Do You Want the Bad News or the Real Bad News First?
Okay, we'll start with the merely bad news. The Dodgers opened their four game series against the always booed Giants with a 5-4 loss. Mark Hendrickson's home debut didn't quite kick off in high fashion, giving up five ERs in six innings, complimented by a robust nine hits. While Grady Little obviously wasn't thrilled with the large early deficit (to my knowledge, he doesn't employ a "playing possum" strategy), the hits themselves didn't necessarily bug him too much. The lanky lefty is a ground ball/contact pitcher, so there's obviously gonna be some stuff heading at the infielders.
Unfortunately, said Little, "they were hit on the ground, just like we'd like to see him do, but they were going everywhere we weren't standing." In Little's mind, Hendrickson didn't really pitch that bad. Hendrickson wasn't pleased with the results, but actually agreed. "I felt a lot better than I did last Saturday. After the first inning, seemed to find a big groove." Unlike Stella, however, by the time Hendrickson got his groove back, the hole was too big. "We tried to battle back, but it was just too much."
Despite the slow start, Hendrickson is most definitely enthusiastic about pitching on a team in the thick of things. After spending his career in Toronto and Tampa Bay, such luxuries hardly feel routine. "I'm looking forward to it. I think, for us as a team, if we come out strong these last three days and come out in the second half and get hot; if we can do that, we're gonna be in the playoffs." I asked Hendrickson if it felt different hurling for team in this situation as opposed to a typical Devil Ray July. "Yes and no." Even on a losing team, any pitcher worth his salt in professionalism will go out there, pitch hard, and try to rack a "W." That being said, it's not quite the same. "I think it's going to be a little bit different in the second half knowing that every game's gonna count."
Speaking of second halves, here comes the real bad news. There's finally a prognosis for Eric Gagne and it's not what one would classify as "pretty." He's got two herniated disks, may require surgery and likely won't be back for a while (if at all). The return timetable is basically non-existent. Check your face in the mirror right now. I guarantee it looks identical to Little's. "Well, it doesn't sound good," he glumly admitted. "We're gonna continue to do the best we can. We'll with the hottest hand we got, and right now (Takashi) Saito's hand is pretty hot." For all intents and purposes, Saito's been the closer for quite some time, but it was always with the caveat of a Gagne revival. Exit caveat. I'd say you're looking at the 36-year old rook to close until the close of the season. Saito didn't get the report until after the game (and looked quite shocked upon hearing it). The good news (and finally there's some) is that the prospect of taking over doesn't freak Saito out. Through a translator, I asked if his mindset changes knowing this will likely be his role until the season ends. In a nutshell, not really. He's always played with the expectation of a Gagne return, which motivated him to pitch well and keep the team running. But whether he's throwing in the 8th or 9th, he's good either way. Mostly, he just felt bad for Gagne.
Finally, for a guy that's been plunked 5 times in 96 hours, Nomar was his typically laid back self. "So I ever get mad," he joked. "You go out there and play baseball." When I joked that a few more hits might earn him a free latte or something, he laughed and shook his head. One thing's for sure, though. He's not changing a thing when he's at the plate.
More to come later...
AK
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If A Giant doesn't get hit during the weekend for Nomar getting plunked for the 17th goddamn time this week, I'm going to go Marichal on Grady Little and his southern values.
Posted by: Pablo | July 07, 2006 at 12:50 AM
**Sigh**
Well, we need to hear this news sooner than later. Better now than to "wait" for Gagne's return. People need to stop referring to him like he’s coming back. He’s not, and I have been saying that for some time now. I don’t know if people thought that as long as they didn’t hear the words “he’s done” from the organization then there was always a good chance of him coming back. The truth is he didn’t recover from his arm injury like he was supposed to. This back thing is a freak accident, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that Gagne wasn’t going to recover from his arm problems.
It’s a sad day when you see so much talent being held back by mother nature. I feel bad for Gagne, not because he is a Dodger, but because the guy wants to go out and pitch. As a Division 1 ball player who ruptured his Achilles tendon, I know what it’s like for someone to tell me that I have to give up baseball for a while. I can only imagine what it’s like to give up playing in the grandest stage of them all. Gagne is a true team player and puts the team ahead of himself. He doesn’t deserve this fate. Neither did Dreifort for that matter. But we mere mortals don’t get to make those calls. Game over died way too soon.
It’s been fun, Gagne. Now it’s time for you to move on and take care of the two most important things in life: yourself and your family. Please make sure you do everything to recover so that you live a normal life, not because you want to play baseball again. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around from time to time. You will ALWAYS be a Dodger.
Posted by: LoLo | July 07, 2006 at 07:44 AM
Boras: "We can't predict the time frame. We do know there will be a time Eric Gagne will be back on a major league mound."
That's all you care about, don't you, you little sh**!! Your pay day! You don't care that the man's health for the rest of his life might be in jeopardy. All you see is a paycheck. At a moment when you should be saying “our prayers are with Eric that he sees it through this horrific period of time” and nothing else, you’re busy contemplating how many dollar bills he’s going to make you once he gets back to “a major league mound”.
You know, when I usually post stupid remarks like “I hope he gets beaned” or “knock his head off”, I don’t really mean it. But with Boras, I wish every bad thing on him that can ever happen to a man. I honestly HATE him. I usually don’t use that word to address how I feel about somebody, because there is less than a handful of people that I can say that I hate. But I honestly feel that way about Boras. Does that make me a bad person? I really don’t care! If hating Boras and wishing bad things upon him is a crime, then I will happily sign my guilty plea.
Posted by: LoLo | July 07, 2006 at 08:01 AM
I new it was too good to be true ever getting Gagne back. First Dreifort and now him. Who's next?
Dodgers don't start pitching it's .500 ball the rest of the year.
Unless they can score 7 or 8 runs a game...
Yeah, that would take care of it!
Posted by: Andy B | July 07, 2006 at 11:50 AM