Penny All Good

I will be heading to the game this Thursday, and I am interested to see how this new parking works out. I think it is ridiculous that we are paying $15 now and that some sort of courtesy shuttle has not been implemented for riding the Gold Line.

TJ and other Times writers keep saying that season ticket holders get to use any gate and park in better areas, but that's not true. Only season ticket holders that buy the season parking plan get that privilege. I have season tickets with my father and uncles, and we've never bothered getting the parking plan because it was so much more expensive than just paying at the gate. But now, with the huge price hike at the gate, the season parking plan only winds up being about $0.66 more per game. I'm starting to think that this whole new parking system is just Frank's way of pushing the season parking plan...

I still don't trust that Penny's arm will not break down. What happened last year, post All Star game? Did he ever tell anyone he was hurting? And I'm still annoyed with his tantrums and not giving Maddux his number, no class.

I feel bad for Loney but surely he'll be back with the big club very soon the way people are dropping like flies. Hate to say it but I've got a feeling Repko's star is falling fast, ala Jason Werth. just too many injuries period, though I love watching the guy!

Valmont,
I think the whole parking structure is NOT to sell season parking passes but to get $5 more per car! This is ridiculous!!! The traffic wasn't so bad that I would pay $5 more everytime I went to a Dodger game!! Why not ask the fans whether they want to pay $5.00 more for a better structure? I can guarantee that most would not. I'm really p'dd that the Dodgers keep pushing the limit with their fans. ... first parking raised from $6/car to $8 per, then to $10 per car. Then, the raise ticket prices... and finally they really raise parking by 50% to $15 per car??!!! Is this valet??? This whole parking is going to be a mess, just wait. We'll have cars stuck and not be able to leave early and attendants not knowing what to do... it will cause more trouble than good and the wait will likely be longer.

BK
Still on my soapbox about Loney. I understand what you said in the last assessment but I just think that the Dodgers are doing harm to Loney,by not bringing him up. When they could. Also Bigbie.
I'll give you the last word. Ha Ha!

Package-

I feel your frustration about Loney, for sure. There's no doubt he's ready to play in the majors. And I do think there's the potential for a guy to stagnate when he's playing at a level that is beneath him. On the other hand, there's nowhere for him to play everyday, and he's too young to sit. This wasn't an issue after yesterday's trade, but when they resigned Nomar. That's really what blocked him, because as of right now, Loney isn't a big league caliber outfielder, from a defensive perspective. A team looking to win the World Series can't go into the season without an alternative to a converted first baseman in the outfield.

As for Bigbie, I don't think they're hurting him at all. He'll make the team, and have a chance to reestablish himself as a quality major leaguer.

BK

I am not sure I understand all the whining over the parking fee? People bitch about the parking situation at Dodger Stadium then when the team takes steps to address the issue people bitch because it is going to cost an extra $5 a game...carpool, take a bus, drive an old beater to the game and just abandon it if there is a fender bender...park two miles away and walk up the hill (AWK!! A walk? in LA? What was I thinking!!??)

Did any of those concerned over the increase read that they doubled the park staff? That something like 30% of the fee increase will go to pay those people? The remainder will be used to fund improvements over the next 2-3 years? I for one of the few times since McCourt bought the team think he deserves congrats on addressing an issue that has been a problem for, what?? FOUR DECADES?

As for Loney, BK is dead on here...if he is on the roster now he will not get any playing time for the first few weeks at best. Would that make him happy? And to be honest I do not care if his feelings are hurt...if so then he is not the player one wins championships with. Sure he should be PISSED but his itty-bitty feelings should not be hurt...he should be a man and accept he signed a contract and he needs to be man enough to accept the assignment. That is part of building a winning team. You do not have to like the decisions but you damn well better make them work as directed. His job is now to stay ready.

And to be honest I was disappointed as a fan because Loney KNEW he was odd man out at his only position...first...he had all winter to become an outfielder. I suspect he sat on his butt. Dude can hit but hopefully he will grow a bit from this result of not being prepared for his job. Look back and you will see guys like Jackie Robinson played several positions as the make-up of the team that season required...and he learned to play them best as he could...I feel Loney has done nothing to increase his value to the team. Learning to play the OF is not rocket science and just requires repetition on a daily basis...go field a 1000 balls a day for a few months and see how you improve...it's not hard and the Dodgers would have given him all the support he needed.

Loney has two way to go now...turn into another "El Canon" and fire off an expletive filled tirade or do what the team needs most...how great would it have been with Loney and Ethier in the lineup together with Nomar every day? Just don't blame the Dodgers for this situation...it's not their fault.

CALL ME CRAZY---But I think there is no way that you can keep someone off the team that batted .380 in the minors and .455 this spring. Now if you told me that they wanted to make him a shortstop, then send him down for some work. But lets be real, how bad of an athlete can Loney be? If someone can bat over .300, he should be able to play the outfield and win more games with his bat than he loses with his fielding. As for getting playing time. How many games do you think Nomar can play this year? He was a cripple the second half last year and his average plunged. How many games do you think Gonzalez will play now that he is 60 years old? My plan would be to play Nomar and Gonzalez 2 out of three games and let Loney play 1 game for each and be available for pinch hitting or late game sub for Nomar the other game. Instead of bringing him up when one of those two end up on the disabled list. By some miracle if those two stay reasonably healthy, all three could play 120 games. I don't think Little is capable of working that out, but it could make everyone happy and rested all year.
David

David,

As long as James Loney has unexpended minor league options at the start of any new season, he will be the odd man out when it comes down to making roster decisions.

That being said, if No-mah ends up on the IR, which it sounds like you think is a given, then rest assured Loney will most likely be the first guy called up. And IF Loney is batting at a .300+ clip when it comes time to send somebody back down, and IF Bigbie ends up posting just average numbers in the regular season (which I believe will be the case), then I think the Dodgers ARE going to have a very hard time sending Loney back down -- options, and the fact that he is not a true outfielder, not withstanding.

Len

Grump,
I totally disagree with you. First the parking. Having extra staff doesn't necessarily mean better. The staff is incompetent and just flat out does not do their jobs well. Having more incompetent staff won't help the situation. Better train who you have and they will be able to direct traffic competently.
Secondly about Loney. If he knows he belongs and so does everyone else, why wouldn't or shouldn't he be upset. If you are a star at work and always exceed your peers, shouldn't you get the raise or promotion? Loney has far exceeded ANY Minor Leaguer.... he lead the league in hitting. Loney further helped the Dodgers MAKE the Playoffs last year. He was a very big part of their pennant run at the end. His contributions at the end of the year and being a solid part of the team last year and the fact that he AGAIN proved his value by hitting .444 this Spring should at least get him to the Big Leagues. And as for the argument that he would be wasted away on the pine, I believe he'll get enough at bats filling in and whatever amount of at bats he gets is better than giving them to someone else off the bench. Bottom line, LONEY CAN HELP THE DODGERS NOW!! Every / Any at bat he gets is GOOD. Let him stay and again show that he belongs.

I have posted my desire to have Loney in LA this year for two reasons besides his obvious ability. 1) Give Nomar every 3rd or 4th day off and replace him in the 6th or 7th innings of some games to keep him fresh, and 2) I think Loney will learn more getting at bats against major league pitchers, even if they are fewer than he would get in AAA. He would also learn more from watching other major league professionals in their approach to the game and the adjustments they make over a long season.

WIth that said, Andrew at True Blue LA makes an economic point I hadn't thought about. I still think Loney should be in the bigs this year, but there is more to the economics of the situation than just remiaining options.
http://www.truebluela.com/story/2007/3/27/204614/894

Grumpy, the problem with the parking fee hike is that the "improvements" will likely make the parking situation worse rather than better. Having held season tickets for the last 20+ years, I've seen the parking situation deteriorate, and every time they try some new plan to alleviate the congestion, it actually winds up making things worse.
Here's the thing: the parking hike comes on the heels of a ticket price increase (as much as 40% for some seats). I understand the need for escalating prices in order to make improvements, etc. But these are really large increases, percentage-wise. I think that people are entirely justified in complaining about such a significant increase.
You make a good point about alternatives to parking at the stadium, although public transportation isn't great to Dodger Stadium, and there is limited parking outside of the stadium (especially for those who get there late). Hopefully they will work on some other ideas/alternatives. Has anyone ever used the Dodger Shuttle?

DC,

It certainly does make more business sense for the Dodgers to option Loney as long as they can (also happens to be a key Moneyball concept), but at this point, I think Loney's skills demand that he get an opportunity to play in the majors in any capacity. I think what's gotten lost in the shuffle is the fact that Loney is an absolute defensive wizard at first base, and it's not too far fetched to think that he will become a perennial gold glover. Comparing Loney to Sean Casey makes the economic argument look good, but Loney projects more to be more like a young JT Snow with more pop, who would be worth $5-6 million any day.

Grumpy,

If the Dodgers provided a courtesy shuttle at the China Town stop, I would gladly take the Gold Line.

Hey Yaz:

Was slow answering because, well, it was a nice sunny day. :) I was not aware the bus service was bad not to the stadium. I grew up in West Hollywood about a million years ago and never had a problem hopping the bus to Dodger Stadium with my buddies. I guess the RTD is nto what it once was. As I remember there was even a China Town express too...times change I guess.

As for Loney. it is not that I feel he is not ready...it's that I feel he never did what he needed to give himself a shot to make the team after the Dodgers signed Nomar. I mean what did he think was gonna happen this spring? So if he needs to be upset it would be better put in the direction of "...I am an idiot I should have been shagging fly balls not sitting around scratching mine..." That is why I feel as I do about him right now...it's time to check himself and nad up that he had a lot to do with not making the team. Now, we might not know how much time and effort he spent trying to be a servicable outfielder, he might have and it is just not im him...then fine say so...don't cry because you didn't make the team when the reality was unless someone died there was no room in the end. He will be back up inside 45-days because someone will throw a shoe and be iffy the rest of the way...I mean it's the Dodgers.

I loved what Kemp said in that he acknowledged he simply is not ready offensively and could use more work in CF in the minors.

And sure Loney is disappointed but he just needs to drop the attitude over it...he had the whole winter to take action and make himself more important to the team. Looka at a vet like Kent or Nomar...they would play bat-boy if that meant a championship. I guess given the difference in their experience levels they realize that your shot is only as good as you make it and does not come around every season.

All that said I think the Dodgers would be a better team if he was around but they would also be shorthanded off the bench...Loney can ONLY play 1st at the MLB level. Plus he is yet another left handed hitter in a weird glut of left handed OF'ers...

Grump,
My contention is that Loney DIDN'T know he was odd man out. I certainly didn't think so after last year. Given that JD left and Nomar not signed it was very possible that Loney would have been our everyday starting 1B baseman. Once Nomar signed, it still doesn't seem to be odd man out. Nomar was on the team last year and Loney contributed, coming off the bench as Nomar's defensive replacement in the late innings and doing some left-handed pinch hitting, along with getting a spot start against a RH pitcher and giving Nomar a day. This year Grady had said, he planned on playing Nomar about 120 games. That gives Loney 42 games to start. Why would Loney think he was odd man out until recently with BIGBIE having a good spring and the acquisition of CLARK?? LONEY was thrown a curve this Spring. He likely felt he was a solid part of the returning team and needed to continue what he was doing at the end of the year to guarantee his spot. He did that and then some.... batting .448!! Along comes Bigbie, batting .380 and all of a sudden Loney is odd man out?? Then the trade for Clark.. Loney odd man out??

I'll analogize. It's like inviting Joe Schmo to camp. Joe hits .399 but has never hit better than .270 in limited time in the ML's. Let's keep Joe Schmo and send NOMAR GARCIAPARRA down to the minors?! Why is Nomar whining? He's getting paid and he should know that he is odd man out b/c we can't count on his health.

If you can say that the Dodgers told Loney to learn the Outfield and he did not, then I can see your argument. But if the Dodgers (and I think this to be true) said nothing UNTIL Loney arrived to camp, then Loney was screwed and has every right to complain.