Let the 2012 Matt Kemp Triple Crown Watch begin*

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Jon Weisman

Pirates at Dodgers, 6:10 p.m.

(Padres starter Joe Wieland is making his major-league debut. The 22-year-old had a 1.80 ERA in Double-A last year.)

Dee Gordon, SS
Tony Gwynn Jr., LF
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
James Loney, 1B
Jerry Hairston Jr., 2B
Adam Kennedy, 3B
Matt Treanor, C
Ted Lilly, P

*No offense to Andre Ethier.

* * *

Vin Scully is set to return to the Dodger broadcast booth Sunday. Hooray, I say!

* * *

Todd Coffey has indeed gone on the disabled list to make room on the roster for Ted Lilly (and preserve Josh Lindblom’s roster spot).

Adam Luther

Scully returns for Jackie Robinson Day. He also recorded a Robinson related PSA which apparently appears at today’s games. Interesting that this year the “official” Robinson tribute (family, etc.) will be in Yankee Stadium for the Sunday Night game.
Anonymous

Mr. Coffey’s timing is impeccable.
Anonymous

I thought something looked wrong with the Beard a couple of days ago vs the Rocks.
Anonymous

As if it were the Yankees who integrated baseball. Sheesh. Television rules even this; sad.

http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/ Linkmeister

I suspect it’s more that Mrs. Robinson, who’s coming up on 90, doesn’t want to travel to the West Coast for a Dodgers game. Also, the Jackie Robinson Foundation’s HQ is in NYC.

Good story in this week’s SI about Mrs. R and the foundation here: http://goo.gl/4ft7N

Adam Luther

Well I suppose before the Yankee crowd will do since the Mets are on the road.
Anonymous

If MLB were serious about this date, just one time they’d have the Dodgers playing the Mets – one year in Queens, one year in LA. Rachel Robinson could come if and when she could manage.

Anonymous

Maybe the angle will be “American League World Series opponents (and winners!!) of the world-leading 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers who broke the baseball color bar by signing Jackie Robinson that year in the face of opposition from teams like the Yankees and their fans”. No, I thought not.

Adam Luther

Scully PSA here: http://www.savethedodgers.com/blog/jackie-robinson-psa-voiced-by-vin-scully
KT

Come on Dee…terrible throw
KT

need a k here

KT

That popup will work

KT

Nice play james…1 unearned run…we need to get to this rookie fast to unsettle him
Anonymous

walking gordon is a huge mistake.
KT

good eye Dee…now take second so you can get that run back
KT

Why bunt on the 1st pitch?
KT

MATTY!!!!
Adam Luther

Yes!
Anonymous

Welcome to the Bigs, kid. Bison-style!
KT

DRE!!!!!
Adam Luther

Yes again!!
Anonymous

Dre says hello!
Anonymous

”
No offense to Andre Ethier”?????
KT

Nice James…keep it up…all he’s throwing is fastballs
Anonymous

ruh, roh. I thought that bald head looked familiar. CB Bucknor alert. with him behind the plate, something always happens.
Anonymous

I know this is total hubris–but forget the rest–just bring on the Yankees—we’re good!
Anonymous

WGJ joins the hit parade.

Anonymous

I’ve been meaning to ask: ”WGJ”?

Anonymous

Weird Game James. So-named by Delwyn “Pee Wee” Young, who roomed with him.

Anonymous

Now I see. Thanks

KT

Nice Jerry
KT

Good sac Adam

Come on Matt
KT

Good job boys way to greet the rookie
Anonymous

Sad to see this inning end.
KT

good inning Ted…start it off ^_^
KT

Way to get on Tony

Come on Matty do it again
KT

MATTY!!!! again
KT

Come on Dre…your turn
Anonymous

Lovely!
Anonymous

45 more to go!
http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Holy Bison, good timing on this post, Jon.

I’d say, why pitch to him at this point, but given Ethier’s hot, too, that makes it all the tougher on pitchers and all the more fun for us.
Anonymous

Does Matty win player of the week again this week? Who else (besides Ethier) has been this hot?
Anonymous

Sad to see this inning end, too.
Anonymous

The Pads pitcher hasn’t had it too hard facing Lilly though–lucky he was able to get himself out
KT

Another good inning Ted…Let’s get him again boys
Anonymous

I chuckled for some reason at this Tweet from the LA Times Sports section:

“UCLA experiments with running backs as eligible receivers”
Oh…. My… God….
Anonymous

Lilly really looks like the pitcher of two true results tonight. Hope it is mostly the !st result–(fly out))’
Though I may be wrong—he has two K’s and that could really help. Just dreading the second true result!
Anonymous

wow. kemp turned his back on that fly ball, and still found it. unusual.
KT

Looks like the kid has settled down
Anonymous

We go to Houston next week. Need to fatten up before the long cold summer.

KT

^_^

KT

good ininng again Ted

Anonymous

At 65 pitches he should be able to give the pen a rest, though I am not sure were he is in building up arm strength (?) because of the injury.

KT

good question about the arm
Anonymous

He threw 83 pitches last Sunday

KT

Nice play by o-dog
Anonymous

Pretty solid and efficient effort so far by Lilly, even if it’s against the Madres.
Anonymous

Charley Steiner and Steve Lyons have decided to get on the Hee Seop Choi Demonization bandwagon.

http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Speaking of which… we get basically 1 game of Vin for 2 weeks… But darn it if I won’t appreciate the heck out of that game.

KT

I’ve yet to hear vin do a game this year and I’ll miss him tomorrow because I have the SD feed

KT

Macdougal is warming but Lilly only has 79 pitches thrown

http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

As wondered aloud above, he may not be up to full pitch count ability just yet. 80s may be as high as he can go?

KT

good hit Matty
KT

Here’s the padres chance to catch up

KT

Good inning Mac…Thank you

KT

good him james..much better than trying to serve it to LF
Anonymous

Why is Ellsbury mentioned in the Jackie Robinson PSA voiced by Vin?

Anonymous

First Navajo to reach the Bigs?

Anonymous

>>Shawn Coyne is a part-time filmmaker and full-time baseball fan that served as head researcher, interviewer, 2nd assistant director and mastermind along with his brother, director Bryan Coyne on the upcoming documentary Harvard Park, about the South Central Los Angeles park that was the sports birthplace of major leaguers including Eric Davis and Darryl Strawberry. It premieres Sunday (Jackie Robinson Day) on BET at 11 a.m.<< Must see T.V.

I tried emmulating (sp) Eric Davis stance & swing when I was a kid with bad results, but he was by far my favorite player groing up…
Anonymous

Dodgers Live is next.

Anonymous

lyons is sprinting to tghe booth in center field right now

Anonymous

Matt Kemp absolutely blows my mind man.
Anonymous

9-1. I don’t care who you have played, 9-1 is pretty good.

Anonymous

Its better than 8-1, thats for sure.

Anonymous

typo. mea culpa
KT

Bob…that’s going to be our record tomorrow afternoon

Anonymous

Well, we will have Vin and Kershaw.

KT

We will both have Kershaw but I’ll have Endberg and you will have Vinny…I won’t have Vinny until we play the west again

http://underdog.typepad.com/ underdog

Well, we know this team will have a losing streak at some point, maybe even soon, but winning sure is nice. Every game counts the same, and other cliches. But mostly, it’s fun to watch this team right now — they seem loose, having fun. Keep it going boys in blue.

Or, as thespian Charlie Sheen might say, “Duh. Winning.”
Anonymous

Ely, after giving up 8 runs in 3 innings in his first start, gave up only 1 run and 4 hits in 6 innings only to have St. Clair get no outs give up 3 runs and leave bases loaded for Troncoso who let all 3 runners score to change a 7-1 game to 7up.
KT

Another good win…Loved that our big boys keep driving it out of the park…going for 9-1 tomorrow

Great game by Ted
http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/ Jon Weisman

NPUT

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers and baseball.

Let the 2012 Matt Kemp Triple Crown Watch begin*