Dodgers Links On A Sunday Night

Andre Ethier had a splint placed on his fractured right pinkie. He'll try to swing a bat, but if I were a guessing man, I think a DL stint is still more likely than not. [Ethier Has Splint Placed On Broken Finger]

"We're hoping he's able to function, but we'll see," Torre said before the exam. "It's sore today. The trainers have been in touch."

"Over the next couple days, we'll see if there's a comfort level for him. We'll give him a day or two to let the soreness out and see what he can do with it and decide if it's enough. The last thing we want is to have him go out and do something and get into bad habits and wind up with a bad situation."

Torre related how difficult it is for a hitter to swing a bat with a broken finger, even a pinkie like the right one Ethier broke Saturday night in batting practice. Ethier explained that the finger "contorted" under the knob of the bat during a swing and the pressure of the bat cracked the first knuckle.

Ramon Ortiz will get another start. He'll take the mound on Wednesday. OY. VEY. The moral of this story, again, is that being a veteran means your leash is ridiculously long with the Dodgers. Struggle n the majors as a veteran and you get shot after shot, but prove things in the bigs, as James McDonald and Scott Elbert have done in varying sample sizes, then struggle a bit in the minors, and you're doomed to minor league servitude. [Dodgers To Give Ortiz Second Start]

"Really, there's nobody other than him," said Torre. "Carlos Monasterios [who also made a spot start May 1] was under consideration. Probably because Ortiz is the most experienced guy. We started Monasterios one time and had Ortiz behind him. When [Ortiz] gave us 80-plus pitches [last Saturday], we had a better feel for what we'd get out of him."

Charlie Haeger made a rehab start for Class A Inland Empire on Saturday, going five solid innings. [Haeger Goes 5 Innings In Rehab Start]

He will need several bullpen sessions and at least three Minor League rehab starts before he returns, which manager Joe Torre said remains some time in July.

A great story about Dodger farmhands lending a helping hand to a downed motorcyclist. The minor leaguers included Rafael Ynoa and Elisaul Pimental. [Dodgers Farmhands Assist Motorcyclist]

Dodgers Links On A Sunday Late Afternoon

If Rafael Furcal does have to go on the DL, which is still uncertain (and unlikely according to what's come out about his injury), Chin-lung Hu would be the most likely call-up. And hopefully he starts because Jamey Carroll is dreadful defensively at shortstop.

George Sherrill has been warned about taking to much time to warm up before beginning a game he entered on April 14th. Sherill took the letter from MLB, posted it on his locker, and added a message of his own:

"With more strikes called, the game is faster," read Sherrill's hand-written note on the typed letter.

"First time I got something like that," Sherrill said. "It's my seventh year in the big leagues, and I've never gotten one before. The thing is, you sit there and watch a game, and guys are throwing strikes on top of strikes, and [the umpires] are not calling them. That's why games are taking so long, not because a guy has a little extra time to warm up."

Vicente Padilla is out through May with his forearm injury.

"He's better, he's feeling better, but not having thrown for a while, I don't see him helping us this month," Torre said. "That's not anything, I think, unusual."

Dodgers Links On A Saturday Night

Joe Torre has confidence in Charlie Haeger as his 5th starter. As he should: Charlie Knuckles can eat a ton of innings, provide relief support in between starts if necessary, which he has already done once this season, and when that knuckleball is dancing, can mow 'em down, to the tune of 12 strikeouts in his first start on April 11th against the Marlins. [Link not working, it was from the Dodgers Official Site]

Manny Ramirez has returned to LA for treatment on his injured calf. He was in the dugout for Friday's game, but will miss the rest of the road trip. [Manny Returns To LA For Treatment]

Chad Billingsley and confidence. Bleh. kensai over at Memories Of Kevin Malone has this one right: mechanics and pitch selection are ailing Chad. I'll include some thoughts from Torre regarding Bills. [Confidence Eluding Billingsley Early On]

"His stuff is good," said Torre. "We have a tendency to make such an issue of pitch count and throwing strikes, that you can become too concerned with that instead of trusting when he lets it go."

Dodgers Links On A Monday Night

Is Manny Ramirez a Hall Of Famer? Big League Stew poses the question and asks readers to vote Yes, No, or Undecided. My vote, though I did not vote in their poll, is an unquestioned YES. [BLS Poll: Would Manny Ramirez get your Hall Of Fame Vote?] The results when I checked, from just under 3000 votes:

• Yes 54%

• No 39%

• Undecided 6%

Sporting News's rankings of every team through yesterday, with the Dodgers clocking in at # 15, up three spots from their last rankings. [MLB Power Poll]

Finally, in non-Dodgers news, Pablo Sandoval took off his cup and threw it during a game. It hit a man in the head. This is far too easy to photoshop. M.Brown and Ferio, the ball is now in your respective courts. Photoshop contest on 3...2...1... GO! [Pablo The Panda & The Worst Souvenir Ever]

Links On A Saturday Morning

Hong-Chih Kuo, rehabbing his elbow, threw a scoreless inning and K'd 2 for Class A Inland Empire. [Kuo Impressive In One-Inning Rehab Stint]

Jackie Robinson and Don Newcombe. [Newcombe Honors His Idol Jackie In LA]

The Anaheim Ducks are having a fan appreciation sale Saturday, today, with prices slashed slashed slashed. I went last year, got a lot of great deals. Probably won't make it there this year. [Ducks Holding Fan Appreciation Sale]

Links On A Saturday Morning

Some guy I've never heard of asks who you would rather keep, Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier. I can't believe this guy was serious when he wrote this article. Of course he never gives an answer, sidestepping it at the end by calling it a tough decision that would make him pull his hair out. In what world is this a tough decision? It's Kemp every day of the week and three times on Sunday. [If You Had To Choose: Kemp or Ethier]

Hong Chih-Kuo has been shut down with elbow pain. [Dodgers Shut Down Kuo]

Ken Gurnick reports that Ronnie Belliard made weight (209 pounds) to guarantee his contract. When it takes that much motivation to lose some weight, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside that he'll be taking at-bats away, along with Jamey Carroll, from Blake DeWitt. [Belliard Contract Guaranteed]

Links On A Saturday Night

Marco Scutaro has apparently heard from the Dodgers, who are apparently interested in him for the currently vacant second base job. No, no, no, nein, no. Career year in your 30s for a utility player means stay away. Please Ned, stay away. Go with DeWitt, after, of course, offering arbitration to Orlando Hudson, who most likely turns it down and nets us some picks. [Scutaro Prefers The Dodgers and Red Sox]

Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness details the reasons why the Dodgers should avoid the aforementioned Scutaro. He hits the nail on the head, there's nothing that could be added that he didn't eloquently state. [Just Go To Boston Already, Marco]

One of the the funniest things I've ever read. [The Internet Is Over, Folks. Presenting: The Worst Site Ever]

Links On An Early, Early Monday Morning

Hong-Chi Kuo and Chin-lung Hu hosted a baseball clinic Sunday in their native Taiwan. Great work from these two gentlemen. [Dodgers' Kuo, Hu Host Clinic In Taiwan]

Jon Weisman over at Dodger Thoughts has a great write-up of why trading Chad Billingsley is short-sighted and, quite frankly, idiotic beyond reason. Those last words are mine, not Jon's. [Trading Chad Billingsley For Roy Halladay Would Create More Problems Than It Solves]

kensai over at Memories Of Kevin Malone talks about the backlash at Keith Law over his NL Cy Young ballot. To be forthright, I love Keith Law and his baseball acumen and opinions, I agree with his selection of Tim Lincecum, and kensai always has intelligent posts and he and I share the same philosophy on baseball. So yeah, this is pretty much the perfect baseball storm of genius for me. [I Love People]

Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness relives the pain of the Casey Blake for Carlos Santana trade. Ugh, why Ned and Frank, why!?!? Come back Carlos Santana, come back home. [Baseball Prospectus, Why Must You Taunt Me?]

R.J. Anderson over at FanGraphs discusses Keith Law's NL Cy Young ballot and the ridiculous backlash over it. Jon Heyman and Buck Martinez, idiots you are. Law knows more than the two of you plus Joe Morgan combined. [Defending Law]

Links On A Saturday Night

One of the worst hockey fights. Ever. [Briere vs. Vlasic]

Chad Johnson's condom box design. Never thought I'd have to type those words. The man is a genius though. Oh, and a pretty good wide receiver. [For Those Who Thought I Was Playing]


For those who love Chipotle, but can't eat it as often as they'd like, there comes "Chipotlaway". [Billy Mays & Chipotlaway From South Park]

More South Park, from the Season 13 season finale. God I love this show. [Cartman Sings "Not My Waterpark" From South Park]

Via Deadspin: if NBA players were part of a Japanese trading card series. There are some pretty hilarious ones. And ones that I would swear were real if this story were real. [Japanese Gaming Cards With Photoshopped NBA Players Are Disrespectful To Frowns]

Links On A Friday Night

Matt Kemp was named an All-Star by the Sporting News. How in the hell does Ryan Franklin beat out Jonathan Broxton? [The Sporting News 2009 NL All-Stars]

Keith Law's latest chat over at ESPN. Some Dodger Talk included. [Chat With Keith Law]

Ryan (madison,wi)

Who says no: Fielder for Kemp?

Klaw

(1:35 PM)

Dodgers. With howls of derisive laughter.

Ryan (Andover)

MSM sentiment seems to be that the Dodgers weren't "tough enough" to beat the Phillies. I say having to start Vincente Padilla in an LCS elimination game is more likely the problem.

Klaw

(1:49 PM)

I'm with you. And how much money did Padilla cost himself by returning to form in last night's game? That whole "he's a new man" meme just took a bullet to the heart when he walked off the field.

Craig (Bethesda, MD)

Really...How bad of a tactical manager is Torre? I knew he was terrible, and was against his hiring from the beginning- but Game 1 was an absolute disaster, and his decisions on Starting Pitchers was a farce. One thing I will never understand is why when Kuo blows hitters away in the 7th, he has to switch to Sherrill in the 8th. Is Kuo's fragility the basis on that switch or is he a manager who just follows a pattern?

Klaw

(2:04 PM)

I didn't get that either. It's October. If you blow Kuo out and win the World Series ... I love Kuo, but he's probably going to blow out anyway, whether it's pitching or signing an autograph. The one thing for which Torre has been criticized unfairly, in my opinion, was starting Kershaw in game one. He has the best stuff of anyone on their staff and his command has been improving for a year now. Who was the alternative? Padilla?

Links On A Friday Afternoon

Orlando Hudson will most likely not be starting anytime soon. Ronnie Belliard, swing away. Not that he needs anyone to tell him that. [Hudson Supports Belliard]

The Washington Post jumped the gun just a bit on who won last night. [Washington Post]

The real reason why Matt Holliday dropped James Loney's sinking liner in Game 2. [Ninth-Inning Nightmare]

Footage of Babe Ruth in the outfield. [A Ruthian Mystery]

Links On A Wednesday Night

Tommy Lasorda is going to the Smithsonian. [Lasorda = Smithsonian]

Fire Joe Morgan (temporarily) returns in all its scrappy glory. [FJM @ Deadspin]

Chad Billingsley will have a start skipped. Regardless of how he was pitching at this point, this was something that should have happened. Same with Kershaw and his shoulder injury - there's no shame in having a start skipped to conserve a young pitcher's arm. [Billingsley To Skip Start]

An interesting recap of the Mets' 2009 season. [Mets' Messy History - The Game of MetsSloppily]

Links On A Friday Morning

Does Manny Ramirez know Jim Thome? Or know that he played with him? I'll guess yes and yes. [Jim Thome Who?]

When will people realize all you have to do is make the playoffs? Because, you know, they're a crapshoot. [Monumental Collapse Looming?]

Some Dodger praise from a San Francisco reporter? Yeah, believe it. [How To Ignite The Dodgers Series]

Another article claiming the Dodgers' biggest concern is their rotation. [Dodgers' Rotation Is Biggest Concern Among Contenders]

Links On A Thursday Night

Vin Scully is the most talkative announcer in baseball. But don't take my word for it. Science says so. Sort of. [Vin Scully Is Chatty]

Keith Law's ESPN Chat from earlier today. Multiple questions regarding the Dodgers and Dodger players. [Chat With Keith Law]

Someone who actually watched Billingsley's last start and realizes that the 5th inning was one of one bad pitch and terrible luck for Chad. Though the second commenter seems like he belongs over at LA Dodger Talk. [Billingsley Makes Strides]

The Dodgers need to draw more walks. Like now. Go. Right now guys. Do it. [True Blue L.A.]

Links On A Monday Morning

Tim Brown article. What a douche. [Manny's At Ease As Dodgers Slip]

The latest drivel, I mean article, from the Argyled One. It's about Broxton recently pitching the 8th. I'll let you guess the rest, shouldn't be that hard. Plaschke is actually correct in that it was the right move. Damn when we agree. No worries though, the rest of the article is his typical 300-word slop in 100 one-line paragraphs. [Bullpen Sees A Role Reversal]

Vicente Padilla's first rehab start at AAA Albuquerque. Not sure if I should be happy about this or not. My feelings in the link under this one. [Padilla's 1st Rehab Start]

Free Scott Elbert. [A Movement Begins]

Kissing Suzy Kolber's Fantasy Football/Sex Advice Mailbag Archives. Many great reads when you have time, and by "many great reads" I mean all of them. Go. Now. [KSK Mailbag Archives]

Links On A Thursday Afternoon

Bill Plaschke archives at Fire Joe Morgan. [FJM]

John Smoltz to the Dodgers? [Yahoo! Sports MLB Rumors]

One of the worst pieces of journalism ever seen by man, ripped apart by Junior from FJM. Come back FJM, please come back. [Gamer/Non-Gamer]

An interesting article from Baseball Prospectus about Dodger-killer (190 Games, .293/.393/.526/.919, 38 HR, 109 BB, 79 XBH) Todd Helton's HOF candidacy. [Baseball Prospectus]

Vicente Padilla to the Dodgers? Why exactly? [Yahoo! Sports MLB Rumors]

• The most idiotic part of this "rumor":

After all, there isn't a ton of quality pitching to choose from right now and the 31-year-old Padilla has managed to win eight games this season despite allowing 120 hits and 42 walks in 108 innings. His ERA is 4.92.

• More proof why wins should never, ever, ever be used when discussing how good a pitcher is/has been.
  

Links On A Monday Morning

An article by The Argyled One that I don't feel like reading but probably will, what with the name of the blog and all. Oh joy, 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back. [Bill Plaschke]

The LA Times discusses possible options for the Dodgers rotation. [Dodgers' Rotation Future?] Smoltz - sure, why not; Padilla - NO!

Sucking is now classified medically as a "shoulder injury"? [Schmidt DL'd]

Will Chad Billingsley make his start in San Fran on Wednesday? [Billingsley questionable]

Links On A Thursday Night

The AAA Albuquerque Isotopes will most likely be sued in the coming weeks after a boy was struck by a batting practice home run in the head. [Yahoo! Sports]

Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports talks about busts in baseball over the last decade. Multiple Dodgers make the list. [Baseball's Biggest Busts]

One of the best names I have ever come across. [Mansfield Wrotto]

An article by Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports concerning the Dodgers not acquiring a pitcher at the deadline. The stupidity of it makes me think Plaschke wrote it, or was in the room when it was written. Who was the big spoon? Probably Plaschke. [Dodgers Remain A Pitcher Short]

Free Dodger Dogs! [Famous Dodger Dogs]