Extra! Extra! (9.26)

I feel much better this morning. The Phillies loss has given me more than a ray of hope that we can make the playoffs. At the same token, the San Diego win has convinced me that we are not winning the division (not because we won’t play well, but because it looks like the Madres have no plans of relinquishing the lead). If the Phillies would have won last night then I would have been REALLY worried. As it stands we are tied for a playoff spot with 6 games to go, and the Phillies still have to finish up their series with the streaking Astros.

Am I the only one who is sh***ing bricks about having to play the G-Nats the last weekend of the season? That is going to be one HOSTILE crowd.

Every effort needs a war cry. We as a blog should come up with one for the last week of the season and our charge into the playoffs (it’s kind of like not naming your boat; it’s bad luck). I for one nominate one that is near and dear to my heart:

BRING OUT THE GIMP!!

(Long story, hahaha!!)

Tell the Rockies to crank up that humidor in case we have to turn to Bombko after Maddux.

It's do or die now folks! Let's hope Houston can continue to cool off the Phils and we can turn it up a notch.
AK/BK, are we going to have a hot stove blog to vent and discuss the season and what we need to do to get better for next season? I hope so, it is a lot of fun hearing everyone's views and opinions even if we don't agree at times.
Anyway, great job and hopefully the guys will get us some live playoff blogs.

Unfortunately, the Phils are in DC to face the Nationals for a three game series. That game against Houston last night must have been a make up game.

SOB!!! I guess I should have looked at the Phillies' schedule. I thought they were playing the Astros. Now I don't feel so hot.

Maybe I should show up at RFK this series and root against the Phillies.

Damn, I thought the Phillies had a series with the Astros also. Doesn't look as rosy now.

You're my boy blue

(I'm reposting, didn't know we were on a new thread)

According to Baseball Prospectus, we have a 47.2% chance of making the postseason. Phillies have a 63.71% chance and the Madres have a 89.0% chance. The Dodgers chances are lower than they have been since "the streak".

Having read that, I still like our chances a lot.
Our magic number for the wildcard is 7. Magic number for the division is 9. Phillies of course also have magic number of 7, and Madres have magic # of 5.

Dayn Perry at Fox Sports says the Dodgers won't make it. Lets prove him wrong. He factors in several factors which are valid, but he leaves out one major factor IMO. HEART. I do believe our boys in blue have shown plenty of HEART, and even though everything else is going against them, Heart will get us there.

Believe.
Believe!
BELIEVE!!

As fans, WE MUST BELIEVE!

GO BLUE!

GO DODGERS!

We're with you all the way!

GO NATS! GO CARDS!

Breathe easy, folks, focus now. The Madres have to face Chris Carpenter tonight, Walt Whitman-Batisita on Thursday, and "he shall be" Livan on Friday. It's not all easy street for the Madres from the Litter Box, yet. . . .

However, I've got a little African proverb I'd like to share with Grady and the boys:

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running."

The sun is rising today, Grady. Time for you to get the Blue Boys a$$es into gear!!!

Lolo,

How about you deliver a nice & fresh "Salinas Valley SPINACH Salad" to the visitors clubhouse at RFK tonight? That oughta put Howard and Utley down for about six games!

GET YER E.COLI, HERE!!!!!

I'd like to hope but it's really hard.
We will not catch the Padres. The Phillies play better on the road than we do. We are not playing well right now.
The Dodgers are going to have to play out of their minds to make it. I think it will take 5 out of 6. Even if it took 4 out of 6 does anyone
think we can do that right now on the road?
I sure hope so.

The article above (Saito's fututre up in the air) mentioned that Saito might return to Japan next year. I really hope that Saito and Garciaparra stay next year. I can't imagine this team without them now.

Frankly, the walk off granny and the phils loss last night has taken some time to set in, but now im feeling surprisingly positive. we got maddux twice and d.lowe twice. i feel like grady's number of 87 is going to be enough for the wildcard, but not for the division. hopefully im wrong and the cards and dback just beat the snot out of the padres. and as for the giants and the rockies i got a good feeling we are going to suck it up and play well.

Tony Gwynn and Yahoo's MLB columnist Jeff Passan just picked the Phillies to win the wild card too.

Come on Dodgers...prove all these guys wrong !!

DBB,

I need something that will act faster. Milk of Milanta might be good though.

DBB,

Actually, I think I'll pay the Philly team bus driver to take the LONG way to RFK tonight. Don't be surprised if he gets a flat-with-no-spare out by where Butch lives.

DodgerFreak,

Don't let Dayn Perry's remarks get you worried. His entire column is based on sabermetrics. Remember the last time someone tried to use sabremetric to analyze the Dodgers?? Good ol' DePod. And where did sabermetrics get us then?? Hee-Sop and Jose Valentine!!
Dayn Perry is just expressing sour grapes to Team Blue for firing his boy, DePod, and it's clear Mr. Perry is just sucking up to the Madres for giving his fellow sabermetrician a job again.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH, AS JOHN DENVER WOULD SAY.

EVERY GAZELLE HAS ITS DAY.

AT LEAST PENNY IS ONLY SCHEDULED FOR ONE MORE START.
(SHOULD BE BILLZ)

USC STILL NO. 1.

DOW UP 93 POINTS.

OIL DOWN 44 CENTS.

DARN HUMIDOR- I REMEMBER WHEN A TRIP TO DENVER
WAS AN AUTOMATIC CURE FOR THE DODGER OFFENSE.

Despite game time temps in the 40's tonight, Maddux will be the one with "Sunshine on [his] Shoulders" in the rocky mountains tonight.

http://www.lariat.org/AtTheMovies/essays/jd.jpg

AS CASSIUS CLAY SAID RUN LIKE AN ANTELOPE AND ROAR LIKE A LION.OR WAS THAT BLUE BALLS???

I, too thought that Phils have a series against Houston. Dang PPDs!! Crud...Here are the results of Philly's last 6 against the Nats:

Fri. 18 Washington L 6-4
Sat. 19 Washington W 11-2
Sun. 20 Washington W 12-10
Tue. 29 at Washington W 10-6
Wed. 30 at Washington W 5-1
Thu. 31 at Washington L 6-5

Dominated. Sigh.

DBB- NICE PIC.

DBB- SHOULD BE LIKE A BRISK WALK IN THE PARK.

DBB,

That was more of John Denver than I EVER wanted to see.

AS CHURCHILL SAID NEVER HAVE SO MANY DONE SO LITTLE WITH SO MUCH.

OK guys. I went back to watch the 9/18 video highlights on dodgers.com. They still give me goosebumps. G-damn it!! Let's be positive and will these guys to victory!

"Come on you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?!?"

DODGERFREAK - AND YOUR POINT IS??????????

AK/BK,

Off the baseball topic for a sec, I just noticed that Steve "I'm lucky to have played alongside Jordan and Duncan or else I would be a nobody" Kerr put out his pre-season rankings. He had the nerve of leaving the Lakers out of the top 15. To add insult to injury, he has the Knicks at No.11. What a f'n joke!! How can you have one ounce of integrity doing something stupid like that. Here goes another long year of writing the dumba** to tell him what a moron he is.

NOTHING LIKE COLD, THIN AIR TO INVIGORATE THE SPIRIT???????

Lolo,

Those rankings were just for the Eastern conference. Wait until Kerr does the West before cursing him. Haha

AK

GRUMPY- THIS IS AMERICA. WE ALL DESERVE A WINDOW
SEAT WITH A VEIW OF THE SQUIRRELS AND A RIGHT TO
USE ANY DARN STAPLER WE WANT TO.

AK,

HAHA!! It's not all my fault. The news clipping I got over email was titled "Steve Kerr's preaseason NBA Rankings". It made no mention that it was only an Eastern Conference write-up. Typo by the News Alerts people.

Still, the Knicks at No.11?? What???!!!??

LOLO- YOU'RE WAY OFF YOUR GAME.

WHATSAMATTAU????

EVER SINCE YOU MISSED THAT LIVE BLOG. YOU JUST
HAVEN'T BEEN YOURSELF.

ALWAYS RUNNING A LITTLE BIT BEHIND.

ALMOST LIKE U FELL DOWN AND CAN'T GET UP?

C' MON BUDDY. YOU SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE LED HERE.

LED US TO VICTORY AND GLORY!!!!

Heres a little entertainment before the big show.
Something to do with spinach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpJyjhvw8Ic

OK, before seeing this picture, I had nooo idea that they inked Penny Marshall to play John Denver in his upcoming biopic.

http://trailer.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/john_denver.jpg

Did anyone else here know about that? Anyone?

Lolo,

Is it happy hour already? First you thought the Phillies are still the Astros and now you're complaining about Kerr not ranking the Lakers in the top 15 teams in the Eastern Conf.?
AK got you good there my man.

Lolo's too busy "taking care of" the Phillies on their way to RFK, to make any posts right now.

"Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. . ."

only the 1st inn but Phils already up 2-0

MADDAWGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG LIVES FOR GAMES LIKE THIS!!!

Lolo,

I had no idea why Spike Lee went all the way down to New Orleans to make a documentary about Natural Disasters of Epic Proportions. I mean, Madison Square Garden and the Knicks are just right down the street from Spike's crib. . .

YOU KNOW EVER SINCE LOLO GOT THAT "SPECIAL MEDICATION" FOR THAT "SINUS/EAR ACHE INFECTION",
HE'S BEEN A "LITTLE" OFF HIS GAME?????????

DBB- PENNYS A VERY VERSATILE ACTRESS. AS WE ALL KNOW.

Nats take the lead 3-2 in the bottom of 3!

There is rumor floating around that the Devil Rays are willing to trade Carl Crawford for a top pitcher. Maybe the Dodgers can fool the Rays and offer them Penny for Crawford. They can advertise his 98 mph (straight, but they don't have to know that) fastball, his enthusiam (anger), and his ability to grind out an outing (giving up 4-5 runs in the first and none through the other 4 innings he pitches)

Let's go Nationals, up 3-2! Dodgers need to win the wild card and have the Cardinals hold on. I don't think any Dodger fan wants to face Houston's Clemens, Oswalt, and Pettitte.

'MEMBER WHEN WE LOOKED TO LOLO FOR ANSWERS.
NOW ALL HE HAS IS QUESTIONS. IT ALL KINDA SAD.
IN A SPOOKY, HALLOWEENISH KINDA WAY.

TOM- PENNY IS A TOP PITCHER AND WE ALL KNOW IT(WINK, WINK). WE GOTTA HOPE THEY DON'T READ THIS BLOG(WINK,WINK)>

LOLO- WHEN ITS TIME TO REFILL THAT PRESCRIPTION-DON'T.

Jennings, 32 pitches in the 1st inning. 19 strikes and 13 balls.

mike

I just used google and a ouija board to channel the spirit of John Denver, and I asked Mr. Denver if the Dodgers would be "Leaving, on a jet plane" in first place from Colorado to San Fran. Here's his response:

http://www.steveweaver.com/graphics/john%20denver%20experimental.jpg

Maddux may have blocked the umpire's view of Nomar's tag on Matsui. Or he may have been in the way, period.

Sorry guys. Had to step out for a couple of hours for my belt test in Hap Ki Do. I'm back now.

Stargain, don't worry. My breathing tecniques have me focused again. No medication necessary. HAHA!

I rather have Maddux throw into the 80-90 pitch mark instead of having Bomko, Sele, Hamulack, or Hendrickson come in. Penny should take some notes. That is how you hold a lead when it is giving to you.

Maddux, 26 pitches in the 1st inning. 16 strikes and 10 balls.

GO DODGERS!

mike

GO NATS!!!

Damn. Mad Dog threw 26 pitches that inning.

THATS AT LEAST THE 7TH STRAIGHT TIME THAT FURCALS BEEN ON BASE.

well it's good to know that penny will only cost us 1 game. so going 5 out of 6 should put us in the playoffs.

considering we split the 4 game series with the met, i like our chances.

go blue & go deep.

do we have a live blog tonite, or you still trying to get over the live blog letting one get away sunday?

live blog karma cannot do anything when penny feel like the other team needs an early lead. maybe we can call him peso, batz, real, yen, rubles til he go back to his 1st half stats.

on another note, how about lolo's boy drew. he's come on lately.

clippers '07 baby!

Stupid Line Drives

ohhh, I get it! To better our fortunes, AK/BK are going with the double-secret "anti-live" blog. Sneaky, boys, very sneaky. . . .

Wow, for a minute there, it looked like the Rockies were giving us the game... At least all the outs are hard hits.

Don't you just love Maddux? Faking the bunt and swinging away! LOL! It didn't work but it just shows what kind of thinker he is.

GO DODGERS!

mike

Tom, earlier in the season I would have been all about dealing for Crawford. At this point, though, given Colletti's luck with former D-Rays, I'd be worried about anyone who's played in Tampa Bay.

Anybody else find it ironic that once St. Louis starts winning, the Brothers Kamenetzky suddenly abandon their posts?

I guess it's a little late to mention this, but the Dodgers are guaranteed a winning record this season. If the 2005 club had played this 'well', the Dodgers might have had the honor of being a doormat to the Chi Sox.

Nomar!!!!!!!

NATS WIN!! NATS WIN!!

Phils finally lose!! Let's hope St. Louis holds on. What will the odds change to then???
Marlon Anderson sure has made Lugo dispensable. Too bad we couldn't get a bag of peanuts for him and Hall.

EARTH TO BLOG. COME IN BLOG.

6 INNINGS FROM MADDUX AND BIEMEL,BROX AND SAMMY????

EARTH TO BLOG. COME IN BLOG.UNCLE TOM TO BLOG.
COME IN BLOG.

CAPTAIN TOM TO EARTH CONTROL(BLOG).
COME IN EARTH CONTROL( BLOG).

Way to go Turtle. . . I mean Martin!!!

Open up the flood gates!!!!

SOMEONE CALL 911 THE BLOG MASTER IS DOWN AND HE CAN'T GET UP?????

11-3 . ITS TOMKO TIME ??

AK- IS IT HAMMY PROOF??

DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER WHEN THERE USED TO BE A BLOG CALLED BLUE NOTES???

KING KONG KING

CARDS ARE WORTHLESS- I BET THE PADRES CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR THE PLAYOFFS.

SOMEONE CALL TIMES WARNER, THE BLOG FELL DOWN AND IT CAN'T GET UP.

This is the best situation to use Tomko. There is no pressure!

HALL DESERVES SOME PLAYIN TIME AND SO DOES LONEY.

REMEMBER WHEN YOU COULD ACTUALLY POST A COMMENT
ON A BLOG . AHH-THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

I REMEMBER A TWILIGHT EPISODE LIKE THIS-

THE LAST BLOGGER ON EARTH AND HE WAS BLOGGING TO HIMSELF.

The Cardinals can't buy a win right now!

They'd better look out. Houston is on their a**.

GOOD NIGHT FOR TOMKO TO RELAX AND REGAIN HIS CONFIDENCE????

WELL I WASN'T EXPECTING A LIVE BLOG BUT...

Now if the Cards can pull out a win it will be a perfect evening. The guys gettin' it done tonight! I still don't want to see Penny start another game this season. Hell, I wouldn't complain if they unloaded him in the off season for a bat.

I think AK/BK are not updating the blog because they are at the bar drinking the Cardinals' problems away.

Just got back from the game tonight. The Blue looked great -- Jennings was clearly off from the get-go. Maddux pitched a couple of very efficient innings in the middle going -- I wasn't counting but it seemed like he had a couple of single digit pitch count innings in a row there. The long 6th took a little out of him but, all in all, a fabulous performance.

Lots of Dodger fans at the game -- I was behind the Dodger dugout a few rows up. Not sure how it came over on TV, but Marlon Anderson's blast was a BOMB.

The Padres' rally in StL was the only damper -- given that the Dodgers will have to make up 3 games on the Padres by Sunday in order to win the West, I'm thinking that we may have to settle for the Wild Card -- as lousy as that is. I hadn't counted on the Cards choking down the stretch -- I figured they'd sweep San Diego.

I'm in LA tomorrow but am planning to make it back to Coors by the 3rd inning or so on Wednesday.

i'm just glad we took over the wild card race, but it would be sweeter if we took over the NL West.

the blog is dead .long live the blog.
THE BLOG IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE BLOG.

I HOPE THE FUN POLICE DIDN'T SHUT DOWN THE BLOG.
AK DID YOU DOZE OFF AGAIN????
I WANT MY BLOG AND I WANT IT NOW.
I'M BETTING ON THE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS EXCUSE AGAIN.
DON'T ASK ME WHY, JUST A HUNCH.

WE NEED TWO MORE WINS LIKE THIS AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE BLOG BACK ALSO.
RESPECTIVELY YOURS,

STARGAZIN

ITS A COMMIE PLOT I TELL YOU. EITHER THAT OR THE TALIBAN.

THE BLOGGING MAN BLOGGED.
although all had given up hope,
still in the distance a lone light shone,
THE BLOGGING MAN BLOGGED,
STILL CLINGING TO THE FADING HOPE,
THAT SOMEDAY HIS COMMENTS WILL BE POSTED,
THE BLOGGING MAN BLOGGED.

Star-Guy,
You need to start a blog. Call it Star-Gazin'.
We'd all be there!!!

I feel vidicated. I predicted on this very blog on the day we got Maddox that he would win 5+ games as a Dodger this season. Looks like he will win six. Some here lambasted me for that prediction. I think the old guy actually has helped the whole staff.

But, I think his big contribution is the way he seemed to have settled Lowe down. Lowe's the real workhorse of the staff. He's been going like 7 and 8 innings every start for a couple of months, now. Lowe has looked like this ALL season, but just not for an entire game. He always seemed to have a melt-down inning. No more. Something has focused the guy, I think Maddox is part of the answer, and the pennant race itself is the other part.

I also predicted that Penny not giving Maddox his number would lead to him not being very good after the All-Star break. I was hoping (praying) that I was wrong on that one. The numbers don't lie, though. He sould have been the bigger man and given up the #. Its Karma, and Penny is oozing with the bad kind right now.

He's going to pitch our tie-breaker, he better make amends to Karma between now and then. Or, he risks being the goat for loosing the only two games that matter at the end of the season.

Maddox and Lowe and Lofton and Garciapara: STUDS.

Penny, so far: DUD.

But, he can still turn it around.

--Fearless

Is it true that the Dodgers have scored nearly half of all their runs for the whole season against just the Rockies bullpen? What a great time of the year to be in Denver, huh?

I think Bonds is shutting it down and resting up for the weekend series with us. It's going to be a hell of a weekend. Let's go Dodgers!

Thanks Jim. You're nice man.

THAT WAS SO STRANGE LAST NIGHT. KEPT EXPECTING THE BLOG TO UPDATE BUT NEVER DID.

FEARLESS I MENTIONED BEFORE THE GAME THAT COLORADO
USED TO BE AN AUTOMATIC CURE FOR THE DODGER OFFENSE.

RC- AT LEAST 3 OF MARLON;S HOMERS HAVE BEEN BOMBS.
SURPRISED HE HASN'T HIT MORE HOMRES IN HIS CAREER.
HE'S GOTTA LOT OF POWER.
DO YOU LIVE IN DENVER???

RC- I KIDDINGLY PREDICTED 9-0 AND A 0 ERA FOR MADDUX.
THE POINT WAS THAT HE WAS GOIN TO BE GREAT FOR THE DODGERS AND HE HAS BEEN. WE GOT LOWE TONITE AND THEN IF NECESSARY THEY'RE GOING TO PITCH MADDUX SATURDAY
AND LOWE SUNDAY.

Stargazin,

NBC had the graphic about the Rockies bullpen. That's incredible.

But, then again, most of the season, the Dodgers have been fattening up on relief pitching. We actually haven't done that well against starters this season.

--Fearless

Rockies bullpen to the rescue, again. Man I LOVE those guys.

Lowe is a stud. Saito is GOD. Nice to see Ethier get an important hit in a pressure situation. Plus, SD lost.

Good game all around.

--Fearless