Twice within 10 minutes at the market today, fellow shoppers saw me in my Dodgers cap and volunteered cheerful expressions of hope for next season. That’s never happened to me before.
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Adam Luther
Now is the best time to wear the blue!
RBI
Yesterday I got into a spirited and very positive conversation with the young check out boy, who commented on my cap. We traded tales of our excitement, heart break, and anticipation for next year. I noticed the woman behind me in line was watching us both with the bemused, curious expression of someone enjoying, if slightly baffled by, our passion. Dodger love is indeed starting to spread!
btimmer
I’m just happier that fewer people are thinking that my UCLA cap is an offcolor Boston Red Sox cap. On vacation in Denver last week, several people pointed out that I was wearing a UCLA cap. And we’re supportive of that. Which I found somewhat strange, but people in Denver are pretty mellow as long as you don’t say anything bad about the Broncos.
The only Dodgers cap I own that fits me has ear flaps on it.
foul tip
And a propeller on top?
Bumsrap
Boston Red Sox or Boston Bruin cap?
berkowit28
The ear flaps sound suitable for Denver in the winter.
Adam Luther
A Giant fan cut my hair yesterday-we talked up baseball-felt like hot stove time. He did a good job and I found out about a pitcher named Jim Derrington who also has been in the shop.
Casey Barker
Because they’re exciting!
package206
I wear my Dodger cap everywhere and many, many times people have commented about the fact that they too like the Dodgers. It is a great feeling to have someone say that I sure have the right cap on.
Bob_Hendley
Wearing my Brooklyn Dodgers cap last week, I was asked by a fellow if it was a Boston cap. {sigh}
Jeffrey Thomas III
The same thing happened to me once, at Dodger Stadium.
thescrounger
MSTI has a nice take on Wallach possibly leaving. I tend to think that a coach who sends a lot of runners and has some thrown out is doing a good job. Most outfielders are not like Beltran, they’re lucky to keep the ball within 20 feet of home plate. They’re like Crawford who just throws toward the middle of the infield. Pretty hard to claim he threw to the wrong base when it’s in between all of them…
rumped6
I like aggressive third base coaches, SMART aggressive play in general (if you’re gonna pinch-run for A-Gon, you’ve gotta at least try to steal a base).
But if my guys are being thrown out by ten feet, time after time, that ain’t smart.
And that seems to have been a mark of all recent employees at that position.
But I give them a little room,, ’cause this side has been less than a run-producing
juggernaut for a while now. And it must be tempting to try to score that run when
you have any kind of chance. Larry Bowa, f’r’instance, seemed to have more Ds thrown out in a month in LA than he did in any year with the potent Yankee lineups he coached for, and I had been crowing for a while before his arrival that he was the answer to Gun-em-down Glenn:-).
gen3blue
Sometimes I wonder if we make it too complicated in our quest for more meaningful statistics.. Both Boston and St. Louis have five guys at the top of the order who hit about .300. That’s not too hard to comprehend, and not easy to find in others teams.
rumped6
The Cards are not at all like the rigid lineups championed here by stats fans for many years, the power/strikeout kind, but more like the ones I’ve always liked.
Last year’s and three years ago’s Giants, as well. Stats tribe, like all humans with brand shiny “new” wisdom, pushed too hard, too narrowly.
Many ways to get the Cup….
scooplew
Belatedly, I want to thank all of you who post and make this such an enjoyable, rewarding and thoughtful site. There is no sports site I know of that is so cordial. Although I have never met any of you, I consider many of you to be friends, if a bit removed. This was the most dramatic season in many years for the Dodgers, as well as one of the more successful, even though we came up a little short, I expect that next year, which will be my 60th as a Dodgers fan, will be a great one. Of course, thank you, Jon, for running Dodgerthoughts.com and for the tone you establish, the demeanor you exhibit, the knowledge you share, and the writings you post. May the Hot Stove League be short and sweet.
Bob_in_Vegas
Hear, hear!
WBBsAs
I’ll do the same, Jon, if you ever show up at http://www.berkeleybowl.com
Jeffrey Thomas III
I went to school at San Diego State and would wear my Dodger cap there often. One day while walking between classes a guy said to me, “Hey! Are you a Dodger fan or do you just like the hat?” Turns out he was selling baseball ticket packages, he certainly got my attention.
KT
That’s what I always ask fans I see down here
ASW1
Obstruction!
WBBsAs
The Republicans were on the field? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Casey Barker
Yes, they tried to keep that insufferable socialistic team from imposing its will on the American people!
Spence
*LIKES*
Spence
Technically you could make that call, but I hate to see a World Series game decided like that. Especially since Craig was out by 5 feet.
RBI
First, why pitch to Jay? Second, Middlebrooks needed to catch that throw. But even so, a lame way to lose/win the game.
Casey Barker
Could Middlebrooks have gotten up without obstructing Craig.
Spence
No, but Craig was running way inside the third baseline and hunted the contact.
rumped6
Bravo! MLB has to establish clear areas of ownership for runners and fielders,
so that a runner is not impeded from ANY base, including home.
They call it a tag, not a tackle (that’s for a few other games) (and I played and coached rugby for 16 seasons, so this is not a plea to take contact out of sports, just out of sports where it has no place).
In this case, Middlebrooks wouldn’t have been allowed to be directly in front of Craig sliding in. but off to one side. AND, Craig would not have been allowed to begin his journey to the plate WELL inside the third-base line, where the fielder has every right to be, as long as not directly in the path from second.
Rant over:-).
I’m not sure Craig “hunted” it, and Middlebrooks lower legs rising seemed instinctively deliberate, if not consciously so. But if Craig is running where they lay down chalk before the game to guide him in just such events, it doesn’t happen.
Casey Barker
Jim Joyce may just be a glory hog.
Spence
Looking at the replay, Craig is way inside the 3rd base line when he trips over Middlebrooks. Ugh, I hate that call.
Casey Barker
In other news, it’s 13-9 Stanford over OSU. Wierd, good game.
Casey Barker
Stanford will likely win, but what an exciting game!
Bruce Brooks
I live near Cincinnati, and everyone around here was rooting for the Dodgers during the NLCS. It was surreal being in the local sports bar. Reds fans despise the Cardinals.
btimmer
The baseline for Craig to run in is whatever path he takes. He is only “out of the basepath” when he veers too far out of that to avoid a tag.
After sleeping on this, I am still wondering my Saltalamacchia tried for a hero play at third when he could have just had Uehara pitch to PETE KOZMA with two outs. The chances of Kozma getting a hit off of Uehara were not great.
Linkmeister
Or why Farrell didn’t double-switch Ross in to catch in the eighth, since he’s the better defensive catcher anyway.
thescrounger
Because ballplayers are ‘cowboys’ not ‘accountants’. Testosterone rules!
Linkmeister
Game Thread, World Serious Game IV.
btimmer
Now I’m trying to figure out why Workman took the loss. On MLB.com, Workman is charged with Craig’s run. On BBref, Workman isn’t charged with any runs, but he is still the losing pitcher.
Workman did allow Molina to reach. Then in came Uehara, who gave up a double to Craig sending Molina to third.
So Jay hits into a fielder’s choice which retires Molina. But Uehara should still be responsible for Craig. It’s not like he’s there because of a force out or anything like that. Craig moved up because of the actions of the batter.
RBI
I’m shaking my head over so much of that play. A bizarre sequence of events. I’ll be interested to see if this becomes the genesis of a new Red Sox “curse,” or conversely inspires them to rise to new heights. Or simply stays as one more weird-ass way to end a game.
ASW1
Standing on the corner
Suitcase is in my hand
Jack is in his corset, and Jane is in her vest
I’m in a rock ‘n’ roll band
Ridin’ in a Stutz bear cat, Jim
Those were different times
The poets they studied rules of verse
And those ladies rolled their eyes
You know you sweet Jane
Oh now baby, sweet Jane
Oh yes sweet Jane
Now Jack, he is a banker
And Jane, baby she is a clerk
And both of them save their money honey
When they come home from work
Sittin’ there by the fire
The radio does play the classical music there, kid
The march of the wooden soldiers
And you can, you can hear Jack say
You know he saying, “Sweet Jane
Ooh baby, sweet Jane
Ah yes sweet Jane”
Some people like to go out dancing
Whereas other people like us got to work
Gotta watch me now and there’s even some evil mothers
They’ll tell you life’s just dirt
That the pretty women never really faint
That villains always blink their eyes
That children are the only ones who blush
And that life, life is just to die, but I want to tell you something
Anyone who has ever had a heart
Oh oh wouldn’t turn around and break it half
Anyone who has ever played a part
They’re not gonna turn around and hate it
You know they’re singin’, “Sweet Jane
Ah sweet Jane
Ooh sweet Jane”
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet, sweet, sweet Jane
– Lou Reed R.I.P.
RBI
Huge loss. 71 seems much younger to me than it used to. Too young to lose Lou, for sure.
John_from_Aus
I don’t have a cap at the moment, my old one just fell apart from constant use
WBBsAs
Lou Reed on the Dodgers: http://mightyflynn.tumblr.com/post/65276612465/lou-reed-i-couldnt-have-been-unhappier-in-the
Bob_Hendley
Who knew.
ASW1
That’s awesome – love the quote from Earl Weaver on top as well :
“This ain’t a football game. We do this every day.” – Earl Weaver
gen3blue
Jon’s site has always been known for civil exchange. This is a wonderful world series match, and I hope it lives up to expectations!
gen3blue
Wasn’t Ross in the Dodger system at one time?
WBBsAs
Yes, for parts of three seasons he was a Dodger: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rossda01.shtml. Had 190 PA’s in 2004 at the age of 27, but hit almost nothing.
thescrounger
I remember seeing him hit his first home run, it was a televised game against the Diamondbacks. I believe it might have been Edwin Jackson’s debut. Anyway, it was a blowout and Mark Grace finished the game and Ross came in as a pinch hitter. Hard to say who enjoyed the homer more, Ross or Grace…
gen3blue
That was a strike anywhere.
foul tip
Emergency–but way, way unlikely–Dodger 1B? Could be AJ Ellis.
Item in local paper about his getting the Austin Peay Governors Outstanding Young Alumni Award noted that he played some 1B while making All-OVC First Team all 4 years, one of only 5 to do so. Also left as APSU all-time hits leader.
Spence
WS going back to Boston.
ASW1
*The Cardinal way* huh?
Jeeze – imagine if the Dodgers were in the series and Puig got picked off 1st base down 2 runs with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and Hanley or Gonzo at the plate.
scooplew
Tonight’s game ended on runner’s indifference.
btimmer
The TV, Boston, and St. Louis calls of Wong’s pickoff. Skip to the end for the unintentionally humorous Cardinals call by Mike Shannon.
http://wapc.mlb.com/play?content_id=31189779&topic_id=11493214
Jon Weisman
NPUT