Dodger Thoughts

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

More roster changes and life must be hard for a man named Estel

Bob posting here: The Dodgers will still not have Hanley Ramirez in the starting lineup (found through the link below). But he’s not disabled!  But there’s Skip Schumaker. And Luis Cruz. And Juan Uribe.

And there are more personnel changes! Opening Day shortstop Justin Sellers was optioned back down to Albuquerque for the second time this year and Alex Castellanos was called up. Chris Withrow got his call to the big leagues. Scott Van Slyke went on the disabled list. The outfielder is replacing the infielder and the relief pitcher is replacing the outfielder. Not that it really matters. As long as it adds up to 25 players.

After 32 at bats in his major league career, Yasiel Puig is batting .500. If he stopped playing today (and didn’t play tonight or the rest of the season), that would be the highest batting average for any rookie in his first season in the majors with at least 32 ABs.

The second best is Craig Wilson, who batted .468 in 53 ABs for the White Sox in 1998. Wilson was a 28-year old rookie who lasted just parts of three seasons in the majors.

The third best is Arizona’s second baseman tonight, Willie Bloomquist, who batted .455 in a callup for the Mariners in 2002. Bloomquist has played in 12 big league seasons. He’s also played seven different positions (all but the battery) and he’s hit a whopping 17 home runs.

The seventh best hitter on the list is Stan Musial, who hit .426 in 47 ABs for the Cardinals in 1941. The 1941 Cardinals finished 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL that year. Some Cardinal players were disappointed that GM Branch Rickey didn’t call up Musial earlier. Musial batted .545 in his first three games and then didn’t start the fourth, which the Cardinals lost.  He started the final seven games of the season. Musial sometimes played the outfield with the unfortunately named Estel Crabtree, a real baseball player and not a character on Bewitched.

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.

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153 Comments

  1. KT

    Schumaker LF
    Punto 2B
    Gonzalez 1B
    Puig RF
    Ethier CF
    Uribe 3B
    Federowicz C
    Cruz SS
    Greinke P

    • Anonymous

      That lineup just about picks itself. Maybe we should call them ‘last men standing’

      • Anonymous

        Hurt feelings aside, Puig should be hitting third and Gonzalez fourth. The rest of the batting order could be drawn out of a hat.

        • Anonymous

          That’s what I said last night but someone disagreed. The rule is your best player hits third, is that not so?

          • Anonymous

            As was theoretically the case when Donnie flipped Kemp & A-Gon, you’ve now got the slowest guy on the team clogging up the basepaths in front of the fastest guy.

          • Anonymous

            Therefore our manager is as incompetent as the General Manager and what does that say about our ownership? we expected nothing out of McScrooge… and we got it. The new owners came on like they were going to do great things. starting when? At least fix our broken management, please.

          • Anonymous

            Speed should have some input as well, especially if one runs well and the other doesn’t.

  2. Anonymous

    Sellers was a luxury.

    • Anonymous

      If he’d been playing short in the ninth, last night’s result might have been different.

      • Anonymous

        Though the howls of derision when Sellers came up with no out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th would still be echoing today.

  3. Anonymous

    I am losing track of who is on and off (and back on again) the Disabled List

  4. Anonymous

    Your post made me laugh. A miracle, considering…

  5. Anonymous

    As far as today’s call-ups go I have this to say. Deck Chairs: Titanic. In other news, apparently League is no longer our closer. And finally, we made the Onion!

    http://www.theonion.com/articles/dodgers-grounds-crew-places-tarp-over-unsightly-cr,28664/

  6. I see nobody has mentioned another big move today, Kenley has been named the closer.

    The thing I worry about is the moment he struggles at all fans will be all over him. Still I am glad to see him taking over the duties from League.

    • Anonymous

      This eliminates the possibility that Mattingly will ruin Kenley with overwork.

    • Anonymous

      I suspect he got some sense talked into him by, oh, every other warm body in the organization.

    • Anonymous

      So, where does League move to?

      • I suppose he’ll pitch an inning here and there whenever the numbers support it…

        Seriously though I just hope Donnie doesn’t think he has to be the 8th inning guy now, and just uses the most effective guy he’s got.

  7. Anonymous

    If and when Kemp comes back, hopefully he will hit better than Ethier.

  8. Anonymous

    Brad Hawpe pinch ran for Albert Pujols tonight. I was not expecting to see that name again.

  9. KT

    Stuck with the AZ feed tonight (I hate KLAC nights)….They keep showing Puig getting thrown out at third

    • At least you’ve got SOME television. I have none (gnashes teeth, snarls viciously).

      • KT

        I muted the TV and tuned into MLB radio…at least I have vinny for 3

        • I have only one computer on which I can get MLB radio, and it’s down the hall from the kitchen. That’s where I can be found at this hour starting to work on dinner prep.

  10. Anonymous

    KT, you like Fed’s catching?

  11. KT

    Nice catch Juan

  12. Anonymous

    AZ announcers sticking it to Los Angelenos,saying the usually arrive late but came on time tonight because its beach chair night, which they will be able to use to watch the playoffs in October. Hopefully they are through now.

  13. KT

    I hate Puig batting fourth…doesn’t get up in the 1st

  14. Anonymous

    Puig to the clubhouse.

  15. Gameday: Ethier .229 AVG, 4 HR, 15 RBI

    What on earth is the problem with him? Kemp had shoulder surgery; what’s Andre’s excuse?

  16. KT

    Puig returns to the clubhouse

  17. KT

    Nice play Nick

  18. Anonymous

    Same ump on the first base call last night.

  19. Puig struck out twice in one at bat. Kennedy is doing a good job on him.

  20. Jack Dawkins

    He dove into that one. Doenst seem like that should be HBP.

  21. Anonymous

    1-0 or 2-0, unfortunately it may not matter

  22. Anonymous

    here is our chance

  23. Anonymous

    How about a WP?

  24. Anonymous

    Punto has lost his pixie dust. Just 5 for his last 43.

    • Time to stop riding the pony?

      • Anonymous

        That was probably the idea with Sellers, to give Punto some rest. But that was overtaken by events.

    • Anonymous

      It started with his somersaulting over Howie Kendrick on May 30; landed on his coccyx or some other part it hurts to land on.

  25. Anonymous

    Where is Crawford, by the way? Don’t hear much about him.

    • Last I heard they weren’t optimistic about him coming back soon. It does look like we’ll get AJ back Friday and maybe Kemp next week though.

    • Anonymous

      Broderick, Cindy or Wahoo Sam?

    • Anonymous

      We could use some Willie.

    • Anonymous

      Crawford had an MRI last Thursday that indicated continuing problems.

  26. KT

    SHIT!!!

  27. Ouch. I guess that’s one way to stop Puig from hitting.

  28. Anonymous

    Ha ha!

  29. Andre making Kennedy hurt!

  30. KT

    DRE!!!!!

  31. Anonymous

    Squeethier!

  32. That’s the first time Puig has scored without driving himself in via the long ball.

  33. KT

    I think Parra is the one that needs to be our tat

    • Anonymous

      I am thinkin’ that Parra is everywhere. (I guess he has played every outfield position this series)

  34. Anonymous

    Making up for Cody?

  35. I really don’t understand why everybody has to run out of the dug out and clear the bull pens. This is part of the game and unless some moron (coughQuentincough) charges the mound just get on with the game.

  36. KT

    Turn two

  37. Wow, that got ugly.

  38. Jack Dawkins

    suspensions….sigh

    • Anonymous

      Better charter a plane from Albuquerque.

  39. If I was a Dback I would be as far away from Puig as possible.

  40. Jack Dawkins

    I dont envy the umps trying to sort this one out.

  41. KT

    Kennedy threw at Greinke’s head…another head shot

  42. Anonymous

    The only people definitely ejected were Ian Kennedy and Kirk Gibson. Gibson was automatically ejected because both benches had been warned.

  43. Jack Dawkins

    Guess thats it, just Kennedy. I thought there woudl be a couple more from each side gone.

  44. KT

    clean play Zack

  45. Anonymous

    Darn! Punto tattooed that!

  46. Anonymous

    Was Puig ejected?!

  47. Anonymous

    AZ announcers want Mattingly ejected because Kennedy threw at Greinke.

  48. Anonymous

    what about Yogi Berra?
    was it just managed in the NL?

  49. KT

    Turn two

  50. Anonymous

    Here’s what I learned:

    Beckett may not be able to feel his fingers, but he can feel anger.

    Don Mattingly threw Alan Trammell to the ground.

    Mark McGwire nearly murdered both Matt Williams and Kirk Gibson (as a child of the 80’s, this was a real treat).

    This “Ward” guy is married.

    Puig threw a punch. More of a slap, but still.

    Bellisario threw a punch.

    Kennedy and Gibson were ejected, and wisely, no more. Speaks to how egregious that offense was.

    Clint Fagen will never umpire in the MLB again after this series.

    • KT

      howell attacked a Dback at the camera well railing

      • Anonymous

        They said it was the hitting coach.

      • Anonymous

        Oh yeah, he was all over Ward. I could tell he was a scrapper.

  51. Anonymous

    Meanwhile, Arizona has taken the lead.

    • Anonymous

      I think it is still two hit batsmen a piece.

  52. KT

    Mark , Puig thrown out

  53. KT

    need to get that one back

  54. Anonymous

    The butcher’s bill: Ian Kennedy, Kirk Gibson, Turner Ward, Yasiel Puig, Mark McGwire.

    • KT

      there will be more suspensions and fines…Jp Howell and belli to name two more

    • Anonymous

      Ward must have done something bad to get Howell to try to throw him over the rail.

  55. Anonymous

    Okay Alex, time to shine.

  56. KT

    terrible bunt

  57. Jack Dawkins

    Better I think. If hed gotten it down they walk Andre, who actually is hitting tonight.

  58. KT

    Come on Juanito

  59. KT

    Come on Fed

  60. KT

    FED!!!!!

  61. I’m sorry KT but FedEx delivers!!!!!

  62. Anonymous

    Well, he UPSed that one!

  63. Anonymous

    I’m not sure why, but I love bases clearing doubles (sometimes more than grand slams). Maybe it’s seeing 3 players rush towardss home rather than a slow trot. I hope that makes sense

  64. Anonymous

    Warning is no longer in effect?

  65. Anonymous

    Montero looked like he wanted no part of Uribe at the plate. Not much grit there.

  66. Anonymous

    The umpire has the discretion to not eject a pitcher if he doesn’t think the HBP is intentional. I’ve seen that be the case before.

  67. KT

    2 more Kenley

  68. KT

    1 more Kenley

  69. The Kenley as closer era goes off without a hitch!

  70. KT

    1st come from behind win in the late innings!!!!

  71. Jack Dawkins

    These last 2 games have been wild.

  72. Anonymous

    0 more Kenley

  73. KT

    Kicked their ass on the field two times tonight

  74. This game left me angry. I want vengeance!

  75. Anonymous

    Yes. RBI happy.

  76. KT

    Maybe this lights the fire…who knows

  77. Anonymous

    NPUT

  78. Hey Bob, looking at his Yahoo! page, it appears Jay Bruce was hitting .485 after his first 33 ABs in 2008. Shouldn’t that count?

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