Extra! Extra! (5.31)
While Ned Colletti's acquisition of guys like K.Lo, Nomar, and Furcal has obviously paid dividends, sometimes it seems like he could have just cherry-picked youngsters and "has beens" from A to AAA and come up big this season.
Take last night's 8-3 win over the Braves. You got "past his prime and twice released in 2005" Aaron Sele on the hill. Yeah, his 6 IP, 3 ER performance couldn't earn a decision, but if that's the worst he'll pitch this season (and thus far, it is), the Dodgers will take him over a "name" any day of the week.
And speaking of names, Andre Ethier's was less famous than Milton Bradley's when he came over from the A's in that trade. Unless you think Bradley's injured and sub-.250 status is more inspiring than it sounds, it's safe to speculate Ethier is a bigger part of baseball discussions at the moment. After following up his fourth inning two-run jack with the eighth inning go-ahead RBI, Ethier did his part to remain in the baseball community's collective consciousness. And if you look up and down the box score, names like Aybar, Kemp, Martin and Saito reiterate the notion that Yankee-style big-name collecting isn't the only way to skin a cat.
Tonight's game (KCAL, 4:35 p.m.): The pitcher's battle should be interesting (if by "interesting," you mean "potentially ugly"). Tim Hudson's never lost to the Dodgers before, and his teams have never lost against the Dodgers with him on the hill. In the meantime, Tomko is 2-2 with a 6+ ERA against Atlanta and is coming off his first loss since mid-April. Some tide turning will be necessary if the Blue want to pull this one out.
Hug out alert! Everything between Grady Little and Brad Penny is all good. You won't get much in the way of details regarding the discussion of Penny's tantrum last Monday, but the bottom line is that both consider the matter closed. Perhaps if Penny remains on his best behavior, this cat will eventually forgive him.
Gagne's Comeback Delayed!
Relax, people. It ain't no thang. Before going into "game over" mode for the Dodgers, Gagne will have to serve a quick suspension. In order to make room for him on the active roster, the team sent Oscar Robles back to Vegas.
Hopefully, former Dodger great Maury Wills can keep his life on track.
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AK, BK, LoLo, anyone,
What do you all think Little will do with the pen now that Gagne is back? I am wondering if he will just pitch Saito and Baez an inning earlier? In other words, have Baez pitch the seventh and Saito pitch the eighth? Assuming Gagne is effective I think this could be a devastating 1-2-3 punch. They had something similar a few years back when they would throw Dreifort in the seventh, Mota in the eighth and Gagne would close it. If they happened to have a lead going into seventh the game was all but over.
This is all under the assumption that Gagne at least to some degree resembles his former self, and that he stays healthy.
Anyway, just wondering what you all think?
Go Blue!!
Posted by: SantaMonica4Ever | May 31, 2006 at 10:39 AM
Well, it sounds like they're still trying to ease Gagne back in (not to mention the fact that he might not be the workhorse he once was), so I'm expecting it to go this way -- the ninth to be tag team between Gagne and Saito, the eighth to be a combination of Saito and Baez, and the seventh to be Baez and Broxton. Whether or not Gagne can go on a particular day will determine everyone else's role that day.
That's my guess, at least.
Posted by: Eric B. | May 31, 2006 at 10:51 AM
AK,
You were a catcher for a while, so it will be good to get your perspective on this.
Case: Does a catcher make THAT big of a difference in the pitching staff, and really have a big influence on W’s???
Exhibit A: Russell Martin – We’ve lost a total of 3 games with him as our starting catcher. Our winning percentage is in the .800s with this guy behind the plate. HOW MUCH does he have to do with that? Pitching always will help get you the W’s. I was a SS/2B, so I never got to personally feel the whole pitcher/catcher relationship, but I witnessed that if the pitcher is comfortable with the catcher it helps matters immensely. I also know that it is common to give catchers credit for a pitcher doing well. So what is it with this guy? Is he really that good that young? Is it coincidence that the Dodgers bats wake up with his presence? Was it timing that everyone got healthy right around the time he took over as catcher?
Circumstantial Stuff:
Alomar catches and Tomko gets bombed, the first time he has all season long.
Alomar catches, we lose.
Martin catches and it seems that our pitchers become superhuman.
I don’t have the numbers, but it seems that clubs are less willing to run on us with Martin behind the plate.
Staff ERA happens to be lower with Martin back there, WAY LOWER.
As I mentioned, we have lost 3 games out 20+ with Martin catching.
So, AK, can you throw your 2 cents into this and explain if you think Martin should be given a large amount of credit for our play? And “explain it to me like I’m a 5-year-old”.
Posted by: LoLo | May 31, 2006 at 11:04 AM
SantaMonica4Ever,
I’m sure AK/BK will chime in with their plentiful baseball knowledge later. As for my 2 cents:
I am one of the few that have been on the side of caution when it comes to Gagne. I was really worried about his velocity in Spring Training, and apparently he still is not throwing consistently in the 90s. His change-up was so wicked because of the disparity between it and his 95+ fastball. With his fastball down to 90 his changeup will not be as devastating. Bottom line is that he will have to learn to pitch smarter. He knows that. So now it will remain to be seen whether or not he can do so successfully.
Gagne was an awesome pitcher. I don’t think it’s fair to him to think he will dominate like he used. But if he returns to even half of what he used to be then he can only be an asset to us.
Gagne IS the closer. Until he falls on his face it’s his job to lose. Grady has already said this much. If Baez gets himself together then he should be Gagne’s setup man. Then we have Beimel and Saito pitching very well. That’s 4 pitchers that can kick butt all day long (again, assuming Gagne pitches well). Even if Gagne struggles a bit I think if Beimel and Saito continue to pitch well and Baez gets his act together for good we still have a good bullpen. A healthy dominating Gagne will be the cherry on top and help ensure very good success in the playoffs.
Just think, if a SP can only go 5 innings, then you got Beimel, Saito, Baez, and Gagne finishing the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings respectively. That is a scary feeling for opposing teams if these guys continue to pitch well. If the starters can go longer then that just means a couple of these guys will get some rest, which can only be good at the end of the year.
Posted by: LoLo | May 31, 2006 at 11:17 AM
Little is going to rotate the use of the pen just like he has been doing w/ the whole team. He is going to figure out what works with what situations. Gagne will close in save situations. Saito 8th. Baez 7th. Broxton 7&8th.
Little wont want to overwork any of his pitchers just like he rests his veterans.
I cant wait until Thursday!!...
Posted by: MrsThinkBlue | May 31, 2006 at 11:36 AM
SM4E-
I think they'll be cautious with Gagne initially. I wouldn't look for him to pitch back to back games, for example, at least for a little while. As for the other guys, his return pushes Saito and Baez back to the 7th and 8th, in a setup role (not necessarily in that order, by the way). Broxton will also earn some of those innings. But the best thing is that it'll push out the weakest member of the pen. Right now, I'd say that's Hamulack. Suddenly, the Dodgers are pretty scary from the 7th on, and when you only really need starters to go six, that's a great situation for a manager.
Lolo-
While Martin's stats, both in terms of the staff ERA and the team's record with him in there, are a little flukey right now (those numbers will even out as the season goes on), I don't think you can underestimate how important the catcher is to the success of a staff and a team. There are absolutely guys who call better games than others, have a better feel for pitchers and game situations than others, etc. Someone like Mike Matheny is a great example, both as a great defensive catcher and a guy who does all those little things.
Everyone on the team praises Martin's skills in those areas. He has a solid understanding of the game, prepares well for hitters, and has quickly found a comfort level with his staff. He's not 17 wins in 20 starts good. Nobody is. But I think he makes a difference. A guy like Alomar does many of the same things, and the sample size of games he's played isn't big enough to make too many assumptions from it.
So in not-so-short, I think Martin is making a difference in more ways than simply offense and blocking the plate. He really seems like a solid catcher despite only having done it for three years or so. Pretty impressive.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | May 31, 2006 at 12:25 PM
Here are my two,three cents regarding our pitching and catching situation.....Gagne come's back!!!This means that not only will one of my favorite songs will start playing again at Dodger stadium in most of the ninth innings, but it also means that our bullpen will FINALLY be once again a force and lights out once our starting staff needs it. However, Gagne will need some time to return to his glory days, but I'll take Broxton,Baez,Saito and Gagne from the sixth inning on any given day.... By the way, what will happen with Mr. Inconsistent Perez? He better start filing unemployment paperwork!!! As far as our catching is concerned, I truly admire Martin's attitude and poise behind the plate and not sure I get the same feeling from Navarro yet......At least once Navarro's back, he will have his work cut out for him knowing that he now has to prove why he was at some point regarded as a better prospect catcher than Martin, But for now, our club is rolling with Martin and his boys. Let them keep doing a wonderful job. Keep it up Blue!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: JCBlue | May 31, 2006 at 12:27 PM
Lolo,
You're giving my catching prowess a little too much credit. I played from age 6-14. 99% of my pitchers could throw two pitches: "Hard as I can over the plate" and "Hard as I can not over the plate." I didn't exactly give a lot of signals. haha. Thus, my firsthand experience doesn't lend much to the discussion.
But in hearing the starters discuss Martin, I've gathered that they rely on and respect his signal calling quite a bit in determining what they'll throw (and the success of their outing). Either Sele or Lowe (I don't remember which) specifically mentioned how if they shake him off, he'll often repeat the same sign, insisting on that particular pitch. And they respect him for that. A catcher that calls a good game is quite the commodity in a pitcher's eyes.
Plus, his D also comes into play for the various winning records when he's behind the plate. He's blocked a few runners out at home. He's thrown out runners, which is one less run potentially scored against the Dodgers. Throw in the fact that he's helped a bit with his bat, and there's a lot of explanations for why the team's done well. Simply put, he's just having a good season.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | May 31, 2006 at 12:30 PM
Some pitching thoughts,
Is anyone here truly surprised to see the early success of guys like Sele and Saito? I mean, it seems like a perennial story with the Dodgers riding the success of veteran pitching reclamation projects, and any baseball fan on the western seaboard can tell you that in the past decade, the Dodgers, Angels, Mariners and Padres have had some great success with multiple veteran Asian pitchers, especially in relief.
Of course, these guys aren't going to keep up their dominance forever, but if names like Terry Adams, Matt Herges, Dennis Springer, Jose Lima are an indication, the Dodger's pitching staff knows how to make overachievers out of anybody.
One more note about Odalis Perez. Remember back in the day when the Dodgers were faced with another underachieving pitcher with the same last name? Now Odalis isn't nearly as bad as Carlos when it comes to performance and attitude, but when the Dodgers tried desperately to unload C.P., they ended up having to suck it up and pay him $10 mil a year. I could see something similar happening this year. Wouldn't it be better to cut the guy and open up a roster spot if you know the money is no good anyway?
Posted by: Makoto Ueno | May 31, 2006 at 12:32 PM
BK,
Yikes!! I forgot about Broxton!! Our pen is going to be SICK, straight cheese!!! What a difference a month makes!!
“But the best thing is that it'll push out the weakest member of the pen. Right now, I'd say that's Hamulack” - Wiseman BK -
Gee, BK. You think? Way to go out on a limb. Nothing gets past you!! Hahaha!!! (you know I’m just messin’ with you)
Thanks for the input on the catching thing. I guess the phenomenon is easier to explain through the whole “how many wins is he worth” argument. Kind of like Phil Jackson is supposedly worth 5-7 games. In the end we can thoroughly determine how many games Martin is “worth” over say Navarro and Alomar. While we might not maintain this winning pace, I’m sure Martin has already been “worth” a few wins. I just want to make sure I give credit where credit is due. If Martin has been “worth” some of those wins then he deserves all the credit he gets!
Posted by: LoLo | May 31, 2006 at 12:51 PM
Makoto,
While “TRULY surprised” may not be the term, “PLEASANTLY surprised” would probably be the better term. Either way, “surprised” should be included in there. We should not take it for granted.
While the Dodgers have been great at picking up relics and resurrecting them, for every Lima there is a Scott Erickson. I think the success of these relics is based on a few things:
- The NL is a pitcher’s league (I bet Weaver will promptly agree with that statement)
- Dodger Stadium is a pitcher’s ball bark (please raise your hand if you’d rather be pitching at Coors, even with El Humidor)
- There is always 35,000+ at the stadium. L.A. fans might get there late and leave early (although that will change with Gagne back) we still show up in big numbers. Having that many people behind you is always a good thing!
Bonus: Apparently Martin can call a heck of a game (this year’s excuse). As AK mentioned, if Martin is forcing pitchers who have won in the World Series to throw what HE wants, and they listen, that goes to show you what kind of a catcher he truly is!
Surprising, not surprising, or business as usual, it’s nice to see pitchers like Sele “surprise”. Either way it’s a WIN WIN WIN situation. Here’s hoping that he keeps it up!!
GO BLUE
Posted by: LoLo | May 31, 2006 at 01:05 PM