Trade With Dodger Penguin: Kemp Auto, Kemp Quad Relic, Seager Mini Blue, and a Rising Joc.

I completed my first trade with Matthew from Dodger Penguin. We began this deal a year ago and traded in-person this May 3rd at the card show I recapped. The wait was worth it as we each picked up great stuff for our collections.

Matt surprised me with this 2008 SP Authentic Manufactured Letter Autograph of The Bison in exchange for a Julio Urias signed photo I was able to get at a Rancho Cucamonga Quakes' minor league game. I have legitimately been after one of these signed manu-letter patches for years but have never been able to secure one. This letter "M" is numbered 61/99 and is a most welcome addition, after all of these years, to my Mattycakes' Collection.

If this just isn't the perfect card. You have a great action shot of Corey Seager, my favorite prospect; he's got his pants rolled up to the knees, and I'm a sucker for old-timey throwbacks; it's a Blue Wave parallel; it's numbered 238/250; and it's a miiiiiiinnnnniiiiiii!

I had completely forgotten about this 2009 UD SPx Quad Relic teaming Kemp up with a troika of former Blue Crew members: Rafael Furcal, Takashi Saito, and Hong-Chih Kuo. When Matt and I re-booted our trade talks it was a nice surprise, and it's of course a welcome addition to my collection of Kemp hits.

Now that's a great shot of top prospect Joc Pederson. Joc is featured on a Rising Through The Ranks mini from 2013 Bowman Chrome and it's a swell addition as I have very little of Pederson in my Dodgers' PC.

I really dig these Cream of The Crop minis from '13 Bowman Chrome and I'm happy to add the base version along with the aforementioned Blue Wave parallel.

Finally, a nice refractor of Corey out of 2013 Bowman Chrome.

Thanks for the great trade Matthew! It was a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to many more deals in the future!

A Badass Blue Crew Booklet. Well, Except For Andruw Jones' Presence.

I recently landed my second full-sized booklet, and like the first it hails from Topps Triple Threads and features my main man, Matt Kemp. It's a six-way piece and includes five former Dodgers in Russ Martin, Jeff Kent, Hong-Chih Kuo, Rafael Furcal, and Andruw Jones.

Click to embiggen this beauty. It's numbered 02/36 and features a nice variety of relics. The Kemp is a wool swatch; the Martin comes from a white home jersey; the Furcal and Kuo contributions come from road uniforms; the Kent is a sweet bat relic; and the Jones is a piece of a shoe if I'm not mistaken. It certainly doesn't look like anything else I've seen in-person. It would be ironic if it were a piece of a shoe, as Jones wasn't exactly nimble on his feet during his L.A. stint.

Trade With Scott Crawford On Cards!: '86-'87 Fleer and Black Diamonds

I completed my first trade with Scott Crawford of Scott Crawford On Cards!. In exchange for a lot of stuff, he sent these awesome cards my way. The trade took a while to finalize, but it was well worth it to trade with a fellow chaser of Brooklyn Dodgers vintage goodness.

 

My first three cards from this legendary set. Chocolate Thunder is always welcome in the Plaschke household. As a man who sometimes goes by White Shadow or Sterling Mallory Archer when I bowl, I can fully appreciate an awesome nickname when I come across one.

I've been chasing this Kershaw for ages. It is now finally mine, and brought along Braun - as well as Miguel Cabrera and Dustin Pedroia - as well.

Scott also sent along cards for a number of my smaller player collections, which are all appreciated.

Thanks for the great deal Scott, I look forward to trading again!

Box Break: 2011 Allen & Ginter, Gint-A-Cuffs 3 (Bait Bait, Ain't It Great)

First and foremost, I'm collecting the Base Set, SPs included. I'll also be dabbling in completing the Ascent Of Man insert (I'm a sucker for colorful things), Hometown Heroes, Animals in Peril, and Step Right Up. I'll update my Want List soonish.

Oh, and just upfront, I bummed all of the below scans off of good old internet folk, since I lack a scanner of my own and don't have the patience or time to take that many pictures. So not everything that scored me points is pictured, because that would take forever. My box is not the winning box, so I figured it wasn't that huge of a deal.

If you see something you like, leave a comment and we'll get the ball rolling on a trade, or I'll add it to your pile if we're already in talks.

Boxtopper:

Teixeira N43 (+5) - I imagine I should lose points since it's a Yankee, but the Commish didn't specify when it comes to your run o' the mill N43s. I'll check in on that, and I did. Haven't heard back yet.

Pack 1:

Alfonso Soriano
Carl Crawford
Hank Conger
Brent Morel
Colby Rasmus
Gordon Beckham
Chad Billingsley Ginter Back Mini (+2 GBM, +1 FT = +3)
Austin Jackson Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 4
Total Thus Far - 9

Pack 2:

Kendrys Morales
Alfonso Soriano
Chris Sale
Jake McGee
Brett Myers
David Price
Ben Revere Black-Bordered Mini (+3 BBM)
Ian Kinsler Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 4
Total Thus Far - 13

Pack 3:

Yadier Molina
Kyle Drabek
Mickey Mantle (-1 Yankee)
Alex Rodriguez (-1 Yankee)
Aramis Ramirez
Ascent Of Man AOM10 (+1 AOM)

Uninvited Guests Mini UG5 (+3 UG)
Roy Halladay Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack -3
Total Thus Far - 16

Pack 4:

Wade Davis
Jose Reyes
Brian Bogusevic
Phil Hughes (-1 Yankee)
Francisco Rodriguez
Brett Wallace SP (+2)
Portraits of Penultimacy Mini PP7 (+3 PoP)
Floating Fortresses USS Cairo FF15 (+2 FF)

Total Points in Pack - 6
Total Thus Far - 22

Pack 5:

Carl Crawford
Freddie Freeman
David Ortiz
Andre Ethier (+1 FT)
Baseball Highlight Sketches Mark Teixeira BHS-23 (-1 Yankee, +3 BHS = +2)
Alex Gordon SP (+2)
Animals in Peril Orangutan Mini AP17 (+3 AiP)

Floating Fortresses USS Cairo La Gloire FF12 (+2 FF)

Total Points in Pack - 10
Total Thus Far - 32

Pack 6:

Marco Scutaro
Michael Cuddyer
L.L. Zamenhof
Brandon Phillips
Rafael Furcal (+1 FT)
Gio Gonzalez SP (+2)
Cole Hamels Ginter Back Mini (+2 GBM, +2 OFP, +3MoFP = +7)
Floating Fortresses Mary Rose FF2 (+2 FF)

Total Points in Pack - 12
Total Thus Far - 44

Pack 7:

Carlos Ruiz
Hope Solo (+1)
Manny Pacquiao
Ascent Of Man AOM1 (+1 AOM)

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Allen & Ginter Jersey Relic AJR-JS (+10 Ginter Relic)

Brian Bogusevic Black-Bordered Mini (+3 BBM)
Jeremy Hellickson Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 16
Total Thus Far -60

Pack 8:

Jordan Zimmermann
Joey Votto (+2 OFP)
Diana Taurasi (-1 SEOPS)
Jim Nantz
John Lackey Allen & Ginter Jersey Relic AJR-JLA (+10 Ginter Relic)

Timothy Shieff Ginter Back Mini (+2 GBM)
Alex Rodriguez Hometown Heroes (-1 Yankee, +1 HH = 0)

Total Points in Pack - 13
Total Thus Far - 73

Pack 9:

Xavier Nady
Jordan Zimmermann
Picabo Street
Chuck Woolery (+1)
Jonathan Papelbon Allen & Ginter Jersey Relic AJR-JPA (+10 Ginter Relic)

Chase Utley Mini
Ike Davis Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 12
Total Thus Far - 85

Pack 10:

Robinson Cano (-1 Yankee)
Prince Fielder
Rudy Ruettiger
Andrew Bailey
John Danks
Jon Lester SP (+2 SP, +2 OFP = +4)
Andrew Romine Ginter Back Mini (+2 GBM)
Mark Teixeira Hometown Heroes (-1 Yankee, +1 HH = 0)

Total Points in Pack - 5
Total Thus Far - 90

Pack 11:

Evan Longoria
Ty Wigginton
Evan Lysacek
Brandon Morrow
Tim Hudson (+2 OFP)
Kevin Kouzmanoff SP (+2)
Shane Victorino Mini
Roy Oswalt Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 5
Total Thus Far - 95

Pack 12:

Joey Votto (+2 OFP)
Ana Julaton
Derek Jeter (-1 Yankee)
Jhoulys Chacin
Baseball Highlight Sketches Armando Galarraga BHS-12 (+3 BHS)
Nick Markakis SP (+2 SP, +2 OFP = +4)
Vernon Wells Mini
Zack Greinke Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 9
Total Thus Far - 104

Pack 13:

Travis Hafner
Dallas Braden
Adrian Beltre
Paul Konerko
Ryan Dempster
Chris Young (Ari)
Alex Rios Mini
Buster Posey Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 1
Total Thus Far - 105

Pack 14:

Rafael Soriano (-1 Yankee)
Rickie Weeks
Clayton Kershaw (+1 FT, +2 OFP = +3)
Alexei Ramirez
Brett Anderson
Ascent Of Man AOM20 (+1 AOM)

Uninvited Guests Mini UG3 (+3 UG)
Carl Pavano Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 7
Total Thus Far - 112

Pack 15:

Evan Longoria
Ty Wigginton
B.J. Upton
Cliff Lee
Clay Buchholz
Carlos Quentin
Nancy Lopez Ginter Back Mini (+2 GBM)
Brandon Phillips Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 3
Total Thus Far - 115

Pack 16:

Brian McCann
Jeremy Hellickson
Howie Kendrick
Michael Young
Baseball Highlight Sketches Cody Ross BHS-8 (+3 BHS)
Trevor Cahill SP (+2)
Animals in Peril Anderson's Salamander Mini AP27 (+3 AiP)

Minds That Made The Future Florence Nightingale MMF23 (+2 MMF)

Total Points in Pack - 10
Total Thus Far - 125

Pack 17:

Denard Span
Scott Kazmir
Chase Utley
Ian Kinsler
Pedro Alvarez
Mike Pelfrey SP (+2)
World's Most Mysterious Figures The Babushka Lady Mini WMF9 (+3 WMMF)

Minds That Made The Future Gregor Mendel MMF12 (+2 MMF)

Total Points in Pack - 7
Total Thus Far - 132

Pack 18:

Rafael Soriano (-1 Yankee)
Denard Span
Matt Guy
Kelly Johnson
Torii Hunter
Mark Reynolds SP (+2)
Portraits of Penultimacy Mini PP8 (+3 PoP)
Minds That Made The Future Alexander Graham Bell MMF2 (+2 MMF)

Total Points in Pack - 6
Total Thus Far - 138

Pack 19:

Adrian Gonzalez (+2 OFP)
Ozzie Martinez
Eric Sogard
Jose Bautista
Dan Haren
Carlos Ruiz Code Card (+3 GCC)
Step Right Up Tightrope Walking Mini SRU10 (+3 SRU)

Todd Helton Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 9
Total Thus Far - 147

Pack 20:

Hanley Ramirez
Nancy Lopez
Tsuyoshi Nishioka
Delmon Young
Josh Hamilton (+2 OFP)
Carlos Santana Code Card (+3 GCC)
Tsuyoshi Nishioka Mini
Dan Uggla Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 6
Total Thus Far - 153

Pack 21:

Maxim Shmyrev
Michael Pineda
Jacoby Ellsbury
Carlos Marmol
Brandon Belt Code Card (+3 GCC)

Ascent Of Man AOM26 (+1 AOM)

Ryan Zimmerman SP Ginter Back Mini (+3 SPM +2 GBM = +5)
C.C. Sabathia Hometown Heroes (-1 Yankee, +1 HH = 0)

Total Points in Pack - 9
Total Thus Far - 162

Pack 22:

Tommy Hanson
Todd Helton
Brandon Snyder
Adam Lind
Shane Victorino
Orlando Hudson SP (+2)
Manny Ramirez Mini SP (+3 SPM)
Rick Porcello Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 6
Total Thus Far - 168

Pack 23:

Kendrys Morales
Greg Halman
Max Scherzer
Dustin Pedroia
Baseball Highlight Sketches Aroldis Chapman BHS-15 (+3 BHS)
C.C. Sabathia SP (-1 Yankees, +2 SP = +1)
Mark Reynolds Mini SP (+3 SPM)
Jon Lester Hometown Heroes (+1 HH, +2 OFP = +3)

Total Points in Pack - 10
Total Thus Far - 178

Pack 24:

Scott Kazmir
Hanley Ramirez
Yunesky Maya
Travis Snider
David Wright (+2 OFP)
Gaby Sanchez SP (+2)
Step Right Up Fire Eating Mini SRU3 (+3 SRU)

Clay Buchholz Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Total Points in Pack - 8
Total Thus Far - 186

TOTAL POINTS EARNED: 186 POINTS

Better than what I expected to end up with points-wise as I was going about busting packs. I should be in for next year's edition of Ginter Madness in all likelihood.

A Hall of Fame Dodger Shortstop Meets His Successor

Pee Wee Reese spent sixteen years with the Dodgers - the entirety of his big league career. He missed three full seasons while off fighting in World War II, and was a vital member of the Dodgers throughout his tenure with the club, sporting nine seasons of 4.5 WAR or better. While my youth precludes me from having seen countless shortstops to man the position for the Dodgers since Reese hung up his cleats, it's safe to say the void at SS has been a major one.

$5.74 for some '50s Goodness

Outside of Maury Wills (overrated but better than most of the other Dodgers to man the position) and a few good to very good seasons from the injury-plagued and injury-prone Rafael Furcal, I can't remember the last decent shortstop the Dodgers have had, particularly in my lifetime.

That will all hopefully change with Devaris Strange-Gordon. After a cup of coffee that recently resulted in a trip back to AAA, Gordon will hopefully work on his shortcomings and be a fixture with the club beginning in 2012. Because the alternatives are not pretty (come on, we all know it's just a matter of time before Juan Castro's corpse makes its semi-triumphal return).

015/199, $5. USA! USA!

All I'm hoping for (and I think all anyone can hope for) is a guy who walks a fair amount, plays good defense, and steals bags at a high rate. His speed will mean nothing if he's the next Juan Pierre and is only successful about 75% of the time. As long as he can reach and maintain an 80% or higher level of stolen-base efficiency, his blazing speed and tiny wheels can be an asset to the club.

Gordon's four minor league stints featured wOBAs over .350 in three of the four campaigns, a very good sign. Of course, he sported high BABIPs in those seasons, but his incredible speed can account for much of that, as he'll certainly beat out more than his fair share of ground balls and rack up the infield hits.

If Gordon can work his BB% up to the ten percent mark and consistently work free passes, his lack of pop can be negated (as it already is based on the fact that he's a shortstop). He can certainly be a very productive player by smacking doubles and triples, limiting his caught stealings, and not becoming Hanley Ramirez with the leather.

Was this all just a poor excuse to mask the fact that I wanted to post these cards and needed a way to tie them together? Perhaps. Or maybe, just maybe, I might be dabbling once again in actual analysis. You know, what this here blog was originally intended for.

My contest remains open, so join in if you have yet to! Bonus Question # 2 drops Monday.

-----------------------------------------------------

Oh, and the Reese came in a large lot that also included a few cards from my Cheap HOF Vintage post - the Killebrew, Mathews, and Schoendienst. This was part of that lot as well.

Trade With Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz: Russ Martin Shiny Shiny, Bruce/Utley/Ethier/Furcal Finest

I spotted a Russ Martin card I didn't have over at Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. Chris sent it my way, and said to send back whatever I felt like. After looking through his want lists, I sent some 1988 and 1989 Topps and some random Braves. I had originally included a Jimmy Kremers card, but before sending the package someone contributed to that need that Chris had. I had also intended on sending along a Glavine card, but I misread his Glavine Haves List and thought he didn't have it; he did. I blame Topps.

Anyways, Chris was kind enough to send me a second Martin along with the original one I spotted.

I had my eyes on the 2009 Topps Finest Refractor, and was also fortunate enough to snag a 2006 Topps Chrome RC of Russ, #'d 340/599. It's the earliest Russ card I currently have. I think I'd like to try and become the preeminent Russ Martin collector the card-collecting world has ever seen.

Chris also contributed to a few of my other player collections:

I'm really liking the look of 2009 Topps Finest. I may have to put the base set together in the future.

Thanks for the awesome shiny Martins Chris, hope you enjoy the cards headed your way! Hopefully most of the 88's and 89's help, and I look forward to trading again.

Trade With Eutaw Street Cardboard: Rafael Furcal Patch, James McDonald Auto

I completed a trade with Kirk from Eutaw Street Cardboard. In exchange for autos of Erik Bedard and LaRon Landry (Landry's being of the rookie variety) I was able to land this sick Rafael Furcal patch from 2009 Upper Deck A Piece of History Box Score Memories. The card is #'d 7/25 and features a nice amount of sick stitching. I do believe this is a gold parallel. The card hits up a pair of my PCs: it's a Dodger relic, and it's a patch.

I like patches. A lot.

7/25

The second card Kirk sent along was a James McDonald RC from 2009 Allen & Ginter. Some Pirates fan got it signed at the Pirates' 2011 Fan Fest/Caravan (hint hint Dodgers, start having a Fan Fest), and Kirk swiped it up in a lot of cards off of SportsGraphing.com.

I liked McDonald; unfortunately, the Dodgers didn't share that opinion. And that is how you end up with Octavio Dotel on your team. The card is actually the second McDonald auto I've got, as I met James at a stop on the Dodgers' 2010 Caravan.

Thanks for the trade Kirk, hope to trade again! Enjoy the autos, and good luck grabbing an autograph from every Oriole ever. If I come across anyone you need, I'll be sure to let you know.

Dodgers Galore In Allen & Ginter Box

(Meant to post this a while back. And by "a while back", I mean October. Well....better late than never.) 

I had originally not wanted to pay the price for a box, but I had come to the conclusion that before 2010 was over, I would splurge and buy one box. When my local shop offered a box to me at a stellar discount, I couldn't turn it down. The owner said it was the last one they had, and he would not be ordering any more. Score!

My goals as I began to bust the box were to pull as many new base cards as I could, as I had decided to put the Base Set, including Short Prints, together a couple of weeks before buying the box. I was also hoping to snag as many Dodgers as possible, and get at least one hit that was to my liking.

The hits ended up being pretty damn marvelous, all things considered. I set aside each pack when I saw it had a hit, saving the three for last. I ripped them in the order I pulled them, and ended up with three Game Used Jersey Relics. The first comes from AL MVP Josh Hamilton, an awesome start to the end of my first A&G box. Had I not pulled another good hit, I would have still considered the box a success. But to my surprise, I got lucky with the final two hits: MATTHEW RYAN KEMP and Andre Ethier Game Used Jerseys!

And now the rest of the box....

This boxtopper, which I traded away, greeted me upon cracking open what will surely be the first of many boxes of Allen & Ginter:

I ended up meeting all of my goals and more. I pulled roughly 70 base cards I needed, and snagged six Dodgers: Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Jonathan Broxton, Rafael Furcal, James Loney, and Russell Martin. I had already pulled Kemp and Martin before, and picked up Kershaw and Loney at my local shop, but was hoping to get duplicates of them nevertheless. The more Dodgers, the merrier!

The box also delivered an Andre Ethier This Day In History card with a blurb about the first 3D film's premiere as the historical event on the back; two black bordered minis (Joakim Soria - former Dodger property - and Carlos Guillen); and a Richard Simmons Dick Perez sketch card. Oh wait, my mistake. That's Andre Ether. Could have fooled me.

All in all, a great box, and a big thanks to my local shop for offering me the box at the severe discount I bought it at.

Dodgers Notes From Wednesday's Game 6/30/2010

Dodgers 8, San Francisco 2.........SWEEP!

Box Score.

• Vicente Padilla, coming off of an excellent performance against the Yankees, went another 7 excellent innings (1 ER, 3 Hits, 5 K, 1 BB, 1 HR Allowed, 98 pitches - 66 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 K, 0 BB, 1 WP.
• Matt Kemp hit his 13th HR, and Rafael Furcal hit his 3rd HR.
• Kemp (HR, 2 Singles, BB), Furcal (HR, 3 Singles), and Jamey Carroll (2 Doubles, 2 BB) each reached base 4 times. Russell Martin (Single, BB) and Ronnie Belliard (2 BB) each reached base twice.
• The offense struck out 10 times, drew 6 walks, and had 4 extra-base hits.
• Manny is day-to-day with his strained right hamstring suffered Tuesday. An MRI has been scheduled.

"It's hard to tell right now," trainer Stan Conte said. "He was walking normally when he left here. We'll take a look at him before the day game tomorrow and see how he recovers. With pulls, it's kind of hard to tell until the next day. We'll know a lot more tomorrow. I'm not thinking DL right now."

"He didn't feel it pop, so hopefully he's OK," said manager Joe Torre.

[Photos via Getty Images]

Dodgers Notes From Tuesday's Game 6/29/2010

Dodgers 4, San Francisco 2

Box Score.

• John Ely went 7 effective innings (1 ER, 5 Hits, 5 K, 3 BB, 112 pitches - 67 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 K, 0 BB, 1 HR Allowed. 4 Relievers.
  
• Russell Martin stole his 5th and 6th bases of the season. The second one was a thing of beauty, caught the Giants' defense sleeping.
• Rafael Furcal (Triple, 2 Singles) and Casey Blake (Single, BB, IBB) each reached base 3 times. Matt Kemp (2 Singles), Andre Ethier (Single, BB), James Loney (2 Singles), and Martin (2 Singles) each reached base twice.
• The offense struck out 11 times, drew 4 walks, and had 1 extra-base hit.
• Manny Ramirez left with a strained right hamstring. He was replaced by Matt Kemp, who was inexplicable benched for the third straight game. Kemp made two absolutely fantastic catches.

[AP Photo]

Dodgers Notes From Monday's Game 6/28/2010

Dodgers 4, San Francisco 2


Box Score.

• Chad Billingsley, in his return from the DL and a strained groin, went 6 innings (2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 K, 2 BB, 98 pitches - 54 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 3 IP, 0 Runs, 4 Hits, 1 K, 1 BB.
• Casey Blake hit his 8th HR of the season.
• Rafael Furcal stole his 12th base of the season.
• Manny Ramirez (Double, 2 Singles, BB) reached base 4 times, Furcal (Double, Single, BB) reached base 3 times, while Blake (HR, Single) and A.J. Ellis (Single, BB) each reached base twice.
• The offense struck out 10 times, drew 3 walks, and had 3 extra-base hits.
• Jon Link continued his impression of Blake DeWitt circa 2009 as he was sent back to AAA to make room for Bills's return.
• The Dodgers signed aging lefty reliever Jack Taschner, assigning him to AAA (via Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness).
• Joe Torre will decide his managerial future late in the season. Please, just be gone now.

"Just so I don't hamstring this organization," said Torre, who is coming to the end of the three-year, $13 million contract he signed when he left the Yankees after the 2007 season. "I'm going to wait [to decide] until later in the season. I have to. It's not fair to them if I don't do that."

I feel for the guys," Torre said. "At that point, my managing is over with. You bring your closer in and your managing is done. That makes it tougher for me because there's nothing you can do. You just hope the result is better."

Dodgers Notes From Sunday's Game 6/27/2010

JOE TORRE SHOULD BE FIRED. IMMEDIATELY.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York Yankees 8, Dodgers 6

Box Score.

• Clayton Kershaw went 7 innings (2 ER, 4 Hits, 5 K, 0 BB, 1 HR Allowed, 1 Hit Batter, 101 pitches - 63 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 3 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 K, 2 BB [1 IBB], 1 HR Allowed.
• Ronnie Belliard hit his 2nd HR of the season.
• Rafael Furcal reached base 4 times via a double, single, and 2 BB.
• The offense struck out 9 times, drew 5 walks, and had 4 extra-base hits.

Joe Torre has now used Jonathan Broxton on 5 consecutive days: 4 of them in an actual game, and the 5th warming up. That is unacceptable. Broxton should have never been in this game, and now we have to worry about an increased risk of injury. Damn I'm pissed off.

[Image via nomass.org]

Dodgers Notes From Saturday's Game 6/26/2010

Dodgers 9, New York Yankees 4

Box Score.

• Hiroki Kuroda went 5.1 innings (4 ER, 7 Hits, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 WP, 1 HR Allowed, 110 pitches - 71 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 3.2 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 4 K, 2 BB. 4 Relievers.
• Rafael Furcal stole his 11th base of the season.
• All 8 positions players reached base at least twice. Manny Ramirez (Double, 3 BB) reached base 4 times. Matt Kemp (Double, 2 BB), Furcal (3 Singles), and Casey Blake (Double, 2 BB) each reached base 3 times. Andre Ethier (2 Singles), James Loney (2 Singles), Russell Martin (Single, IBB), and Blake DeWitt (BB, IBB) each reached base twice.
• The offense struck out 8 times, drew 10 walks, and had 3 extra-base hits.

[Reuters Photo]

Dodgers Notes From Friday's Game 6/25/2010

New York Yankees 2, Dodgers 1

Missed the game to attend the first round of the NHL Draft at Staples Center; had a great time, hope to see the draft in Anaheim in the near future.

Box Score.

• Vicente Padilla went 7 excellent innings (2 ER, 6 Hits, 7 K, 1 BB, 1 HR Allowed, 1 Hit Batter, 112 pitches - 69 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 2 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 K, 0 BB.
• Rafael Furcal stole his 10th base of the season.
• Manny Ramirez was the only Dodger to reach base more than once (2 Singles).
• The offense struck out 10 times, drew 3 walks, and had no extra-base hits.
• Charlie Haeger was DFA'd. Jon Link was called up yet again to replace him. We'll see if a team takes a chance on Charlie; I would.

"It's just frustrating. The whole season has been frustrating," said the 26-year-old Haeger. "To not throw well, to be on the DL, the throw twice in nearly two months. Last night I think I was one out away from having a decent game. It's frustrating."

He was asked if he had a fair shot.

"Early in the season I did," he said. "I had five starts. But I feel like, coming off the DL, throwing twice in the span of two months, I don't know how fair that is. I had an opportunity early in the season to throw the ball well and didn't. But it was a good experience here. It's been a rough season, but I fell like last night I threw the ball pretty well and feel like it's back, I found it again. Obviously, I'm disappointed. I want to be here."

[Photos via Getty Images and AP]

Dodgers Notes From Thursday's Game 6/24/2010

Dodgers 10, Anaheim 6

Box Score.

• Charlie Haeger went 4.2 innings in his return from the DL (4 ER, 5 Hits, 4 K, 4 BB, 1 WP, 1 HR Allowed, 102 pitches - 56 for strikes). Two of the runs charged to Charlie were inherited runs allowed by the pen.
• Bullpen: 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 6 K, 2 BB. 6 Relievers.
  
• Manny Ramirez (2 Singles, BB), Casey Blake (Double, 2 Singles), James Loney (Single, IBB, HBP), and Jamey Carroll (3 Singles) each reached base 3 times, while Matt Kemp (2 Singles), Rafael Furcal (Double, Single), and Russell Martin (2 BB) each reached base twice.
• The offense struck out 7 times, drew 4 walks, and had 3 extra-base hits.
• Chad Billingsley may be near a return, this Monday barring a setback. Let's hope he's back then.
• The Dodgers signed Jesus Colome, 32 and a reliever, and he's in AAA.
• A second lighting delay this season. Joy.

I've said this in a few places, but I do not hold Matt Kemp responsible at all for his "part" in last night's 9th inning. Brian Fuentes balked, plain and simple. Kemp should be taking a secondary lead when the pitcher begins to motion towards home plate, which is what Fuentes did. The fact that it wasn't called a balk, as it clearly should have been, isn't Kemp's fault.


[AP Photo]

Dodgers Notes From Wednesday's Game 6/23/2010

Anaheim 2, Dodgers 1

Box Score.

• John Ely went 7 excellent innings, rebounding from a string of bad starts (2 Runs [1 ER], 3 Hits, 6 K, 2 BB, 97 pitches - 58 for strikes).
• Bullpen: 1 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 2 K, 1 BB.
• Andre Ethier (2 Singles, BB) reached base 3 times.
  
• The offense struck out 7 times, drew 2 walks, and had 1 extra-base hit.
• Matt Kemp was robbed twice tonight, to go along with his final at-bat last night.
  
• Rafael Furcal returned from the bereavement list. Chin-lung Hu heads back to AAA Albuquerque.
• Ramon Ortiz is a Met, signing a minor league deal.
• That 9th inning was....interesting.