Well, we can talk about the weather. Or traffic. Or maybe the weather (whoops, said that already).
We've officially reached the point in the season where covering the games feels like being a seventh-grader at the middle-school mixer. Everyone stands awkwardly, not sure what to say (all the good questions have been used up at this point), and the conversation is forced. And that's just in the dugout, talking to Grady. In the clubhouse, it's all crickets and tumbleweeds. I don't know if they have cameras in there, but if ever there was a good time to rifle through a guy's wallet, that would have been it. There weren't enough guys in uniform to bust you. There was a little more loitering at the end of media availability, but at least initially we outnumbered the guys in uniform.
It'll pick up on Sunday during the Annual Media/Player Indian Leg Wrestling Tournament. That's always an event. I know I've been training.*
The Blue are black -- and heading down the stretch, to be sure. Jeff Kent, who left last night's game with a knee injury he picked up sliding into home, is out of tonight's lineup. Rafael Furcal is still on the shelf (where he should stay, just to be safe), and Tony Abreu isn't available. Everybody's listed as day to day, at least until Sunday, when there aren't any more. I saw some tape on Russell Martin's thumb, but it's nothing to worry about and isn't related to the fact that Chad Moeller is getting a start tonight (gotta keep Lieberthal fresh). Grady did keep the door open to the idea that Martin might get another day off before it's over. "He's played a lot this season," Little said. "He'll want to play up until the very last day." Moeller, by the way, looks a lot like moto-rider-turned-rally-driver Travis Pastrana, which is cool because the Dodgers already have an action sports connection in Ramon Martinez, who looks a lot like skateboarder Bob Burnquist.
But I digress ...
Add up the dings to the time of year and it's no surprise the Dodger lineup has a makeshift feel to it. Chin-lung Hu, Delwyn Young, Andy LaRoche, Moeller and Wilson Valdez are all on the card, which I'm sure has the guys in San Diego and Philly totally stoked. As if Colorado needs any help right now. Not surprisingly, the question was raised about whether or not the Dodgers feel an obligation to a) treat these games like playoff games, and b) play their best players, given the Rockies' current involvement in the wild-card race.
"We won't lose respect for the game and what it means to everyone concerned," Little said. "We'll try to win every game we can."
Still, it's pretty obvious that management is taking an opportunity to get a look at some younger guys. "You can learn some things. They're getting an opportunity to come and play a little bit and show us what they can do," Little said. "If they're with the club coming out of spring training next year, that'll be good, but if they're not and they get called up again in the middle of the season and are called on to do something, (the experience) will help them be more relaxed." Don't go crazy reading the tea leaves on this. He wasn't speaking about any particular rook, just generally on the fresher batch of lil' ones.
Getting specific, Little said Young would likely get another start or two beyond tonight. Asked why Young has seemed unable to shake the tag of fourth or fifth outfielder despite strong minor league credentials, Little couldn't say. "I think there are a lot of people who were kind of in the same situation that made themselves everyday players. They forced people to play them." Still, guys definitely get labeled. "Playing all through the minor leagues, they're getting judged all the time. They're going to get labels put on them, but the people that they go to play for in the major leagues, they'll form their own opinions. You listen to all the reports that you've heard and read all the stats that they've put together, but mostly you believe your own eyes. What you see and how they react in a major league stadium."
"I don't see how you can put a label on a guy his age, with what he can do with that bat," Little said, seeming to question any automatic slotting of Young as a spare part. Guys get tagged for different reasons, some deserved, others not. "It could be the way he wears his hair," Little said. "But the ball jumps off his bat. And what little time he's played in the outfield for us, he's made every play he's supposed to make."
Nice little endorsement. No pun intended. Not that I'm necessarily better than that, but it wasn't.
Probably the most interesting part of the pregame came when Little was asked which young Dodger had impressed him most with his improvement. Go back 12 months, and that would be Matt Kemp. Little said his plate discipline, approach and general quality of play had improved, though he's still a long way from being fully baked. The baserunning mistakes are there, but Little anticipates he'll be better down the road.
"He went through a spell there where he made some baserunning errors, and they came all in a bunch. Five or six in a 10-day period, which is what makes them stand out in everyone's mind. But for every one of those, I think he's taken an extra base or stolen a base to create a run for us more times over."
LINEUPS
DODGERS:
Juan Pierre- CF
Chin-lung Hu- SS
Delwyn Young- LF
James Loney- 1B
Andy LaRoche- 3B
Andre Ethier- RF
Chad Moeller- C
Wilson Valdez- 2B
Derek Lowe- P
ROCKIES:
Kaz Matsui- 2B
Troy Tulowitzki- SS
Matt Holliday- LF
Todd Helton- 1B
Garrett Atkins- 3B
Brad Hawpe- RF
Ryan Spilborghs- CF
Yorvit Torrealba- C
Josh Fogg- P
*There is no such thing as the Annual Media/Player Indian Leg Wrestling Tournament. But there should be.
-- BK
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Nice DP by valdez... kemp is trembling in his fishnets.
Posted by: Ben Jones | September 26, 2007 at 07:28 PM
Will anybody in the Dodger organization realize that Delwyn Young can hit the ball? I highly doubt it.
Posted by: wausroamer | September 26, 2007 at 07:57 PM
Will anybody in the Dodgers management realize Grady Little is the worst coach in the history of the Dodgers and fire this guy. I can't believe they can't see what we are seeing? I just can't? How can they not see the moves this guy has made on a game basis? Unbelievable!!
Posted by: dcerros | September 26, 2007 at 08:31 PM
BK,
How about this? As one Lady-Killer of a newsman said back in 1970's Cinncinnati, let's talk about "traffic and weather, TOGETHER!!!"
http://archer2000.tripod.com/wkrp/images/nessfont.jpg
Posted by: DodgerBlueBalls | September 26, 2007 at 09:01 PM
try this line-up next season
young;either;kemp outfield
loney;kent;furcal;a-rod infield
martin-penny-bills-schmit-lowe-wolf-lozia
just a thought
Posted by: PK-IN-THE-MESA | September 26, 2007 at 09:12 PM
Ak/Bk-
Is there really any credence to Plaske's article about Kemp today? Is that REALLY a serious thought going through the front office that Kemp should be traded?
Is anyone else scared? Trade Matt Kemp? The most talented player the Dodgers have produced since Mike Piazza, simply because he's coming off as arrogant as a 22 year old? Anybody ever hear of Andruw Jones? He came up at 19 and was a star in the Wolrd Series. As any young stud who's always excelled in sports probably would--he got too big for his britches and started hot doggin fly balls and not running out infield outs. Did the Braves trade him? No, Bobby Cox pulled him off the field and gave him a talk'in to during the game. He gave him a humiliation on Sportscenter and an attitude adjustment all at the same time. Do you think that the Braves are happy that they've had Andruw Jones the last 10 years-----uh duhhh. Kemp may not ever be the defender Jones is, but he could be a better hitter and I want to see that hitter in a Dodger uniform for years to come and not as an All-Star for Washington, Houston, Seattle or the Giants (Tokyo or otherwise). Please say that Plaske is just making the news and not reporting it.
Posted by: dodgerskip | September 26, 2007 at 09:31 PM
Skip,
I can't answer with 100% certainty, but were I die-hard Matt Kemp fan, I'd keep sleeping easy. I don't see him on the block, unless it's for a really good and established player.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | September 26, 2007 at 09:36 PM
Vin Scully was just saying that Olmedo Saenz deserves to get “High Three’s” instead of “High Five’s” after his infield single in the 9th.
I’ll see Vin one better, and say that both TJ Simers and Bill Plaschke deserve a "High One" after their columns this week!!
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/122_0701_01_z+motorcyclist_staff_bio_aaron_frank+middle_finger.jpg
Posted by: DodgerBlueBalls | September 26, 2007 at 09:40 PM
Another Little masterpiece. Two outs 2 on in the nineth instead of pinch hitting Matt Kemp for Pierre, he has Kemp run for Sienz. Pierre grounds out and another Dodger loss. Its moves like this all year that has left everybody scratching heads and loslng games. A managers job is to get the best out his players and put them in a position to succed. It is the maaners job to get the players focused on the task at hand. All Little does is sit by and let our clubhouse get separated (supposidly) and misuse the talent on this club. I can't wait for next year. I am losing respect for Coletti on a daily basis.
Posted by: coachtorch | September 26, 2007 at 09:42 PM
Follow up question:
Am I wrong with the Jones analogy? Is that basically the knock on Kemp-- that he's cocky? If so, has the coaching staff or the veterans done something about it? Or is Little not the kind of personality to call someone out? And does Jeff Kent show his leadership by crying about it to the press (which he supposedly dispises except when the press is there to print his whining) instead of taking care of business within the team "family". Plaske's article just made me think that the team was thinking about throwing the baby out with the bath water simply because no one, manager or otherwise, wanted to LEAD and take care of a problem. So let's trade are best player? Makes me think that this is another example for those of the 'Dump Little" persuasion--is he so laid back that no one is in charge?
Posted by: dodgerskip | September 26, 2007 at 09:56 PM
Man, the guys hit and the pitching stinks. The pitching is great and the hitting stinks.
Where are all the conspiracy theorists?
Posted by: Andy B | September 26, 2007 at 10:13 PM
okay so that was like 5 or 6 follow ups, sorry. you guys are our eyes and ears inside the belly of the beast. we trust you for the straight poop and not the fertilizer we often get from other sources. I know we still have 4 games left, but let me say thanks to both of you for the service you've provided us with the last couple years. Reading and writing on 'the blog' has become a part of many of our lives and a welcome diversion from other more serious issues. Ultimately, this is FUNTIME and whether Grady or Kemp stay or go is trivial compared to the bigger issues in life--like making sure Vin Scully never leaves us. . .now that would be tragic.
Posted by: dodgerskip | September 26, 2007 at 10:26 PM
Dodgerskip-
Thanks for the nice words. We do what we can, and while we don't try to pass ourselves off as the ultimate insiders, we to the best we can to give you our take on what's going on, and if we don't know, to find out. As for the Kemp stuff, honestly I was among those who didn't really care for Bill Plaschke's column this morning. It seemed overly dramatic, and the quotes he used from Colletti to support the argument that they've "softened" Kemp's untouchable status were nothing new. N.C. told us the same basic stuff in our first sit down, maybe 18 months ago. He wouldn't trade the kids (including Kemp) for a quick fix. For a guy who can deliver long term impact, sure. That's nothing new.
I also thought he was too dramatic with the whole notion that Kemp's continual inability to learn from mistakes, etc. has made him expendable. Dude, the guy doesn't have a year of Major League service time. It's a little premature to call him anything at this point. And as Grady pointed out in the pregame, that aggressiveness has helped at times too, as he's taken extra bases and stolen bases. Overall, he's played well.
To get to your questions, yeah, he's a little cocky, he's definitely immature, and he absolutely needs to grow up. He's also 23, has played very little minor league ball, and happens to be very good. It's a little early to freak out, and I don't think they'll move him for anything short of an A level player. Top shelf stuff. Another writer suggested to me that perhaps they were trying to send a message to him, just to help keep his feet on the ground. I don't really buy it.
Granted, I don't know who B.P.'s source inside the organization was, or what was said in their conversation. There were things I agreed with, too, like the team needing some bridge guys in that 27-31 range who are secure in their role on the team and won't get caught up in some of the issues that embroiled the older and younger guys fighting for the same job. But that's something we've known for a while, and doesn't require moving Kemp.
Some of this stuff, whether with Kemp or Loney or Ethier, just seems kind of Captain Obvious to me. Essentially criticizing young players for acting like young players, and not like 37 year old 15 year vets. They all need to grow up, but especially regarding Kemp, he's made some progress since last year, and to imply (as BP seems to) that he's destined to be this talented but lost cause, the kind of guy who won't win championships, just seems premature. Even in this instant gratification, media driven market we live in, it's reasonable to expect that a young player might need more than 450 big league ABs to develop.
So in short, no, I don't think he'll be traded, and if he does, it'll be for established top shelf talent that won't be gone in a year, which will certainly take some of the sting away. Like I said, I don't know B.P.'s source, but it felt to me more like making news than reporting or commenting on it.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | September 27, 2007 at 12:11 AM
DodgerBlueBalls-
Love the Les Nessman.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | September 27, 2007 at 12:16 AM
Dodgerskip,
how can you say Kemp is "The most talented player the Dodgers have produced since Mike Piazza". Loney and Martin are far better players right now. I can give you the fact that Kemp may have the most potential of all the rookies but right now he's definitely not the most talented. The little I've seen of Delwynn Young (all 23 at bats) he seems a much better hitter (he doesn't appear to have a hole in his swing), I've just haven't seen much of his fielding.
Posted by: K T USN | September 27, 2007 at 07:31 AM
AK/BK: Agree with Dodger fan. I'm somewhat late to this blog but enjoy it. You're stuff is good and most of the posts are at least rational. The MLB Dodger blog by Josh seems to have an average posting age of 12 so can't go there. Anyways, on the road to Boston and going to miss the games and the blog. See you next year.
Posted by: sickdodgerfan | September 27, 2007 at 10:53 AM