Dodger Thoughts

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

A loss is a loss is a loss, of course

Some Dodger losses just ain’t that interesting. Not even when Elian Herrera doubles.

The team seems due for something like a five-game losing streak – I’m not saying that’ll happen, but it just seems logical in some way. If it does, Clayton Kershaw will be the one to stop it Saturday.

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45 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Undue pessimism, Jon.

  2. Anonymous

    That lineup was Bob Costas88 bad. Unrelated, with all the hand wringing and teeth nashing over letting Kuroda walk, maybe Ned got another 1 right. Still way early, but after getting whacked tonight Ol’ Friend Hiroki’s ERA is 4.5, with his WHIP dangerously close to 1.5.

    • Anonymous

      He’s playing in the AL East.  If he played in the AL East all along, those would be his numbers.  If he was still with the Dodgers this year, we’d see the numbers we are accustomed to.

      • Anonymous

        His other real Uggo game was against the mighty Twinkies

      • Anonymous

        I disagree.  Plenty of pitchers in the AL East have numbers nowhere near that high.  I think his age is finally catching up to him.  He’s just not the pitcher he was with the Dodgers.

    • Anonymous

      He always struck me as a pitcher that pitched better when he was comfortable — and that’s why he passed on the trade a season ago. Perhaps the bright lights of NYC are too much? 

      Of course, I’m reading into things I have no idea about, which I chastised that journalist about last week.

  3. Anonymous

    Gnats and Snakes lose, so the standings stay the same, but the Rocks and Pads move up a game.

  4. Anonymous

    Thinking that U-Dawg in particular might be interested in this overview if baseball in Santa Barbara, if he hasn’t seen it already.

    http://www.santabarbaraview.com/no-place-like-home-snapshots-of-santa-barbara’s-baseball-legacy425226/

    • Anonymous

      Awesomeness. The Babe shoulda bought a hunk of that Montecito property while he was there. What a thrill that must have been to see he and Lou there.

    • Nice, thanks Bob! I remember hearing stories of Laguna Park, which had been torn down before I was around, but friends’ parents told me about going to see the Dodgers’ Cal League team there in the 60s.  Anyway, great find. 

  5. foul tip

    “Dodgers undefeated without Kemp”

    Jon, was this something on the order of the Sports Illustrated cover jinx?  ;-])

  6. The good news for the Dodgers is, if they can just tread water while Kemp is out, they may be fine, given rest of the division has their own injury issues and other issues. I think they can play slightly above .500 ball while he’s out and that may be good enough. 

    Still, I hope they figure out a lineup that works. With Dee not hitting that adds another complication — the leadoff spot (coughAJcough) — and they need to play mix and match with many other spots. 

  7. Anonymous

    I cringed when I read the post.  In my opinion the mistake you made was akin to “talking about a no hitter”.  I agree with your assessment, but I chose to not talk about losing streaks until after they start. Now I am throwing salt over my shoulder.

    • They’ve lost two in a row. Usually, people worry about jinxing a good thing by talking about it, not making a bad thing happen by talking about it.

      • Anonymous

        You are correct they have lost two in a row, but in my mind a streak is three or more.  And in my mind, the lack of a long losing streak so far this season is a good thing that I do not want to jinx. 

        On a more analytic side, I think you are correct.  They are due for a bit of a losing streak.  Just the fun of loving a sport that plays 162 games in a season.

    • Anonymous

      Seems to me that most of the folks here (including me) get too excited for the wins and too down for the losses. 
       
      There’s a 125 of these left to go.  125-0 would be best case scenario, but if forced, we could settle for 124-1.

  8. Anonymous

    IMHO Mark of the Ellis clan should be given the leadoff job while Dee hits 8th for a bit. Look at his splits runner on/bases empty. Patient and smart.

  9. foul tip

    This kinda fits here with Bob’s link to some baseball history, also involving Ruth, Gehrig, and others.

    Haven’t read it all yet, nor watched Lefty Gomez’s 16 MM video.

    But note the bit about how the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young got its name.

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/the_bonus/05/15/lefty/index.html?sct=mlb_bf3_a3       

  10. Anonymous

    Buster Olney now suggesting Sox will look to trade You Kill Us after he’s done rehabbing. Mentions Dodgers as possible destination. fullcount.weei.com

    • foul tip

       Hmm…….that last guy who came over from the Red Sox seemed to do pretty well…for a while….

    • Anonymous

       Would they take Uribe?

      • I know you’re kidding but, hm, what would they take. I know they are desperate for pitching, right? Javy Guerra’s stock is lower now, alas, but might BoSox be interested in him and a good pitching prospect? 

        • Anonymous

          Olney said that other general managers have told him that Youkilis is going to have to put about three productive and healthy weeks together in order for them to gauge his trade value.
          “They think then, that’s when you can get a little something in return,” Olney said. “Not great, they’re not going to get a Grade A prospect, they’re probably not even going to get a Grade A-minus prospect because of the amount of money owed to him.

          • Anonymous

            Owe him 12 for this year, 1 mil buyout or 13 next. B level pitching prospect may get him. Perfect attitude for this team.

  11. foul tip

    This will be too long but IMO worth it.

    Taking the liberty of re-linking to a yahoo story nsx linked to couple days back to because the following from it has such a compelling summation of Josh Hamilton’s historical 9 HR outburst.  Worth reading or rereading in its entirely.  Here, its summation of Hamilton’s heroics–

    • Two go-ahead homers
    • One game-tying homer
    • Six lead-extending homers
    • Four solo homers
    • Five two-run homers
    • Two homers off curveballs, changeups and sinkers
    • One homer off a fastball, slider, and cutter
    • Three homers to center and right-center
    • Two homers to right
    • One homer to left-center
    • 3,621 feet of homers
    • One bat

    “Yes, Hamilton continued to use the bat from his four-homer game for every one but No. 6. Wonderboy finally broke on Sunday night.”

    As the story points out, 3621 feet is most of of a mile.  

    Gosh.  Had it not been for substance abuse issues, this guy might have been a real life model for The Natural.  What numbers might he have put up in years he missed and what totals might he now have?

    (And, on reflection, what numbers might Ted Williams have if not for his service in WW 2 and Korea?)

    http://sports.yahoo.com/news/10-degrees–looking-beyond-josh-hamilton-s-legendary-week-to-handicap-his-free-agent-market.html
     

  12. Rafael Furcal has already tied Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby for most three-hit games by a Cardinal in a season: 9. http://bit.ly/Jjkte9

    • Anonymous

      He’s taking the afternoon off against the Gnats, but the Cards do not appear to need him, having taken a 2-0 lead in the first.

    • Anonymous

      Wow no Pujols, no McGee, no Pendleton.

  13. Padres Claim Eric Stults bit.ly/LbhKgU

    • foul tip

       He had done well for the White Sox.  Why did they cut him loose?

  14. New Dodger owners could gain much from Bankruptcy Court settlement lat.ms/J16FPr

    • Anonymous

      ETA for Simers piece demanding to know if frank receives a dime of it? ;-)

  15. Anonymous

    The Padres must have been reading the comment on DT yesterday about O Hudson, as they have just DFA’d him

    • Anonymous

      Rather have the O Dog back than Kennedy

      • Anonymous

         Can’t argue with that, but neither of them is much of an asset at this point.

        • Anonymous

          No argument there

          • Anonymous

             Isn’t that a Rule 4 violation? Not arguing for the sake of not arguing?

        •  Hudson will be a Dodger by midnight, primarily to shepherd Dee Gordon along, switch hit for Ellis, give you a veteran presence off the bench. No brainer.

          • Anonymous

             Plus, Colletti will figure Hudson will hit for the cycle again.

        • Anonymous

          WBB you were the one who brought up Hudson’s decline yesterday? Right on target.

      • Anonymous

        I wonder if it would have been possible to trade Kennedy for Hudson?

      • Anonymous

        Bruce, I was just thinking the exact same thing.

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