Dodger Thoughts

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

Category: Dodger Cogs and Dogs (Page 1 of 2)

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 8


Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesEugenio Velez

Eugenio Velez gets the star treatment in this month’s edition of Dodger Cogs and Dogs.

Velez, as you’re probably aware by now, is threatening to have a historic season. He is 0 for 21 as a Dodger. Only three players in Dodger history have ever had more at-bats while registering a .000 season: outfielder Jose Gonzalez (28 in 1991, before he was sent to Pittsburgh) and pitchers Sandy Koufax (26 in 1957) and Brett Tomko (24 in 2007).

Now, Velez is a career .247 hitter, so the idea that he will go the final seven weeks of the season without a hit remains remote. So the hope is that he would get released right after breaking the record, but the continued injury problems of Dodger infielders seem to be preventing that (not that he shouldn’t be released anyway).

Nevertheless, hope remains that Velez will set a futility record before he’s done as a Dodger. Former Brooklyn catcher Bill Bergen has the longest streak of hitless at-bats by a non-pitcher, 46 – that’s the record that Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell recently threatened. What you might not realize is that Velez went hitless in his final nine at-bats as a San Francisco Giant last year, which means he’s 0 for his last 30. That puts him within flailing distance of Bergen.

In fact, if not for a 12th-inning single on May 18, 2010, Velez would be riding a hitless streak of 47 at-bats. There but for the grace of Cesar Ramos goes he.

* * *

As always, the ratings below are a combination of subjectivity and objectivity. And as has been the case for the past few editions, a dose of impatience as well.

                 
Today 7/21 6/30 6/16 5/26 5/5 4/28 4/7 Player Comment
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 Matt Kemp Hasn’t homered in past 10 games, but still has .873 OPS in that time.
2 2 2 2 2 4 4 1 Clayton Kershaw His 13 HR allowed matches career high, with seven weeks to go.
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 Hiroki Kuroda Leads NL in wild pitches with 11, has 23 in past two seasons.
4 4 4 5 4 2 2 3 Andre Ethier Next double (No. 194) will tie him for seventh in L.A. Dodger history with Wes Parker.
5 5 5 4 5 9 6 5 Jamey Carroll Best perfect season in steals in L.A. Dodger history is Eric Karros and Greg Brock with eight; Carroll is 10 for 10.
6 11 12 10 19 Javy Guerra Has 0.55 ERA, 9.4 K/9 since June 11.
7 9 11 22 17 18 20 24 Kenley Jansen His 14.8 K/9 leads MLB pitchers (minimum 30 innings).
8 8 9 8 22 Rubby De La Rosa Ends up striking out 112 in 100 2/3 pro innings in 2011. Will still only be 24 in 2013.
9 6 6 7 13 20 21 20 Aaron Miles .238 OBP, .286 slugging since All-Star break.
10 29 Juan Rivera In less than a month, has matched or surpassed Thames in virtually every category.
11 10 10 15 15 10 15 22 Blake Hawksworth Lefties were 6 for 60 with one homer against Hawksworth in 2011 before Phillies teed off in sixth inning Wednesday.
12 7 7 16 6 6 7 18 Chad Billingsley In 0-for-15 slump at plate with eight strikeouts.
13 24 21 23 21 Scott Elbert Opponents have .239 OBP, .244 slugging against Elbert since June 12.
14 16 14 11 Josh Lindblom No homers allowed and has lowest WHIP on Dodger staff: 1.00 in 15 innings.
15 13 23 19 8 11 11 13 Mike MacDougal Has 9.53 ERA in ninth inning, 0.98 ERA rest of time.
16 17 15 12 16 7 5 10 Casey Blake Thanks for signing a baseball for my son Tuesday, Casey.
17 20 17 6 10 17 18 14 Ted Lilly NL’s first 25-25 pitcher (homers-steals) since Padres’ Chris Young in 2006.
18 12 18 29 28 14 17 12 Tony Gwynn Jr. Three hits, nine strikeouts in past 21 at-bats.
19 21 19 13 9 13 9 6 Rod Barajas Has 10 HR, seven 2B. Rick Monday had 11 HR, one 2B in 1981.
20 25 26 21 14 12 12 8 Matt Guerrier Eyeing sixth consecutive year with exactly one save. No MLB reliever has ever had seven.
21 18 24 18 11 5 8 Jon Garland His 1.4 K/BB ratio (before injury, of course) worst since 2002.
22 19 16 30 Trent Oeltjen Had two SB in MLB debut, has three in 65 games since.
23 22 22 17 7 16 14 Jerry Sands 1.096 OPS at home, .640 OPS on road in Triple-A.
24 14 13 9 Dee Gordon Current 6.0 SB/BB ratio (12/2) is top-five in NL history.
25 27 25 28 20 21 22 15 A.J. Ellis Has .487 OBP in Triple-A road games this year.
26 26 32 35 27 27 29 Dioner Navarro Had 1.038 OPS in 2008 ALDS.
27 28 27 25 18 30 Jay Gibbons Nice play by Jay here.
28 31 29 26 24 15 19 Vicente Padilla Dennis Martinez reportedly tutored Padilla on changeup as an amateur. Padilla is second all-time to Martinez in strikeouts by Nicaraguan pitcher.
29 Nathan Eovaldi Fifth 11th-round draft choice by Dodgers to reach majors.
30 34 37 36 29 25 27 11 Xavier Paul .331 OBP vs. righties this season. .115 vs. lefties.
31 30 35 32 31 Juan Castro His last name is the same as a longtime ruler of Cuba.
32 32 30 27 25 19 16 9 Jonathan Broxton Not expected to pitch again this season before late September, if then.
33 15 8 14 23 32 23 17 James Loney Worst OPS in NL since All-Star break: .416.
34 23 20 20 12 8 10 25 Juan Uribe Making little progress in recovery, reports MLB.com.
35 35 36 33 30 29 Russ Mitchell Last week’s PCL Player of the Week: 14 for 30 with 31 total bases.
36 36 31 24 33 35 33 Ramon Troncoso In first MLB game, 4/1/08, faced one batter, got double-play grounder.
37 37 38 37 32 26 26 John Ely K/9 ratio in Triple-A goes from 7.4 in 2010 to 5.9 this year.
38 38 40 39 34 28 30 21 Hector Gimenez Three HR in 46 AB at Spring Training, five HR in 159 AB in Double-A.
39 39 41 40 35 31 31 Jamie Hoffmann Set record for consecutive errorless games by PCL outfielder.
40 42 39 38 37 33 27 26 Ivan De Jesus Jr. Had game-winning RBI in Chicago on May 2.
41 33 28 34 26 22 13 19 Marcus Thames Last week, it was reported that Thames had suffered an undisclosed injury and left Yankees’ Tampa facility.
42 44 33 31 36 23 24 7 Rafael Furcal Has played every inning for St. Louis in nine games this month, with .595 OPS.
43 43 42 42 39 34 32 23 Lance Cormier Rough July in Durham: 17 2/3 innings, six runs.
44 41 34 41 38 24 25 16 Hong-Chih Kuo It says something about this town’s appreciation of Kuo that no one has called for his release.
45 40 Eugenio Velez Had a three-hit game against Dodgers in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 7


Jayne Kamin-Oncea/US PresswireUnsung shining light: Kenley Jansen

This is a good time to wonder if the Dodgers will reach the magic number of 50 players in a season. It’s only happened twice in Los Angeles Dodger history: 53 players in 1998, and 50 players in 2006. Last year’s team fell one player short, finishing at 49.

Juan Rivera became the Dodgers’ 44th player this season. Trayvon Robinson is sure to get a promotion before season’s end. Can they get five more? Others who might be candidates, as rewards for fine minor-league seasons, include pitchers Dana Eveland and Nathan Eovaldi and first baseman-outfielder Scott Van Slyke. (Each would require a 40-man roster move, but that’s doable.)

But to get to 50, the Dodgers will probably have to be involved the trade market. For example, if Hiroki Kuroda were sent somewhere, they might get a prospect who would get a look in the majors, or create an opening for Eveland. If Jamey Carroll were traded, that could open the door for Justin Sellers before season’s end.

In short, 50 is reachable, but the Dodgers are gonna have to want it. Do they want it? Do they feel lucky? Well, do they, punk?

* * *

Reminder: The Dodger Cogs and Dogs rankings are a mixture of subjectivity and objectivity and encompass season-to-date major-league performance, not what they’ve done lately. And it’s still really hard to do these days.

               
Today 6/30 6/16 5/26 5/5 4/28 4/7 Player Comment
1 1 1 1 1 1 2 Matt Kemp Had a 20-game, .694 OPS “slump” in April-May. Current slump is worse, but nothing to panic over.
2 2 2 2 4 4 1 Clayton Kershaw This is probably closest Kershaw has been to top Cog in some time.
3 3 3 3 3 3 4 Hiroki Kuroda For Dodgers with above-average ERA, Kuroda has lowest winning percentage since Tom Candiotti (7-14) in 1995.
4 4 5 4 2 2 3 Andre Ethier Surprisingly, has become NL leader among RF UZR/150.
5 5 4 5 9 6 5 Jamey Carroll MLB leader in pinch-hitting BA since 2002 (39-for-110, .355)
6 6 7 13 20 21 20 Aaron Miles Hit .185 for ’09 Cubs, hitting .303 in 157 games (411 PA) since.
7 7 16 6 6 7 18 Chad Billingsley No shortage of good moments this year, but right now it’s his worst season ever (88 ERA+, 4.07 ERA)
8 9 8 22 Rubby De La Rosa His 3.87 pitches per batter: on par with other Dodger starters, not as bad as I would have thought.
9 11 22 17 18 20 24 Kenley Jansen Opponents are 3 for 38 with seven walks, 17 strikeouts since he returned from DL.
10 10 15 15 10 15 22 Blake Hawksworth With scrap-heaper Miles milesdly outperforming Ryan Theriot, Dodgers win the Hawksworth trade.
11 12 10 19 Javy Guerra His easy save of Kershaw’s Wednesday start was much appreciated.
12 18 29 28 14 17 12 Tony Gwynn Jr. .393 OBP in 118 PA since June 1.
13 23 19 8 11 11 13 Mike MacDougal Turnaround: Has stranded 10 of 12 runners since June 12 with 0.73 ERA, two walks in 12 IP.
14 13 9 Dee Gordon Has .368 OBP, .463 slugging since returning to minors.
15 8 14 23 32 23 17 James Loney Perhaps not since Willie Davis has there been a Dodger who fiddled more with his batting approach.
16 14 11 Josh Lindblom Fine year continues with eight baserunners, 13 strikeouts in 12 innings in July.
17 15 12 16 7 5 10 Casey Blake Had 571 PA last year, probably won’t break 200 this year.
18 24 18 11 5 8 Jon Garland Was the youngest player in the American League in 2000.
19 16 30 Trent Oeltjen I almost forgot he was on team when he came up to pinch-hit Wednesday: 0 for 2 with two SH since July 5.
20 17 6 10 17 18 14 Ted Lilly Hasn’t gone seven innings or 100 pitches in past eight starts (5.82 ERA).
22 22 17 7 16 14 Jerry Sands Struggling in July with .633 OPS for Albuquerque, including 3-for-33 slump.
21 19 13 9 13 9 6 Rod Barajas Seven HR, .736 OPS by May 13/one HR, .451 OPS since.
23 20 20 12 8 10 25 Juan Uribe 0 for 4 Wednesday, knocking slugging percentage below .300.
24 21 23 21 Scott Elbert Still finding his way, but seven strikeouts, only one walk in seven innings since June 12.
25 26 21 14 12 12 8 Matt Guerrier Since June 7: 6.39 ERA, six of 10 inherited runners scored.
26 32 35 27 27 29 Dioner Navarro Thanks to his Wednesday homer, his 2011 OPS almost matches Ellis.
27 25 28 20 21 22 15 A.J. Ellis No extra-base hits in 45 MLB at-bats this year.
28 27 25 18 30 Jay Gibbons With Gwynn and Rivera on board, he’d now have a safe role as PH.
29 Juan Rivera Marichal, Castro, Encarnacion, Pierre, Uribe, Rivera.
30 35 32 31 Juan Castro Passed over for hitting coach position.
31 29 26 24 15 19 Vicente Padilla Still a safe bet to finish third on team in saves.
32 30 27 25 19 16 9 Jonathan Broxton Has not resumed throwing, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
33 28 34 26 22 13 19 Marcus Thames Ended up doing better against righties than lefties as a Dodger.
34 37 36 29 25 27 11 Xavier Paul Not doing anything special … except playing for a pennant contender.
35 36 33 30 29 Russ Mitchell Followed 5-for-5 game Monday by going 2 for 2 with two walks Tuesday.
36 31 24 33 35 33 Ramon Troncoso Remains inconsistent in Triple-A.
37 38 37 32 26 26 John Ely Will compete with Dana Eveland for promotion if Dodgers trade Kuroda?
38 40 39 34 28 30 21 Hector Gimenez Has 114 chances at 1B, 114 chances at C for Chattanooga.
39 41 40 35 31 31 Jamie Hoffmann Tied for 26th in MLB history for career hits by players born on August 20. Blake DeWitt is eighth.
40 Eugenio Velez Pointless.
41 34 41 38 24 25 16 Hong-Chih Kuo As rough as his season has been, would a contender take a flyer on him?
42 39 38 37 33 27 26 Ivan De Jesus Jr. Having his best month, reducing doubts that he’d remain on 40-man roster next season.
43 42 42 39 34 32 23 Lance Cormier Had 3.02 ERA over final two months of 2010.
44 33 31 36 23 24 7 Rafael Furcal I’m guessing he has one last finishing kick of greatness in a Dodger uniform before he goes.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 6


Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireAaron Miles, .311 hitter.

Painful. Just painful to try to rank these guys. It is a dog-eat-cog world.

Anyway, remember: We at ESPNLosAngeles.com would still like to hear your stories (approximately 500 words) of how you became Dodger fans, what the team means to you and how recent events have affected you and that fandom. Send your stories to this mailbag link. We’ll publish a great sampling of them.

If you’re having any trouble submitting, quit your web browser and try again. That seems to help in several cases.

             
Today 6/16 5/26 5/5 4/28 4/7 Player Comment
1 1 1 1 1 2 Matt Kemp OPS has not dipped below .920 at any point this season.
2 2 2 4 4 1 Clayton Kershaw In innings 1-2 in 2011, opponents are 13 for 115 (.113) with five walks, 42 K.
3 3 3 3 3 4 Hiroki Kuroda Has 3.10 ERA but on pace for 18 losses, most by Dodger since Don Sutton in ’69.
4 5 4 2 2 3 Andre Ethier Has .392 OBP; L.A. Dodgers have had 17 players finish at .400.
5 4 5 9 6 5 Jamey Carroll Since going 7 for 10 in Colorado, he is 5 for 31.
6 7 13 20 21 20 Aaron Miles Meet June’s NL batting champ (.419).
7 16 6 6 7 18 Chad Billingsley Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP) of 3.31, compared to 4.22 ERA.
8 14 23 32 23 17 James Loney .365 OBP since May 1. Bat him second, Kemp third, Ethier fourth?
9 8 22 Rubby De La Rosa 6.75 ERA at home, 2.50 ERA on road.
10 15 15 10 15 22 Blake Hawksworth Since coming off DL: seven baserunners, two earned runs in 10 2/3 innings.
11 22 17 18 20 24 Kenley Jansen Opponents 1 for 19 with three walks, nine strikeouts since return from DL.
12 10 19 Javy Guerra Needs six saves to pass Broxton for team lead. In 82 games, Dodgers have had 21 save opps.
13 9 Dee Gordon Objectively, should be optioned when Furcal returns. Subjectively …
14 11 Josh Lindblom Has really Lind-bloomed this year – looks more like future relief mainstay.
15 12 16 7 5 10 Casey Blake Even with three-hit game Monday, had .250 OBP, .261 slugging in June (73 PA).
16 30 Trent Oeltjen Raised OBP to .481 in 28 plate appearances.
17 6 10 17 18 14 Ted Lilly 37 HR allowed in past 12 months; Kershaw has allowed 39 HR in career.
18 29 28 14 17 12 Tony Gwynn Jr. Tied for NL lead in OF assists with eight.
19 13 9 13 9 6 Rod Barajas Steady as ever: eight homers, eight walks.
20 20 12 8 10 25 Juan Uribe Probably the Dodgers’ most valuable defensive player this year.
21 23 21 Scott Elbert Has faced seven batters since June 14 (0 for 6 with BB).
22 17 7 16 14 Jerry Sands .398 OBP, .603 slugging in AAA since demotion.
23 19 8 11 11 13 Mike MacDougal Spent 10 minutes looking for an interesting note, came up empty.
24 18 11 5 8 Jon Garland So, who remembers Garland’s complete game this year?
25 28 20 21 22 15 A.J. Ellis Career .355 OBP now. Let him start.
26 21 14 12 12 8 Matt Guerrier Nine of past 14 baserunners allowed have scored.
27 25 18 30 Jay Gibbons One HR in first 25 G with Albuquerque, two HR in his past three G.
28 34 26 22 13 19 Marcus Thames Since starting season 6 for 42 (.143), has gone 7 for 22 (.318).
29 26 24 15 19 Vicente Padilla Still second on Dodgers in saves with three.
30 27 25 19 16 9 Jonathan Broxton Could have fewest saves (7) for team leader since Bobby Castillo in 1979.
31 24 33 35 33 Ramon Troncoso Full name is Ramon Landestoy Troncoso. Like the former infielder, was born in Peravia province of Dominican Republic.
32 35 27 27 29 Dioner Navarro In past 64 PA, has seven hits, five walks (.194 OBP).
33 31 36 23 24 7 Rafael Furcal Looking good in rehab: 18 PA in four games, .444 OBP.
34 41 38 24 25 16 Hong-Chih Kuo Could be first Dodger pitcher whose ERA multiplies by 10 in one year (1.20 to 11.05).
35 32 31 Juan Castro 2,849 career PA, one HBP.
36 33 30 29 Russ Mitchell Endured an 0-for-7 for Isotopes on Monday.
37 36 29 25 27 11 Xavier Paul Batted .297 in June, but with only two walks.
38 37 32 26 26 John Ely On June 29, 2010, Ely had his eighth and final quality start of season.
39 38 37 33 27 26 Ivan De Jesus Jr. Doesn’t seem to be a there there.
40 39 34 28 30 21 Hector Gimenez Has .747 OPS for Double-A Chattanooga.
41 40 35 31 31 Jamie Hoffmann Second on Isotopes with 13 homers.
42 42 39 34 32 23 Lance Cormier Has 3.14 ERA for Durham in 14 1/3 innings.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 5


Jeff Gross/Getty ImagesJosh Lindblom has allowed one run and nine baserunners in his first nine MLB innings.

The impossible task continues.

There’s Matt Kemp at No. 1, undisputed and glorious. There are Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda, Andre Ethier and Jamey Carroll having seasons that, despite some inconsistency, you don’t need to be ashamed of.  There’s an increasingly competent Ted Lilly, and a tip of the hat to Aaron Miles.

And then, the morass.

Playing time, on a cumulative basis, is one of the factors I’ve used in my Dodger Cogs and Dogs rankings, but as I tried to figure out how to fill out just the top 10, nothing made sense anymore. So I decided to blow things up a little.

I pushed the new kids, who came late to the 2011 Dodgers but who are providing most of the energy to this team and most of the reason to watch, into the upper echelon. That means Rubby De La Rosa at No. 8, despite only 15 innings (occasionally wild) this season. That means Dee “Roadrunner” Gordon and his 36 plate appearances without a walk at No. 9. That means young relievers Javy Guerra and Josh Lindblom, with their combined 21 1/3 career innings, at No. 10 and No. 11.

And then Casey Blake, Rod Barajas and James Loney, who have all played more and made contributions here and there, but had too many issues for me to feel good about having them in the top 10.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs has always been subjective, and perhaps never more so than today. But at least I wasn’t left aching as I completed the task.

* * *

Before we proceed to the rankings, one final note …

I want to call out the item on Jonathan Broxton below: “Fifth in MLB history in K/9 (11.55), minimum 300 G.”

Broxton should be back with the Dodgers in a few weeks, with what figures to be about three months left in his Dodger career. I know he’s let a lot of people down, and with the way the Dodger fortunes have unfolded since 2010, his postseason mistakes haunt us more than ever.

His career might have gone into reverse, but it’s not as if there wasn’t excellence there. Call him one-dimensional if you want, but what a dimension.

All-time MLB strikeouts per nine innings (minimum 300 games)
12.17 Rob Dibble
12.00 Brad Lidge
11.92 Billy Wagner
11.67 Carlos Marmol
11.55 Jonathan Broxton

No, this doesn’t mean everything, but like his dominance for much of his career before last summer, it means something.

When he comes back, is there any way, any way at all, that Dodger fans might not boo Broxton every time he touches the ball?

* * *

One more thing. In case you thought customer service was dead at Dodger Stadium, here’s a great story from Evan Bladh at Opinion of Kingman’s Performance.

* * *

           
Today 5/26 5/5 4/28 4/7 Player Comment
1 1 1 1 2 Matt Kemp Has reached base at least twice in 11 of last 12 starts.
2 2 4 4 1 Clayton Kershaw In 15 starts, has allowed 6 total runs in first three innings.
3 3 3 3 4 Hiroki Kuroda Has lowest ERA of his career, but is tied for MLB lead in losses.
4 5 9 6 5 Jamey Carroll Has .444 OBP on road this season.
5 4 2 2 3 Andre Ethier One HR in past 136 plate appearances.
6 10 17 18 14 Ted Lilly First hit of season raised him to 2 for 47 as Dodger.
7 13 20 21 20 Aaron Miles Hitting .353 since May 8.
8 22 Rubby De La Rosa So, he’s gonna be in Dodger rotation all season then? Need to watch his innings.
9 Dee Gordon Marquis Grissom had 124 PA as a Dodger before his first walk.
10 19 Javy Guerra Only four of his 21 baserunners allowed have scored.
11 Josh Lindblom Lowered ERA to 1.00, making case to stay on club.
12 16 7 5 10 Casey Blake On pace for 70 games this season.
13 9 13 9 6 Rod Barajas Has .264 OBP/.389 slugging. Mets released him last year with .263 OBP/.414 slugging.
14 23 32 23 17 James Loney 41 doubles in 2010, on pace for 16 this year.
15 15 10 15 22 Blake Hawksworth Has no strikeouts in seven innings (nine games) since May 3.
16 6 6 7 18 Chad Billingsley His ERA+ is now below Loney’s OPS+, for what that’s worth.
17 7 16 14 Jerry Sands 29 at-bats, three hits, one demotion since last Cogs.
18 11 5 8 Jon Garland Well, he was a better signing than Jason Schmidt.
19 8 11 11 13 Mike MacDougal Eleven of 26 inherited runners have scored.
20 12 8 10 25 Juan Uribe Had 13 doubles, 11 HR after 70 games last year, nine 2B, three HR this year.
21 14 12 12 8 Matt Guerrier Scoreless inning Wednesday was first in five games.
22 17 18 20 24 Kenley Jansen Younger than Elbert, Guerra and Lindblom. Looking forward to his return.
23 21 Scott Elbert After first rough patch of season, needs to show he can bounce back again.
24 33 35 33 Ramon Troncoso Still rising: Unscored upon in seven of past eight appearances.
25 18 30 Jay Gibbons It’s as if the Dodgers suddenly discovered he was one-dimensional.
26 24 15 19 Vicente Padilla Doesn’t look like he’ll have any HBPs this year.
27 25 19 16 9 Jonathan Broxton Fifth in MLB history in K/9 (11.55), minimum 300 G.
28 20 21 22 15 A.J. Ellis Zero HR, 26 walks for Isotopes this season (.457 OBP).
29 28 14 17 12 Tony Gwynn Jr. Has .553 OPS, below what he had with Padres in 2010.
30 Trent Oeltjen Was a batboy for Lasorda-managed U.S. in 2000 Olympic gold medal game in Sydney.
31 36 23 24 7 Rafael Furcal Wednesday marked anniversary of five-hit game.
32 31 Juan Castro Has started four games at first base in his career.
33 30 29 Russ Mitchell For Isotopes: .910 OPS at home., .633 away.
34 26 22 13 19 Marcus Thames He’s barely hitting Dee Gordon’s weight.
35 27 27 29 Dioner Navarro 2 for his last 25 (and yes, that lowered his average).
36 29 25 27 11 Xavier Paul On Wednesday, hit first HR since 5/15/09.
37 32 26 26 John Ely In past three starts for Albuquerque: 10 1/3 IP, 30 H, 15.68 ERA.
38 37 33 27 26 Ivan De Jesus Jr. Slugged .405 in minors last year, .315 this year.
39 34 28 30 21 Hector Gimenez Has .741 OPS since returning to minors.
40 35 31 31 Jamie Hoffmann On Wednesday, in his 1,000th Triple-A AB, got his 300th hit.
41 38 24 25 16 Hong-Chih Kuo Had a 25-pitch shutout inning for Isotopes on Weds.
42 39 34 32 23 Lance Cormier Now wearing the uniform of the Durham Bulls.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 4


Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesRamon Troncoso – rising.

So, by now you know that the Dodger Cogs and Dogs rankings have always been a mixture of subjectivity and objectivity. For today’s batch, there was an additional factor throw into the mix: exasperation.

In more cheerful news, Single-A Rancho Cucamonga scored 25 runs Wednesday, with Angelo Songco hitting for the cycle.

         
Today 5/5 4/28 4/7 Player Comment
1 1 1 2 Matt Kemp According to Fangraphs, the best CF in the NL in 2011.
2 4 4 1 Clayton Kershaw Will contend for NL strikeout title, but I’m guessing not wins.
3 3 3 4 Hiroki Kuroda Rough outing Sunday lifted his ERA above 3.00 and slowed his All-Star bid.
4 2 2 3 Andre Ethier Enters the final days of May with one homer, no doubles in the month.
5 9 6 5 Jamey Carroll Leads MLB shortstops in OBP.
6 6 7 18 Chad Billingsley His 0.64 HR/9 is best by a Dodger since Hershiser (minimum 800 IP).
7 16 14 Jerry Sands Fourth on the team in RBI, and closing in on Uribe.
8 11 11 13 Mike MacDougal Pitched three consecutive days for first time since September ’09.
9 13 9 6 Rod Barajas Kemp and Barajas have combined for 19 of Dodgers’ 36 HR.
10 17 18 14 Ted Lilly Despite allowing 10th homer in 11th start, moved ahead of Garland in ERA.
11 5 8 Jon Garland ERA rose from 3.55 to 4.75 in last start.
12 8 10 25 Juan Uribe From May 13-18, went from five to 11 walks.
13 20 21 20 Aaron Miles Last Dodger to bat at least .280 with OBP below .300: Wilton Guerrero.
14 12 12 8 Matt Guerrier Gave up first extra-base hit of 2011 to a lefty in ninth inning Weds.
15 10 15 22 Blake Hawksworth Struck out two in shutout inning Wednesday for Rancho Cucamonga.
16 7 5 10 Casey Blake Reached base 29 times in his 14 games.
17 18 20 24 Kenley Jansen Ferocious strikeout rate should help him avoid pulling a Yhency.
18 30 Jay Gibbons Second-most total bases (51) in Dodger history for player with below 30 career hits. (Marlon Anderson)
19 Javy Guerra Unscored upon in five of six appearances.
20 21 22 15 A.J. Ellis .443 OBP in Albuquerque, 12 walks, four strikeouts.
21 Scott Elbert Opponents are 1 for 11 with one walk this year.
22 Rubby De La Rosa Pedro Martinez shut out Reds in eighth and ninth inning of MLB debut.
23 32 23 17 James Loney 0-for-4 Wednesday ended 10-game hitting streak.
24 15 19 Vicente Padilla June will come with only 8 2/3 innings under his belt.
25 19 16 9 Jonathan Broxton For a guy who claimed not to be hurt for so long, sure out a long time.
26 22 13 19 Marcus Thames Gibbons has surged ahead with eight hits to Thames’ six.
27 27 29 Dioner Navarro Went 4 for 12 subbing for Barajas in Houston.
28 14 17 12 Tony Gwynn Jr. This month: 1 for 24 with two walks, one steal.
29 25 27 11 Xavier Paul In 3-for-25 slump for Pittsburgh.
30 29 Russ Mitchell Most total bases (19) in Dodger history for player with below 10 career hits.
31 Juan Castro In 17th MLB season, got 600th career hit Saturday.
32 26 26 John Ely Has 3.78 ERA, compared to 6.19 for spring rival Redding.
33 35 33 Ramon Troncoso The impossible dream – out of last place.
34 28 30 21 Hector Gimenez Has same birthday as my brother, and one more career hit.
35 31 31 Jamie Hoffmann Isotopes’ HR leader with nine this year.
36 23 24 7 Rafael Furcal They say he was rushed back, but he was 5 for 13 with three walks in Alb.
37 33 27 26 Ivan De Jesus Jr. Has one double, no HR in 51 AB for Albuquerque.
38 24 25 16 Hong-Chih Kuo Last May, pitched 10 2/3 innings, six baserunners, no runs, 15 K.
39 34 32 23 Lance Cormier Lefties were 5 for 28 against him.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 3


Jake Roth/US PresswireNon-roster Spring Training invitee Mike MacDougal has the lowest ERA on the pitching staff.

I don’t know, maybe I’m going about this all wrong.

When you can’t even find 10 players you really feel good about ranking out of a group of 35, maybe you need to start ranking something else. For example, if I were ranking TV Cogs and Dogs, I wouldn’t start to worry I was running out of great players after Ron Swanson and Raylan Givens.

I dare say that after rounding out my top 10 with an injured Casey Blake, hit-by-pitch magnet Juan Uribe, a slumping Jamey Carroll and a battle between relievers Blake Hawksworth and Mike MacDougal, I’m ready to go back to reading about all the challenges that Josh Fisher lists for Dodger monitor Tom Schieffer and wondering how Frank McCourt can blame Major League Baseball for the Dodgers’ inability to make 1/12th of his $100 million-or-so payroll at the end of this month. I mean, Luke Walton probably has enough saved to cut the Dodger players their paychecks.

Anyway, as always, Cogs and Dogs mixes subjectivity and objectivity and focuses on what’s already happened, not what’s likely to happen. And afterword, don’t miss Mike Petriello’s interview at Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness with Albuquerque Examiner writer Christopher Jackson about the Isotopes, which is overflowing with interesting information.

       
Today 4/28 4/7 Player Comment
1 1 2 Matt Kemp Still rates slightest edge over Ethier, but back to nearly a strikeout per game.
2 2 3 Andre Ethier If elbow trouble is chronic, put Dodgers out to pasture.
3 3 4 Hiroki Kuroda 36-year-old on track to lower ERA for third straight year.
4 4 1 Clayton Kershaw Allowing HRs at career-high 1.2 per nine innings.
5 8 Jon Garland In past three starts, only 18 baserunners in 22 innings.
6 7 18 Chad Billingsley 1.98 ERA, .554 OPS against him in past four starts.
7 5 10 Casey Blake .956 OPS will keep him in top 10 for a little longer if no one steps up.
8 10 25 Juan Uribe Postgame X-rays on hand were negative.
9 6 5 Jamey Carroll In 4-for-28 slump (with two walks).
10 15 22 Blake Hawksworth .203 opponents’ batting average lowest on team (minimum 10 innings)
11 11 13 Mike MacDougal Keeps walking guys but ERA remains below 1.00
12 12 8 Matt Guerrier Most innings on staff without allowing home run.
13 9 6 Rod Barajas Four walks, 26 strikeouts.
14 17 12 Tony Gwynn Jr. Should see more playing time if Ethier is out for long.
15 19 Vicente Padilla Four straight hitless innings (two walks).
16 14 Jerry Sands Fewest PA (55) of any Dodger ever with at least six doubles in career.
17 18 14 Ted Lilly No one noticing, but only two quality starts in seven tries.
18 20 24 Kenley Jansen Working on that second pitch? Gave up 3-R HR for Chattanooga Wednesday.
19 16 9 Jonathan Broxton Allowing .387 OBP this season.
20 21 20 Aaron Miles This year’s Angel Berroa.
21 22 15 A.J. Ellis .438 OBP in Triple-A since demotion.
22 13 19 Marcus Thames .501 OPS as a starter (21 plate appearances).
23 24 7 Rafael Furcal Last played April 11, hopefully will start baseball activities soon.
24 25 16 Hong-Chih Kuo Strikeouts are there, just needs sharper control (and health).
25 27 11 Xavier Paul Was 6 for 14 with Pirates before 0 for 5 on Wednesday.
26 26 John Ely Five runs, 15 strikeouts in past 19 1/3 innings.
27 29 Dioner Navarro Knocked his second hit of season.
28 30 21 Hector Gimenez 35 days since his last game – 60-day DL beckons.
29 Russ Mitchell After no BB in 2010, walked in first ’11 plate appearance.
30 Jay Gibbons First three AB were three strikeouts on 24 total pitches.
31 31 Jamie Hoffmann On another Triple-A hot streak: 1.004 OPS.
32 23 17 James Loney Friday marks one month since last extra-base hit.
33 27 26 Ivan De Jesus Jr. Most at-bats on team (28) without extra-base hit.
34 32 23 Lance Cormier 24 pitches thrown since April 15.
35 33 Ramon Troncoso Eight earned runs allowed in past 9 1/3 minor-league innings.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 2

US Presswire/Getty ImagesThe hit men

This might have been the best 1-2 battle in this history of Dodger Cogs and Dogs. I gave the nod to Matt Kemp, but feel free to throw your support Andre Ethier’s way.

And if Clayton Kershaw could have closed out his recent starts more strongly, it might have been a three-way battle.

Anyway, there was lots of activity in the 20-game stretch since the last Cogs and Dogs, but the overall picture is the same: There’s a guy in the top 10 who isn’t hitting .200.

As always, Cogs and Dogs mixes subjectivity and objectivity and focuses on what’s already happened, not what’s likely to happen.

Today 4/7 Player Comment
1 2 Matt Kemp It’s been a good year when an .804 OPS over past 10 games is a slump.
2 3 Andre Ethier Ethier’s hot start isn’t just luck, writes Chris Cwik of Fangraphs.
3 4 Hiroki Kuroda Five walks, 23 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.
4 1 Clayton Kershaw Has been removed mid-inning in past four starts.
5 10 Casey Blake Stuck on the sidelines with a .956 OPS.
6 5 Jamey Carroll On pace to play in 156 games in 2011.
7 18 Chad Billingsley Groundout/flyout ratio above 1.0 for first time in career.
8 Jon Garland Three walks in 20 innings.
9 6 Rod Barajas On pace to bat .182 with 31 homers.
10 25 Juan Uribe Nine of his 13 RBI this season came in 40-hour stretch.
11 13 Mike MacDougal I’m surprised Old School fans haven’t mentioned him as a closer candidate.
12 8 Matt Guerrier Chicago outing was worst-timed relief outing of Dodger season.
13 19 Marcus Thames Five starts this season, none since April 13.
14 Jerry Sands After nine games, he’s third on team in doubles.
15 22 Blake Hawksworth A RHP who has held lefties to .174 OBP. Righties have .367 OBP.
16 9 Jonathan Broxton Don Mattingly said Broxton’s elbow was “barky” Wednesday, reports Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
17 12 Tony Gwynn Jr. Puts the ball in play: 53 plate appearances, two walks, five strikeouts.
18 14 Ted Lilly Opponents hitting .321 against him (.359 BABIP).
19 Vicente Padilla 39th player to notch a save and a shutout as L.A. Dodger.
20 24 Kenley Jansen Seven strikeouts in past two games, 20 in 12 1/3 innings in ’11.
21 20 Aaron Miles Eighth on team in plate appearances and climbing.
22 15 A.J. Ellis Tied for fifth on team in walks with four.
23 17 James Loney Doubled on Opening Day – none since.
24 7 Rafael Furcal Five hits in April not exactly what Dodgers hoped for.
25 16 Hong-Chih Kuo Rehab struggles indicate activation isn’t imminent.
26 John Ely Tied for second on team in times caught stealing.
27 11 Xavier Paul Dodger career ends with .280 OBP, one homer.
27 26 Ivan De Jesus Jr. .313 OBP vs. starters, .000 OBP vs. relievers.
29 Dioner Navarro Be sure to check the splits on Navarro’s 2011.
30 21 Hector Gimenez One of 74 players with exactly one career hit as Los Angeles Dodger.
31 Jamie Hoffmann 0 for 4 in brief stint.
32 23 Lance Cormier Has pitched one inning since April 15.
33 Ramon Troncoso How do you give up 12 hits in 2 2/3 innings?

Dodger Cogs and Dogs 2011: Edition 1


Jayne Kamin-Oncea/US PresswireThe Dodgers’ second-best hitter of the young season, Andre Ethier has reached base 11 times but scored zero runs.

Welcome to the first edition of Dodger Cogs and Dogs, 2011.

As before, Cogs and Dogs is my ranking of the most valuable Dodgers of the year, top to bottom, mixing subjectivity and objectivity and focused on what’s already happened, not what’s likely to happen.

The final Cogs and Dogs of 2010 left us with only five players that you didn’t have much or any reason to complain about. This year’s debut installment isn’t much different.

Today 2010 Player Comment
1 1 Clayton Kershaw Came up huge on Opening Day, solid enough in second start
2 6 Matt Kemp Has Dodgers’ only stolen base in six games.
3 4 Andre Ethier .440 OBP but no extra-base hits
4 2 Hiroki Kuroda Efficient first start nearly ended in no-decision.
5 9 Jamey Carroll He’s back: .412 on-base percentage, playing in every game.
6 19 Rod Barajas .824 OPS third among regulars.
7 7 Rafael Furcal Gonzalez’ catch cost him glory and higher cog rating.
8 Matt Guerrier Two perfect innings with two strikeouts in Colorado.
9 13 Jonathan Broxton People question his guts, but no player faced greater pressure so far.
10 8 Casey Blake Hottest hitter on the team.
11 33 Xavier Paul Batting .400, might outlast Gimenez after all.
12 Tony Gwynn Jr. Showed off defense Tuesday, but no steal attempts yet.
13 Mike MacDougal Five batters, four outs.
14 11 Ted Lilly Strong first start just got away from him.
15 22 A.J. Ellis Carried red-hot September into current 1-for-1 season.
16 5 Hong-Chih Kuo 22 pitches in each of his first two games.
17 10 James Loney 24 plate appearances, four hits, no walks.
18 3 Chad Billingsley Career ERA at Coors Field now 7.24.
19 Marcus Thames His triple on Sunday might have been a gift, but at least he got it out there.
20 Aaron Miles Six air-outs in 11 at-bats for a player who hasn’t homered since ’08.
21 Hector Gimenez One hit better than De Jesus.
22 Blake Hawksworth Fourth-inning homer allowed Wednesday costly.
23 Lance Cormier Needs nine more innings to have longer Dodger career than Lance Carter.
24 16 Kenley Jansen Nice to see him bounce back with two shutout innings Wednesday.
25 Juan Uribe Four games, two singles, one somersault.
26 Ivan De Jesus Jr. .125 OPS, 71% strikeout rate

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: That’s a Wrap edition


Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireClayton Kershaw: 22 years old, 2.91 ERA, 212 strikeouts

When I started doing Cogs and Dogs this spring, I had no idea … about anything. No idea where it would lead or if I would keep it going. In the end, I made it through the season with only a couple of missed off days, and I feel it was worth it in all its strange triviality.

The main thing I didn’t anticipate was how weak the list would look in the top 10. In the first five spots, you’ll find players who had unquestionably solid seasons. But then, starting at the No. 6 position, you have one of the year’s biggest disappointments, an injury-riddled shortstop, an aging third baseman prone to deep slumps, a homerless bench player and a first baseman who barely OPSed .700. And that, really, says as much as anything why the Dodgers aren’t playing any more this month

It seems appropriate to me that the top three spots go to the season-long stalwarts of the Dodger starting rotation, and that the top spot itself go to the team’s one truly exceptional player from start to finish in 2010, Clayton Kershaw. He was not only steady, almost never seeming to disappoint, but he was also the one guy who, as the year went by, most gave you that “What will he do next?” feeling. He’s a special player. Hopefully, a few more Dodgers can follow in his footsteps next year.

Here’s the final list, in all its dope and glory …

Final 9/13 8/23 8/9 7/26 7/12 High Low Player Comment
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 20 Clayton Kershaw In a year that taught us the dangers of too much hope, he was the exception that disproved the rule.
2 2 2 3 3 5 1 5 Hiroki Kuroda Simply one of my favorite Dodgers of the past several years.
3 4 4 6 10 10 4 12 Chad Billingsley One of the year’s best stories. What a thrill to see him come back so strong.
4 3 3 4 4 3 1 11 Andre Ethier Mr. Intensity, Mr. Walkoff, ended with solid numbers but became kind of an afterthought. Was it injuries?
5 6 6 5 7 8 6 18 Hong-Chih Kuo It was a privilege this year, Hong-Chih.
6 7 7 10 8 9 1 11 Matt Kemp He finished strong. Hurdles happen, but next season will be a proving ground.
7 5 5 2 2 2 2 14 Rafael Furcal Such talent handicapped by that sore body. Not sure what can be done about it.
8 10 13 12 11 11 6 16 Casey Blake A really likeable player, straining for excellence, but gravity gets all of us in the end.
9 8 8 15 16 14 8 21 Jamey Carroll The Engergizer bunny. He was the glue that held together this … well, fourth-place team, but still, good glue.
10 9 9 7 5 6 5 24 James Loney If 2011 were 1977, Tommy Lasorda would just tell Loney to hit more home runs – and he would – and we’d all rejoice.
11 13 17 25 NR NR 13 25 Ted Lilly Fun to watch when he’s on a roll.
12 12 12 11 6 4 3 12 Manny Ramirez As time passes, it’s going to be weird how brief the chaotic Ramirez era will seem. But no regrets. Not a one.
13 11 11 9 9 7 4 13 Jonathan Broxton Brad Lidge (ERAs by year: 6.23, 3.60, 1.90, 2.29, 5.28, 3.36, 1.95, 7.21, 2.96) welcomes Broxton to the world of ups and downs.
14 14 14 13 14 15 2 15 Russell Martin Just wondering if there’s a way back home for him.
15 16 15 14 15 13 12 16 Blake DeWitt Worst comes to worst, maybe he morphs into Dave Hansen?
16 19 24 26 26 NR 24 26 Kenley Jansen An exciting debut – just hope he doesn’t go Yhency on us. (Khenley?)
17 15 10 8 12 17 8 25 Vicente Padilla Thought he’d just be medicore, instead of horrible/absent/great/absent. Be safe this winter, Vicente.
18 20 16 16 17 21 7 21 Carlos Monasterios This guy pitched way above his station, including a 2.06 ERA in relief. He earned his roster spot all year.
19 22 NR NR NR NR 22 22 Rod Barajas Good home run power, but might be next year’s Ronnie Belliard.
20 17 18 17 13 12 5 26 John Ely Prokapec of pickled peppers. Ely, don’t leave me this way.
21 26 23 23 24 24 9 26 Ramon Troncoso 2009: Made you forget Cory Wade. 2010: Made you remember Cory Wade.
22 35 32 29 27 26 19 35 A.J. Ellis Not quite a John Lindsey story, but still a happy turn of events in September for this 29-year-old rookie.
23 21 27 33 NR NR 21 33 Jay Gibbons Fielded himself out of a chance to start for the Dodgers next year, but looks like a good part-timer to have.
24 23 21 28 NR NR 21 28 Ryan Theriot Still not convinced his defense is exceptional enough for that bat and that salary.
25 18 19 20 20 19 8 20 Reed Johnson Basically solid against lefties, despite walking only five times all year.
26 24 22 21 21 22 21 24 Travis Schlichting There’s going to come a time when I forget about his four-inning shutout heroics against Arizona, but man, at the time, it seemed huge.
27 27 25 18 19 18 17 27 Ronald Belisario Belisario 2: Erratic Boogaloo
28 28 26 32 NR NR 26 32 Octavio Dotel We have to stop trading like this.
29 25 20 19 18 16 15 25 Jeff Weaver Tough second half knocks him back to non-roster status for next Spring Training.
30 29 28 34 NR NR 28 34 Scott Podsednik Honestly, he really, really didn’t play well for the Dodgers. This trade was a bust.
31 31 30 27 25 25 23 31 Justin Miller Vintage case of the up-and-down AAAA reliever. Helped more than he hurt, I feel.
32 30 29 24 23 20 7 30 Ronnie Belliard Like George Costanza, sometimes you need to know when to leave the room.
33 32 31 22 22 23 15 32 Xavier Paul Didn’t expect miracles from Paul, but was hoping for more than we got.
35 33 33 30 28 27 25 33 Jon Link Amid all the bullpen trouble, it’s a little surprising he didn’t get a bit longer of a look.
34 34 34 31 29 28 23 34 Brad Ausmus A million bucks for 22 times on base, but it was hard to feel bad about it Sunday.
36 36 36 36 35 36 26 36 George Sherrill From glory to the gallows. My disbelief over how bad it got for him hasn’t gone away.
37 39 NR NR NR NR 39 39 Trent Oeltjen The Australian Chad Hermansen?
38 37 37 37 31 30 17 37 Ramon Ortiz Thinking about him now makes me feel like I aged years this season.
39 40 NR NR NR NR 40 40 John Lindsey Smile of the year award. We’re holding a permanent spot for you in Dodger folklore.
40 38 NR NR NR NR 38 38 Juan Castro Strikeout, lineout, walk, strikeout, see ya …
41 41 38 38 32 31 27 41 Nick Green It’s fascinating how worried the Dodgers were at one point about keeping him in the organization.
42 46 NR NR NR NR 46 46 Russ Mitchell 42 at-bats, 36 outs, two homers and no walks is one of the oddest debuts I can remember.
43 43 39 39 33 33 3 43 Charlie Haeger Had a thrilling first start, but it didn’t get much more painful in 2010 than watching him go outless against Colorado.
44 42 35 35 30 29 29 42 Chin-Lung Hu Still waiting to see if he can reach Juan Castro heights for his career.
45 44 40 40 37 NR 37 44 James McDonald He may end up having a nothing career, but his departure still leaves a bad taste.
46 45 42 42 36 35 22 45 Russ Ortiz They got rid of him early. But next year, they’ll just be another one.
47 47 41 41 34 34 16 47 Garret Anderson It was disconcerting to spend the year looking at someone younger than me seem so old. Now, he’s back to being younger than me forever.
48 48 43 43 38 32 32 48 Scott Elbert Just four years ago, the future of Elbert and Greg Miller looked unlimited.
49 49 44 44 39 NR 39 49 Jack Taschner In the end, I have tremendous respect for anyone who makes it this far.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 13


Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireJeff Weaver – middling player of a middling team.

Man, this takes a long time to do now.

               
9/13 8/23 8/9 7/26 7/12 High Low Player Comment
1 1 1 1 1 1 20 Clayton Kershaw Needs three strikeouts to become youngest Dodger with 200K since Ramon Martinez (1990).
2 2 3 3 5 1 5 Hiroki Kuroda Losing record (27-29) as Dodger despite 3.59 career ERA.
3 3 4 4 3 1 11 Andre Ethier .716 OPS in 380 plate appearances since return from DL May 31.
4 4 6 10 10 4 12 Chad Billingsley After decline from 9.0 K/9 in ’08 to 7.4 in ’10, this is a key stat to watch in ’11.
5 5 2 2 2 2 14 Rafael Furcal Needs to play in 15 of Dodgers’ final 19 games to reach 100.
6 6 5 7 8 6 18 Hong-Chih Kuo ERA after first outing of season: 54.00. Has improved since.
7 7 10 8 9 1 11 Matt Kemp Who are the only Dodgers besides Kemp to have 100 more K than BB? Cory Snyder and Mike Marshall.
8 8 15 16 14 8 21 Jamey Carroll Carroll, Kemp have team-high 49 walks; Ethier 48.
9 9 7 5 6 5 24 James Loney One home run in past 36 starts.
10 13 12 11 11 6 16 Casey Blake Can we find a platoon partner for him? .943 OPS vs. lefties in ’10.
11 11 9 9 7 4 13 Jonathan Broxton Since minor-league debut in 2002, has never balked.
12 12 11 6 4 3 12 Manny Ramirez Last home run was June 19.
13 17 25 NR NR 17 25 Ted Lilly Worst HR/9 rate (1.6) on Dodgers. Could become third L.A. Dodger pitcher to give up more homers than walks (min. 10 HR) after Newcombe, Mulholland.
14 14 13 14 15 2 15 Russell Martin Despite injury, still ranks second in NL in catcher assists this season (59).
15 10 8 12 17 8 25 Vicente Padilla 3.80 ERA in 151 1/3 innings as Dodger, including playoffs.
16 15 14 15 13 12 15 Blake DeWitt After good start, now in 8-for-56 slump with Cubs (three walks, one homer.)
17 18 17 13 12 5 26 John Ely Threw over 100 pitches in first three Dodger starts, then only once in past 12.
18 19 20 20 19 8 20 Reed Johnson Remains strong against lefties, except for lack of home runs against them.
19 24 26 26 NR 24 26 Kenley Jansen No walks, seven strikeouts in past four outings (four innings).
20 16 16 17 21 7 21 Carlos Monasterios Tied with Kuroda, Kershaw in race for most HR allowed by Dodger pitcher in ’10, one behind Padilla.
21 27 33 NR NR 27 33 Jay Gibbons His HR on Sunday was 17th by a Dodger cleanup hitter in 2010.
22 NR NR NR NR NR NR Rod Barajas 26th all-time in HR by L.A. Dodger catchers, one behind Navarro, Pena and Prince.
23 21 28 NR NR 21 28 Ryan Theriot In 0-for-21 slump, with three walks.
24 22 21 21 22 21 24 Travis Schlichting One of two Dodgers with 1.000 winning percentage this year.
25 20 19 18 16 15 22 Jeff Weaver Sunday outing was his first appearance in September. Has pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings since coming off DL in late August.
26 23 23 24 24 9 24 Ramon Troncoso Three HR in 82 2/3 IP last year, seven in 44 2/3 this year.
27 25 18 19 18 17 25 Ronald Belisario 24 baserunners in 12 2/3 innings since return from restricted list.
28 26 32 NR NR 26 32 Octavio Dotel Has allowed more walks than hits as a Dodger.
29 28 34 NR NR 28 34 Scott Podsednik Battling plantar fasciitis, according to Tony Jackson.
30 29 24 23 20 7 29 Ronnie Belliard Career batting average of .273, but never hit .300 in a single year.
31 30 27 25 25 23 30 Justin Miller Finished AAA season with 1.95 ERA, 9.0 K/9.
32 31 22 22 23 15 31 Xavier Paul Twelve HR with Isotopes this year, but no homers in 121 at-bats with Dodgers.
33 33 30 28 27 25 33 Jon Link One of 42 pitchers used in Albuquerque this season.
34 34 31 29 28 23 34 Brad Ausmus Will finish career seventh all-time in games caught.
35 32 29 27 26 19 32 A.J. Ellis Hasn’t homered at any level since 2008.
36 36 36 35 36 26 36 George Sherrill Still probably has a good five years or so left as a pitcher who can get out lefties.
37 37 37 31 30 17 37 Ramon Ortiz Ranks sixth all-time among Dominican-born pitchers in HR allowed (222).
38 NR NR NR NR NR NR Juan Castro Oldest Dodger to play one game for team in a year since Manny Mota in 1982.
39 NR NR NR NR NR NR Trent Oeltjen First “Oe” Dodger since Joe Oeschger in 1925.
40 NR NR NR NR NR NR John Lindsey Had .477 OBP, .719 slugging vs. lefties for Albuquerque.
41 38 38 32 31 27 38 Nick Green Has played for nine organizations in past seven years.
42 35 35 30 29 29 35 Chin-Lung Hu Career batting average dropped below .200 Sunday.
43 39 39 33 33 3 39 Charlie Haeger Bookends with Isotopes: 0.7 HR/9, 7.0 BB/9.
44 40 40 37 NR 37 40 James McDonald Take away seventh inning Aug. 27, and his Pirate ERA is 3.10 in seven starts.
45 42 42 36 35 22 42 Russ Ortiz The Russ Ortiz era
seems so long ago. Baseball has a long season, doesn’t it?
46 NR NR NR NR NR NR Russ Mitchell Of his 15 outs, 13 have been hit in the air.
47 41 41 34 34 16 41 Garret Anderson Second all-time to Ramirez in career hits for 1972-born players.
48 43 43 38 32 32 43 Scott Elbert Career minor-league K/9 is 10.4.
49 44 44 39 NR 39 44 Jack Taschner Spent eight days on active roster.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 12


Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesJamey Carroll is on track to lead the Dodgers in walks this season.

This Dog Days edition of Dodger Cogs and Dogs is dedicated to Jamey Carroll, who kept the Dodger shortstop position with Rafael Furcal out from looking like the Dodger catcher position with Russell Martin out. Thanks to attrition elsewhere and to his own steady play, I’ve elevated the 36-year-old Carroll to No. 4 among position players and No. 8 overall, and he might not be done climbing.

But of course, that kind of tells the story of the 2010 Dodgers. To take another example, you all know what a big supporter I am of Chad Billingsley, but if a 3.70 ERA gets you the No. 4 spot on the list, something has gone quite wrong with your team.

8/23 8/9 7/26 7/12 High Low Player Comment
1 1 1 1 1 20 Clayton Kershaw Next year, he gets rid of the first-inning walks and goes after the Cy Young.
2 3 3 5 1 5 Hiroki Kuroda The team’s heart and soul?
3 4 4 3 1 11 Andre Ethier Slugging percentage past three years: .510, .508. .513.
4 6 10 10 6 12 Chad Billingsley ERA now lower than Tim Lincecum’s.
5 2 2 2 2 14 Rafael Furcal Might not play 81 games this year.
6 5 7 8 7 18 Hong-Chih Kuo Opponents’ slugging percentage now at .204 this year.
7 10 8 9 1 11 Matt Kemp The controversy has surely taken on a life of its own.
8 15 16 14 13 21 Jamey Carroll Most walks without a homer by any Dodger since Bill North in ’78 (65).
9 7 5 6 5 24 James Loney .344 BABIP in first half, .238 in second half.
10 8 12 17 8 25 Vicente Padilla His meteoric rise to the top five got de-meteored.
11 9 9 7 4 13 Jonathan Broxton Now in that Sherrill-like phase where he can’t get a streak of good games together.
12 11 6 4 3 12 Manny Ramirez Needs 14 homerless games to match Furcal with eight homers in 76.
13 12 11 11 6 16 Casey Blake One strikeout every 4.33 plate appearances, Kemp 4.02.
14 13 14 15 2 15 Russell Martin Offseason decision on Martin’s fate hasn’t gotten any less interesting.
15 14 15 13 12 15 Blake DeWitt .831 OPS as a Cub.
16 16 17 21 7 21 Carlos Monasterios First career major-league error might have cost him a win.
17 25 NR NR 25 25 Ted Lilly Dodgers didn’t get Cliff Lee – just someone who is pitching like him.
18 17 13 12 5 26 John Ely Place your bets: Is he in the 2011 starting rotation?
19 20 20 19 8 20 Reed Johnson 6 for 14 with double and homer since returning from DL in August.
20 19 18 16 15 22 Jeff Weaver Combined ERA of Weaver, Troncoso, Belisario and Sherrill: 5.47.
21 28 NR NR 28 28 Ryan Theriot Will he and Carroll flip positions if they’re playing together in 2011?
22 21 21 22 21 24 Travis Schlichting Tables turned: inherited runs harm his ERA for a change.
23 23 24 24 9 24 Ramon Troncoso Before Sunday, he and Belisario had each allowed 39 hits in 39 innings.
24 26 26 NR 26 26 Kenley Jansen In 9 2/3 innings, 13 baserunners and 13 strikeouts.
25 18 19 18 17 25 Ronald Belisario Righties have hit him harder than lefties this year.
26 32 NR NR 32 32 Octavio Dotel Overall, he’s done fine, but he missed his chance to make a difference.
27 33 NR NR 33 33 Jay Gibbons Tied for eighth on the Dodgers in homers.
28 34 NR NR 34 34 Scott Podsednik Am I really supposed to be excited by a .337 OBP as a Dodger with no power?
29 24 23 20 7 24 Ronnie Belliard Needs to avoid going 0 for 12 to keep batting average above .200 this year.
30 27 25 25 23 27 Justin Miller Nine shutout innings of relief to start August for Isotopes.
31 22 22 23 15 23 Xavier Paul Return to Albuquerque hasn’t gone well: .669 OPS, zero homers in August.
32 29 27 26 19 29 A.J. Ellis Ellis, Ausmus now hitting a combined .203. What’s the problem?
33 30 28 27 25 30 Jon Link Ten baserunners, three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, but I’d like another look at him.
34 31 29 28 23 31 Brad Ausmus Doubled in first at-bat of season – no extra-base hits since.
35 35 30 29 29 35 Chin-Lung Hu Went two for three in most recent game June 29 to put batting average at .300.
36 36 35 36 26 36 George Sherrill Needs four more outs to match longest scoreless inning streak of season (3 2/3 innings).
37 37 31 30 17 37 Ramon Ortiz Our man Ramon is now a Durham Bull, with a 1.59 ERA after one start.
38 38 32 31 27 38 Nick Green His alma mater DeKalb College was renamed Georgia Perimeter in 1997.
39 39 33 33 3 39 Charlie Haeger Remember that home game against Colorado? That seems so long ago.
40 40 37 NR 37 40 James McDonald Three-run homer by David Wright in fifth torpedoed McDonald’s start Saturday.
41 41 34 34 16 41 Garret Anderson In counting stats, his career matches up more than a little with Steve Garvey’s.
42 42 36 35 22 42 Russ Ortiz A career .205 hitter with seven homers and 35 walks in 608 PA.
43 43 38 32 32 43 Scott Elbert Was within a strike of getting three bases-loaded outs in 2010 debut; then his entire year began to unravel on next pitch.
44 44 39 NR 39 44 Jack Taschner Nick Hundley is the batter Taschner retired as a Dodger.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 11


Danny Moloshok/APHong-Chih Kuo reaches the top five.

Well, the Dodgers just keep on adding players, and the Dodgers Cogs and Dogs machine keeps on churning. After using 45 players in 2007, 46 in 2008 and 47 in 2009, the Dodgers are already up to 44 now with an eye on 48 – or even 50, the total from 2005.

Remember that the rankings are partly subjective, and encompass value for the entire 2010 season.

           
8/9 7/26 7/12 High Low Player Comment
1 1 1 1 20 Clayton Kershaw Holds top spot despite Nationals’ double Dunn.
2 2 2 2 14 Rafael Furcal Started only 72 of Dodgers’ first 112 games this season.
3 3 5 1 5 Hiroki Kuroda Retired last 17 batters Saturday.
4 4 3 1 11 Andre Ethier Off to good start in August, despite 0 for 3 Sunday.
5 7 8 7 18 Hong-Chih Kuo Dunn on Saturday was only fourth batter in ’10 Kuo has had to face with bases loaded.
6 10 10 6 12 Chad Billingsley Has allowed 0.5 HR/9 this season.
7 5 6 5 24 James Loney Two homers, one steal away from first career 10-10 season.
8 12 17 12 25 Vicente Padilla Leads NL in second-half ERA (1.04).
9 9 7 4 13 Jonathan Broxton If he struggles as games grow more meaningless, that won’t help his rep, will it?
10 8 9 1 11 Matt Kemp I’m already anticipating the 2011 Spring Training “Kemp is serious” stories.
11 6 4 3 12 Manny Ramirez You can’t tell me he isn’t missed in the lineup.
12 11 11 6 16 Casey Blake Averaging more than a strikeout a game in second half.
13 14 15 2 15 Russell Martin In first 20 career starts, in 2006, Dodgers went 17-3.
14 15 13 12 15 Blake DeWitt Homered off a lefty (Chris Capuano) in first week as a Cub.
15 16 14 13 21 Jamey Carroll Most steals (seven) by a Dodger without being caught in 2010 – until Sunday.
16 17 21 7 21 Carlos Monasterios Third on team in HR allowed with 10.
17 13 12 5 26 John Ely Season falling apart? Has allowed 16 runs in past 4 2/3 minor-league innings.
18 19 18 17 25 Ronald Belisario So, too early for him to start working on his 2011 visa paperwork now?
19 18 16 15 22 Jeff Weaver July torpedoed his season – might be back to non-roster status in Spring Training ’11.
20 20 19 8 20 Reed Johnson His next HBP will be 100th of his career.
21 21 22 21 24 Travis Schlichting With Belisario and Weaver awaiting returns, probably won’t see him until September.
22 22 23 15 23 Xavier Paul Michael Restovich (.854 OPS) was released when Paul went down, then resigned when Jay Gibbons went up.
23 24 24 9 24 Ramon Troncoso He and Belisario combined for 142 games in ’09, might not get 100 this year.
24 23 20 7 23 Ronnie Belliard Five HR in 24 games with Dodgers last year, two in 68 this year.
25 NR NR NR NR Ted Lilly Eleven strikeouts, no walks in first two Dodger starts? Not Ely, Lilly.
26 26 NR 26 26 Kenley Jansen No, even with Martin out, his catching career is done.
27 25 25 23 25 Justin Miller Returned to Isotopes with three shutout appearances, lowering AAA ERA to 1.93.
28 NR NR NR NR Ryan Theriot Carroll has won me over enough that I want him to stay in lineup over Theriot.
29 27 26 19 27 A.J. Ellis Second extra-base hit in 55 at-bats arrived Sunday.
30 28 27 25 29 Jon Link Wouldn’t be surprised to see him spend bulk of 2011 in majors.
31 29 28 23 29 Brad Ausmus 4 for 20 with a double at the plate this season – just like Padilla.
32 NR NR NR NR Octavio Dotel Dotel is one of those guys who came to the Dodgers about 5-10 years after first rumors.
33 NR NR NR NR Jay Gibbons Today marks third anniversary of last major-league hit before Sunday.
34 NR NR NR NR Scott Podsednik .536 OPS, two errors, one inside-the-park homer allowed in first 11 games as Dodger.
35 30 29 29 30 Chin-Lung Hu About to complete his sixth week on minor-league DL.
36 35 36 26 36 George Sherrill Believe it or not, second on team in games pitched behind Broxton.
37 31 30 17 31 Ramon Ortiz Pitched complete-game two-hitter for Buffalo on July 30; 0.93 ERA in past four starts.
38 32 31 27 32 Nick Green Signing with Padres in July not enough to keep San Diego from pursuing Miguel Tejada.
39 33 33 3 36 Charlie Haeger Now has better minor-league ERA this season than Ely.
40 37 NR 37 37 James McDonald Had career 2.78 ERA, 8.0 K/9, .684 OPS as reliever when traded for a reliever.
41 34 34 16 34 Garret Anderson As pinch-hitter, 12 for 50. Otherwise, 16 for 104.
42 36 35 22 36 Russ Ortiz This space for rent.
43 38 32 32 38 Scott Elbert Can’t remember the last time a significant L.A. prospect took a leave of absence like this.
44 39 NR 39 39 Jack Taschner Five years from now, I’m going to quiz you on the Jack Taschner Era.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 10


Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireVicente Padilla: No. 12 with a bullet (not in the leg).

James Loney at No. 5? Casey Blake at No. 11? The Dodger corner infielders each have two homers in July, but the team has been so strange that they still rank high.

And no, Kenley Jansen did not break in at No. 1 on our list, but he was high in our hearts. Remember, these rankings are a combination of objectivity and personal subjectivity …

         
7/26 7/12 High Low Player Comment
1 1 1 20 Clayton Kershaw Anyone outside of L.A. noticed that Roy Oswalt isn’t having a better year than Kershaw?
2 2 2 14 Rafael Furcal Finally slows down: 3 for last 19, but still with five walks
3 5 1 5 Hiroki Kuroda One inning from matching last year’s season total.
4 3 1 11 Andre Ethier OPS remains sub-.700 since the pinkie.
5 6 6 24 James Loney Leads team in doubles and game-winning homers vs. Mets.
6 4 3 12 Manny Ramirez At 220 plate appearances and holding.
7 8 7 18 Hong-Chih Kuo Best adjusted ERA in Los Angeles Dodger history, minimum 32 innings.
8 9 1 11 Matt Kemp Since June 29, an .863 OPS.
9 7 4 13 Jonathan Broxton Has had four perfect innings in 19 appearances since June 1.
10 10 6 12 Chad Billingsley Gets an extra day off today after 125-pitch outing.
11 11 6 16 Casey Blake After starting month 6 for 48, he’s 8 for last 23.
12 17 15 25 Vicente Padilla ERA, K/9, BB/9, H/9 all now better than Kuroda’s.
13 12 5 26 John Ely Consecutive good outings for Albuquerque.
14 15 2 15 Russell Martin Caught-stealing percentage has improved to career-best 40%.
15 13 12 15 Blake DeWitt Seriously, why has he gone from nine homers in ’08 to one this year?
16 14 13 21 Jamey Carroll Slacker has only played four positions this year.
17 21 7 21 Carlos Monasterios 0.82 ERA in 11 innings since return from disabled list.
18 16 15 22 Jeff Weaver Still fourth on team in wins.
19 18 17 25 Ronald Belisario Last outing on July 5 was best of season.
20 19 8 20 Reed Johnson Snuck in a 66th game this year to pass last year’s mark by one.
21 22 22 24 Travis Schlichting With eight inherited runners allowed in 20 innings, it’s a deceptive 2.25 ERA.
22 23 15 23 Xavier Paul .350 OBP vs. LHP this season.
23 20 7 21 Ronnie Belliard .107 slugging percentage in July.
24 24 9 24 Ramon Troncoso Taking longer than expected to come back: has allowed six runs in past 8 1/3 innings for Isotopes.
25 25 23 25 Justin Miller And now to the other Justin Miller: 2.55 ERA in Chattanooga.
26 NR NR NR Kenley Jansen It’s exciting, but pace yourself, Torre.
27 26 19 26 A.J. Ellis .286 OBP, .224 slugging percentage in first extended L.A. stay.
28 27 25 29 Jon Link Retired four of six batters in most recent Dodger stint.
29 28 23 28 Brad Ausmus Mr. 1-for-4, like clockwork, every three months.
30 29 29 29 Chin-Lung Hu Tuesday marks four weeks since his last game.
31 30 17 31 Ramon Ortiz Six Dodger relievers have worse ERAs than Ortiz’s 6.30.
32 31 27 32 Nick Green DFAed by Toronto, signed with Padres organization last week.
33 33 3 36 Charlie Haeger ERA is 4.99 at Albuquerque in 30 2/3 innings.
34 34 16 34 Garret Anderson OBP by month: .159, .216, .217, .250. Trending up!
35 36 26 36 George Sherrill Approaching anniversary of coming to L.A., Sherrill’s Dodger ERA is 3.58.
36 35 22 36 Russ Ortiz Stayed ahead of Sherrill until Saturday.
37 NR NR NR James McDonald Don’t tell my heart, my achy-breaky heart …
38 32 32 35 Scott Elbert … I just don’t think it’d understand.
39 NR NR NR Jack Taschner His callup and Jansen’s a study in contrasts.

Dodger Cog and Dogs: All-Star Break Edition 9


Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireClayton Kershaw leads the National League in strikeouts per nine innings. His 2.96 ERA is ninth in the NL.

He didn’t make the National League All-Star team, but Clayton Kershaw is the Dodger Thoughts top cog for the first half of the 2010 season.

Andre Ethier, Rafael Furcal and Hiroki Kuroda each had hot streaks, but Kershaw was consistently strong for almost the entire season to date. In 2010, he has thrown 12 quality starts in 18 tries (most of those better than the six-inning, three-run variety) and allowed a maximum of two runs over at least five innings in three others. In only two starts this season has he failed to keep the Dodgers in the game.

After walking 24 batters in his first 30 2/3 innings, Kershaw has even gone a long way toward solving his biggest weakness, walking 26 in his last 81 1/3 innings. It has just been a very impressive first half, and the Dodgers are lucky to have him.

                   
7/12 7/1 6/21 6/10 5/24 5/13 5/3 4/19 4/12 Player Comment
1 1 1 2 3 5 6 10 20 Clayton Kershaw In 18 starts this year, allowed more than three earned runs only twice.
2 3 4 10 14 9 7 8 4 Rafael Furcal Reminding me of Magic Johnson lately. He’s the playmaker.
3 4 3 1 1 1 1 2 11 Andre Ethier Back in the swing of it with OPS over 1.000 in July.
4 5 5 12 5 3 4 4 9 Manny Ramirez Team-high 155 adjusted OPS (.937 OPS).
5 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 1 Hiroki Kuroda Disappointing to see him struggle after such a strong first three months.
6 8 8 13 10 6 8 9 24 James Loney He can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan.
7 6 6 4 11 10 5 6 13 Jonathan Broxton Broxton in the St. Louis heat next weekend: Bring some towels.
8 7 7 8 16 18 NR NR NR Hong-Chih Kuo The All-Star stranded two runners Sunday to lower ERA to 0.99.
9 11 9 9 4 4 3 1 5 Matt Kemp Frequent newsmaker leads team in HR, R, SB, CS, SO.
10 10 10 6 8 11 12 12 10 Chad Billingsley Allowed three HR to first eight batters May 31, none in 37 1/3 IP since.
11 12 12 11 9 16 11 7 6 Casey Blake Keep wanting to drop him because he’s really not hitting, but this is where he goes.
12 9 11 5 7 8 26 NR NR John Ely No one has forgotten what he meant to this team when the chips were down.
13 14 13 14 12 12 15 14 14 Blake DeWitt So far, OPS has improved for four consecutive months: .856 in July.
14 13 15 16 13 17 18 21 18 Jamey Carroll Pitching is hard: Carroll has seven extra-base hits, 31 walks.
15 15 14 15 6 7 10 5 2 Russell Martin Offense is hard to watch, but seems like he’s throwing his best in a few years.
16 16 16 18 21 22 21 17 15 Jeff Weaver Fourth on the team in wins.
17 22 25 25 22 23 20 15 25 Vicente Padilla Well, isn’t this a pleasant development: 10 walks, 54 strikeouts in 2010.
18 17 17 17 25 24 NR NR NR Ronald Belisario Really seemed like he had been finding a groove.
19 19 20 20 20 20 17 20 8 Reed Johnson You’re no Jamey Carroll, Reed – it’s okay if you hit a homer this year.
20 18 19 21 19 13 14 13 7 Ronnie Belliard Since June 28, 0 for 17 with four walks.
21 20 18 7 18 14 16 18 21 Carlos Monasterios 45 more games to September 1, and he’s a Dodger for keeps.
22 24 23 24 NR NR NR NR NR Travis Schlichting Hershiser’s record safe for now.
23 21 21 22 15 19 19 NR NR Xavier Paul 57 plate appearances since his last extra-base hit
24 23 22 19 17 15 9 11 12 Ramon Troncoso Not expecting his demotion to last long.
25 25 24 23 NR NR NR NR NR Justin Miller Pitching with a lead: opponents 10 for 24. Otherwise, opponents 11 for 63.
26 26 26 26 23 25 22 19 19 A.J. Ellis So little power, so little time.
27 27 27 27 29 29 28 25 NR Jon Link Unscored upon in past 10 1/3 innings with Isotopes.
28 28 28 28 24 26 24 23 23 Brad Ausmus Has as many doubles as Ellis this year.
29 29 29 NR NR NR NR NR NR Chin-Lung Hu He will not be Taiwan’s first to play in MLB All-Star Game.
30 30 31 29 26 21 23 24 17 Ramon Ortiz Continues to struggle in Buffalo worse than he had been with Dodgers.
31 31 32 30 27 27 NR NR NR Nick Green Eighteen doubles last year, none this year.
32 32 33 35 NR NR NR NR NR Scott Elbert For arguably the team’s No. 1 pitching prospect to have this kind of year is something else.
33 34 36 34 31 31 25 16 3 Charlie Haeger Don’t think we’ll see him back this season.
34 33 30 33 32 32 30 22 16 Garret Anderson Jay Gibbons OPSed .621 in last major-league season three years ago.
35 36 35 32 30 30 29 27 22 Russ Ortiz Gave up one double and no homers this year.
36 35 34 31 28 28 27 26 26 George Sherrill Has recorded one out this month.

Dodger Cogs and Dogs: Edition 8


Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireJames Loney has a .923 OPS with runners in scoring position, .698 with the bases empty.

In the final Dodger Cogs and Dogs before the season’s halfway point and the All-Star Break, we (okay, I) had by far the least amount of change in the rankings, which is understandable. But there are still four players who have a shot at being the Dodgers’ first-half MVP.

Remember – these ratings reflect full-season value but are partly subjective.

                 
7/1 6/21 6/10 5/24 5/13 5/3 4/19 4/12 Player Comment
1 1 2 3 5 6 10 20 Clayton Kershaw Is he getting it? Six walks in past 28 innings (1.9 BB/9).
2 2 3 2 2 2 3 1 Hiroki Kuroda K/9 with Dodgers by year: 5.7 in 2008, 6.7 in 2009, 7.2 in 2010.
3 4 10 14 9 7 8 4 Rafael Furcal Tour de force in San Francisco. Magnificent.
4 3 1 1 1 1 2 11 Andre Ethier .592 OPS since coming off DL.
5 5 12 5 3 4 4 9 Manny Ramirez In 9,653 career plate appearances. OPS is 1.000 (.411/.589)
6 6 4 11 10 5 6 13 Jonathan Broxton Previous career-high in pitches 44 on 7/3/06. Rested three days, hit hard in next two games, then recovered.
7 8 13 10 6 8 9 24 James Loney Has 47 RBI in past 53 starts.
8 7 8 16 18 NR NR NR Hong-Chih Kuo What is Torre’s rationale for warming Kuo up in bullpen Wednesday with huge lead?
9 11 5 7 8 26 NR NR John Ely Better ERA than Billingsley in only eight fewer innings.
10 10 6 8 11 12 12 10 Chad Billingsley Had 11 strikeouts May 31, 11 strikeouts since.
11 9 9 4 4 3 1 5 Matt Kemp Who doth the spotlight fall upon anon?
12 12 11 9 16 11 7 6 Casey Blake Slumped in June after strong start for second straight year.
13 15 16 13 17 18 21 18 Jamey Carroll With a .400+ OBP against righties, will 36-year-old take over second base?
14 13 14 12 12 15 14 14 Blake DeWitt Only 35 plate appearances against lefties this season.
15 14 15 6 7 10 5 2 Russell Martin Slugging .178 since last double June 15, .280 since last homer May 11.
16 16 18 21 22 21 17 15 Jeff Weaver Has allowed three of 17 inherited runners to score this season.
17 17 17 25 24 NR NR NR Ronald Belisario 20 baserunners, 1.53 ERA in last 17 2/3 IP, but allowed three of five inherited runners to score.
18 19 21 19 13 14 13 7 Ronnie Belliard Won’t surprise you to learn he’s hitting righties better than Anderson.
19 20 20 20 20 17 20 8 Reed Johnson Also hitting righties better than Anderson – barely.
20 18 7 18 14 16 18 21 Carlos Monasterios In final three starts, opponents slugged .704.
21 21 22 15 19 19 NR NR Xavier Paul If Manny goes on DL, I think Paul should say farewell to AAA for good in 2010. (Hint.)
22 25 25 22 23 20 15 25 Vicente Padilla In past two games, pitching like an opening day starter …
23 22 19 17 15 9 11 12 Ramon Troncoso BABIP by month in 2010: .225, .257, .382.
24 23 24 NR NR NR NR NR Travis Schlichting Third-best career ERA in Dodger history (0.87), minimum 10 innings.
25 24 23 NR NR NR NR NR Justin Miller Midnight came early for Miller: seven runs, 17 baserunners in past 9 1/3 IP.
26 26 26 23 25 22 19 19 A.J. Ellis Shirley, he can do better than a .250 slugging percentage.
27 27 27 29 29 28 25 NR Jon Link FYI, this guy isn’t really a kid – he’s 26.
28 28 28 24 26 24 23 23 Brad Ausmus Hearing reports he might be back sooner than expected.
29 29 NR NR NR NR NR NR Chin-Lung Hu Seven walks in 55 games at AAA this season.
30 31 29 26 21 23 24 17 Ramon Ortiz Hammered Time: nine runs, 14 baserunners in three innings Monday for Buffalo.
31 32 30 27 27 NR NR NR Nick Green Toronto update: 1 for 3 with a walk in four games.
32 33 35 NR NR NR NR NR Scott Elbert Saturday marks a month since his last AAA appearance.
33 30 33 32 32 30 22 16 Garret Anderson Five strikeouts in past six plate appearances; three walks all year.
34 36 34 31 31 25 16 3 Charlie Haeger Returns to Albuquerque, no strings attached, after clearing waivers.
35 34 31 28 28 27 26 26 George Sherrill As others have indicated, righties have 1.196 OPS vs. Sherrill, lefties .668.
36 35 32 30 30 29 27 22 Russ Ortiz Highest single-season Dodger ERA this century is Trever Miller’s 23.14 (2 1/3 IP).

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