his return.

Around the Dodgers Blogosphere

2008-06-23T14:39:00.012-04:00

It's an off-day for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they prepare to host the Chicago White Sox for a three-game series. In the meantime, I would like to introduce a new segment to Dodgers Digest. On some off-days from this point forward, there will be a blog post called Around The Dodgers Blogosphere highlighting the some of the best blog posts concerning the Los Angeles Dodgers from around the web.

Sons of Steve Garvey provides a comical off-day puzzle where James Loney is surrounded by former players of the San Francisco Giants. What will he do? I have included an image from their hilarious blog post below:

Joe Torre must go, says Mark of LA Dodger Talk. He says that, "this is no team for old men." Yet, he is unsure if a "fiery new manager," could make a difference in the organization. I believe that Torre is doing the best that he can do. However, his passive managing style may not be the best for the Dodgers' youthful organization.

Rob McMillin of 6-4-2 wrote a recap of yesterday's nail-biting victory over the Cleveland Indians. After Chad Billingsley blew the Dodgers' four-run lead early in the game, I thought that the Indians could rally back later in the game. Thankfully, the Dodgers held onto the lead and seized the victory. He refers to the amazing Luis Maza catch, which can be found on our blog.

Inside the Dodgers, not to be confused with the Dodgers' official weblog, features an article concerning Scott Proctor's poor performances. Tom Fornelli wrote a similar article on AOL FanHouse. Proctor is fortunate to have a job now considering his recent outings.

Dodgers Digest was featured on this week's Blog Kiosk over at Blue Heaven. Although we're technically a "new blog," in this huge blogosphere, I'm trying to make a name for ourselves. After all, we're the first microblog to ever cover the Los Angeles Dodgers!

A dual-blog covering both the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Beantown West, recently wrote a blog post about how both organizations avoided a sweep this weekend. The Dodgers barely avoided the sweep, winning the series finale, 4-3.

I wrote a controversial article earlier in the week on my other blog, Dodgers Blog, naming Delwyn Young as the future of the Dodgers organization at second-base. But even I, a prolific Dodgers blogger, cannot foresee the future.

Trolley Dodger writes about his opportunity to meet Dodgers' third-baseman, Nomar Garciaparra, over the weekend. The event was held this past Sunday at Dodger Stadium. If I lived in Los Angeles, I would have definitely been in attendance.

Kensai wrote about how his dream may come true on his blog, Fire Ned Colletti Now. What would happen to his blog if the Dodgers decide to fire Ned Colletti? According to his blog, we will find out in the near future.

Update: Kensai, inspired by this blog post, went out and purchased a new domain just in case. You can now access his blog at http://www.memoriesofnedcolletti.com It looks like he made a smart move since Colletti is currently sitting on the hot seat.

Here is the solution to Sons of Steve Garvey's mind-boggling puzzle. I had trouble figuring it out, but then again, I'm not a big chess player. Regardless, the puzzle did its job and entertained Dodgers' fans on the boring off-day.

If you are interesting in appearing in Around the Dodgers Blogosphere in the future, let us know at DodgersDigest@gmail.com

Game Notes: Dodgers vs. Indians (Finale)

2008-06-22T16:47:00.006-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers have started their series finale with the Cleveland Indians. Here are some notes on the game thus far:

It's 94 degrees (F) at game-time on this Sunday afternoon. But surprisingly, the stands are almost empty. Where are all the Dodgers' fans?
Chad Billingsley started off the game by retiring the side without getting a hit. He did, however, nail Shin-Soo Choo with a 92-MPH fastball. But, the pitch was clean and purely unintentional.
Matt Kemp moved Pierre to third-base on a ground-rule double. The Dodgers are fortunate to have two runners in scoring-positions with no-outs.
James Loney made contact for a two-RBI double in the bottom of the first inning. Juan Pierre and Matt Kemp scored.
Russell Martin whacked his seventh homerun of the 2008 Regular Season. James Loney scored.
The first-inning finally comes to a close with the Dodgers leading the Indians, 4-0. It took Paul Byrd 28 pitches to retire the side.
In the top of the third-inning, the Cleveland Indians struck Chad Billingsley and the Dodgers to score three runs. Thankfully, the inning has now ended and the Dodgers still have a slim lead over the Indians, 4-3.
In the top of the fourth-inning, Chad Billingsley has already thrown 88 pitches. It would be perfect to hand the ball over to the Dodgers' bullpen in a couple of innings. However, the Dodgers' bullpen is depleted.
Luis Maza robbed slugger, Grady Sizemore, of a hit in the top of the fourth-inning. Maza made a tremendous over-the-head catch to end the half.
In the bottom of the fourth-inning, Grady Sizemore got his revenge. The centerfield made a spectacular diving-catch to help Paul Byrd retire the side 1-2-3.
Peralta tried to score on a David Dellucci-double in the top of the fifth-inning. But, a tailor-made relay to home gets him out.
Hong Chih-Kuo replaced Chad Billingsley in the top of the sixth-inning. Billingsley ends the day pitching five innings and giving up three earned-runs.
Joe Beimel and Jonathan Broxton make appearances, both striking out one batter. It's surprising to see Beimel pitching today, considering his last outing was yesterday.
Takashi Saito came in to close the game to pick up his eleventh save of 2008. Jamey Carroll was called out on strikes to end the game.

I started off this blog post with a couple of notes about today's game, but it eventually turned into a Live Blog. I thought that the Dodgers did a spectacular job picking up the win today although Chad Billingsley was a bit shaky in his outing. Luckily, the Dodgers have an off-day tomorrow to rest their pitchers and bullpen.

Blog Note: I have added a blog-roll to the side of this blog. As you can see, this blog is still under construction and I am changing the theme every second. Hopefully, I will find a clean, SEO-friendly theme by the end of the week. Until then, please mind our renovation.

Update: Here is a video clip showing the highlights from the exciting game.

Preview: Dodgers vs. Indians (Finale)

2008-06-22T13:07:00.003-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the final game of their three game series against the Cleveland Indians later today. Los Angeles is hoping to avoid a sweep after losing their last two games to the Indians in extra-innings. But, the Dodgers should be able to get a win today.

Chad Billingsley will be pitching for the Dodgers. In his last start, the hurler gave up only one run in 6 1/3 innings on the mound. The Dodgers hope that he will be able to pitch seven innings in today's game.

The Dodgers have used a total of ten relief pitchers in the past couple of games. Currently, only Takashi Saito and Jonathan Broxton are possibilities to make appearances from the bullpen in today's game. The Dodgers may need to make some pre-game transactions to add depth to their bullpen.

Dodger Sims believes that Los Angeles will defeat the Indians in their series finale. If the Dodgers can capitalize on Paul Byrd's inconsistent pitching, then they can win. Byrd has allowed a league-high 19 homeruns in 2008 thus far.

Recap: Peralta & Indians Win, 7-2.

2008-06-21T21:32:00.008-04:00

Jhonny Peralta did it again.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Indians went into extra-innings tied at two. Then, in the top of the tenth-inning, Peralta hit an RBI-single off of reliever, Scott Proctor. The Indians widened the gap by scoring five runs afterwards.

Proctor surrendered four runs on three hits without getting an out. Proctor, despite being Joe Torre's right-hand man in the bullpen, should spend some time in the Minor Leagues and redevelop his pitching mechanics. His 6.82 ERA in 2008 thus far has certainly not been helping the Dodgers' bullpen at all.

Ramon Troncoso appeared in the game snagging two outs. The reliever only gave up one hit in the short outing. Hopefully, we will see more of him in the future so that we all have a better understanding of how well he pitches.

Chan Ho Park made his second start of 2008. The hurler went five innings, striking out nine batters. It's shameful when such spectacular performances are wasted and do not pick-up a win. But thus far, Park looks like a solid alternative to the injured, Hiroki Kuroda, in the Dodgers' starting rotation. Regardless, the Dodgers should use him as a spot-starter more often.

The Dodgers' offense needed more than Matt Kemp's solo home-run in the sixth inning off of C.C. Sabathia. The only other run for the Dodgers came in on a James Loney double in the bottom of the tenth-inning. Hopefully, the Dodgers will develop "hot bats," in the near future.

Lastly, Delwyn Young struck out three times in five trips to the plate. I wrote a post about him early today on my other blog calling him, "Delwyn Young: The Successor." Hopefully, he won't let me (and my fellow Dodgers fans) down.

Update: Andruw Jones

2008-06-21T21:27:00.006-04:00

Andruw Jones could be back in the Dodgers' line-up by late June. The center-fielder has been "looking comfortable," while taking swings in batting-practice. The off-season arrival was batting around .165 before hitting the Disabled-List with a knee and back injury. Dodgers fans were pleased to see him out of the line-up.

Update: This was his first-time taking batting-practice for the Dodgers since landing on the Disabled-List last month. Jones is listed on the Disabled-List as suffering from torn cartilage in his right-knee. However, it's evidently a combination of various ailments in his back and legs.

Furcal Coming Back Soon

2008-06-21T21:13:00.004-04:00

Rafael Furcal said that he expects to return to the Dodgers' line-up sometime before the All-Star Break. The shortstop has been on the Disabled-List since May 6. The bulging disk in his back is almost healed and he seems to be optimistic concerning his return. Joe Torre, however, hinted that the slugger may spend an extensive amount of the time in a rehabilitation assignment. Regardless, he would serve as a better option than Angel Berroa at shortstop - injured or not.

Update: Furcal explains to the LA Times that he will resume swinging a bat sometime next week. Joe Torre commented, "He may be back before the break as far as playing some games. Whether they're for us or not is another question."

Troncoso in Action

2008-06-21T15:12:00.007-04:00

Below is a picture of Dodgers' relief pitcher, Ramon Troncoso, in action. This image was taken from the Dodgers' game against the San Diego Padres in Beijing on March 15, 2008. To the best of my knowledge, Troncoso will be wearing #38 on his jersey in the future

Update: In tonight's game against the Cleveland Indians, Troncoso gave up one hit in 2/3's of an inning. His ERA for 2008 is now 7.36. Hopefully, he will be able to lower it even further.

Troncoso Promoted

2008-06-21T14:59:00.009-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers will give relief pitcher, Ramon Troncoso, another chance in the Majors. Troncoso made the 2008 Opening Day roster, but surrendered six runs in only 5 2/3 innings of work. The Dodgers thought he needed more seasoning in the Minors.

On April 17th, the relief pitcher was sent down to Triple-A, Las Vegas. Pitching in 22 games, the right-hander won four games and and achieved an ERA close to five. Throughout his career, primarily in the Minor Leagues, the 25-year-old has had a tendency to give up a plethora of earned-runs.

With Chan Ho Park slated to start today's game for the injured-Hiroki Kuroda, the Dodgers could use some help in the bullpen. By having Park in the Starting-Rotation, Los Angeles has a major gap in their bullpen. Troncoso, they believe, could fill that gap.

Update: In tonight's game against the Cleveland Indians, Troncoso gave up one hit in 2/3's of an inning. Chan Ho Park pitched five innings, striking out nine batters and surrendering only one earned-run.

Kent Knocks in a Pair of RBIs

2008-06-21T12:20:00.003-04:00

Despite the Dodgers' 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians, Jeff Kent had a decent game. The 40-year-old veteran made contact for a pair of doubles and RBIs. He has been having a sensational season considering his current age and health status. However, the Dodgers must begin looking for a long-term solution at second-base because Kent will probably retire at the close of the 2008 Regular Season.

Update: Is the answer Delwyn Young? I think so. To read more about my opinion on Delwyn Young, please read an extensive article on my other blog, naming "Delwyn Young: The Successor."

Recap: Indians Wins 6-4 in Ten

2008-06-21T12:12:00.003-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied back from a two-run deficit to push last night's game against the Cleveland Indians into extra-innings. But in the top of the tenth-inning, Jhonny Peralta hit a two-RBI double off of Takashi Saito. Los Angeles lost the game, 6-4, which was their first loss to the Indians since the 1920 World Series.

Update: Russell Martin said, ""I don't know if it's something physical, but he's having a hard time locating the fastball on his glove side -- away to right-handers." I wonder if it's his age (39-years-old) getting to him. Hopefully, he'll get to the bottom of this and continue being a dominant closer in the National League.

Update: Nomar Garciaparra

2008-06-21T11:44:00.004-04:00

Nomar Garciaparra recently learned that he has a unique condition where his body produces excess scar tissue while healing. The third-baseman is expected to return to the Dodgers' line-up sometime after the All-Star Break. However, the Dodgers will probably limit his playing-time to keep him off of the Disabled-List. Since the 2001 Regular Season or so, Garciaparra has been a magnet to injuries.

Update: Nomar Garciaparra is now expected to return to the Dodgers' line-up sometime in mid-July. Initially, we learned that the slugger may return as a shortstop. But if Furcal is back in action by then, Garciaparra may come back as a third-baseman.

Preview: Dodgers vs. Indians

2008-06-20T22:29:00.004-04:00

The Dodgers have a late game scheduled tonight against the Cleveland Indians. Clayton Kershaw will be pitching for Los Angeles against Cleveland's premiere ace, Cliff Lee. It should be an exciting pitching duel between two young southpaws.

Clayton Kershaw's last start was cut short by a rain delay. The youngster's biggest issue in his career thus far has been his mediocre control. In five games, the rookie has walked 15 batters.

Cliff Lee, on the other hand, has been having a phenomenal year for the Indians. The southpaw has recorded a splendid 10-1 record with a 2.55 ERA in 2008 thus far. He should be a potential candidate for the AL Cy Young Award.

Kuroda Hits the DL

2008-06-20T22:04:00.002-04:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed right-handed hurler, Hiroki Kuroda, on the 15-Day Disabled-List. The rookie has been recently suffering from a case of tendinitis in his right shoulder. Hopefully, this injury will not be serious and haunt the 33-year-old pitcher throughout his career.

Chan Ho Park is expected to be the starting-pitcher for tomorrow's game against the Cleveland Indians. In Park's only start for the Dodgers in 2008 thus far, he surrendered one run in four innings of work. He should be able to pitch about six innings tomorrow.

Kemp Homers in Win

2008-06-20T21:44:00.002-04:00

Matt Kemp powered the Dodgers' offense in yesterday's 7-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The outfielder connected on a homerun and a double, knocking in a total of three runs. The Dodgers should expect big numbers from him in the rest of 2008.

Kemp, despite his powerful numbers in 2008 thus far, is considered to be slumping. According to TSN, the 23-year-old has only whacked only one homerun in his last nine at-bats. Regardless, if he continues to hit for the remainder of the season on-pace, he should finish up 2008 with 14 HRs and 98 RBIs.

Stults Makes His 2008 Debut

2008-06-20T08:48:00.005-04:00

Eric Stults made his 2008 Debut in yesterday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The 28-year-old southpaw pitched six innings, striking out a total of five batters. The Dodgers are fortunate to have him in their Starting-Rotation.

Stults, a fifteen-round draft pick in 2002, was recently called up to the Major Leagues to replace the injured ace, Brad Penny, in the Starting-Rotation. Penny, the Dodgers' 2008 Opening Day starter, went down with a case of mild tendinitis and inflation in his pitching arm. With Penny out of action until after the All-Star Break, we will certainly be seeing more of Stults in the future.

First Post!

2008-06-19T22:38:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Dodgers Digest. Before I begin filling up this blog with tons of content concerning the Los Angeles Dodgers, I would like to introduce myself and my philosophy about blogging.

Hello, my name is Marc and I am a Dodgers' fan living in New York. The reason that I have pledged allegiance to a baseball organization across the country is because of a former player named Shawn Green. In 2001, when I began following baseball, Green blasted 49 home-runs. Since then, I have developed a love for baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Blogging is an outlet of expression. Living in New York, a state that is split between the Yankees and the Mets, it is difficult finding someone to listen to my opinions on the Dodgers. Blogging enables me to interact with fans from around the world and share my thoughts on the Dodgers' exciting organization.

Another reason that I love blogs is because they enable me to enhance my writing abilities. As a sophomore in High School, I am always looking for opportunities to strengthen my writing and become a better writer. In fact, my English teacher this past year witnessed a drastic development in my writing abilities thanks to creating a blog.

Blogs are becoming a larger and larger part of our lives. As Cory of MVN explained to me, blogs offer something unique that other news sites do not. Blogs offer exclusive opinions from the fans for their fellow fans.

This is not my first blog. I have been blogging with Major League Baseball since March of 2008. Yet, with four months of experience, I am still a novice in the field. I hope that by maintaining two blogs, I will become more acquainted with the blogosphere.

You're probably wondering why someone like me needs to have two blogs. On my other blog, I feel restricted to write only long articles that are chocked-full of information, facts, and analysis. I sometimes feel as if I'm writing editorials for a newspaper rather than blogging.

Recently, I discovered a division of the blogosphere known as "microblogging." Microblogging, as defined by users on Wikipedia, is "a form of blogging that allows users to write brief text updates and publish them." This branch of the blogosphere has become increasingly popular over the past couple of months.

Dodgers Digest will epitomize microblogging. I will focus on providing the latest news on the Dodgers infused with my opinion in a concise and truncated matter. After all, most users only stay on a blog for about thirty seconds or so. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of my future readers for visiting Dodgers Digest. This blog is truly dedicated to Dodgers' fans. Without them, this entire blog and the Dodgers' organization would not be possible. We need people to fill up those seats in Chavez Ravine!