Johnny Podres, who was the World Series hero for the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, passed away on Sunday at the age of 75.  The lefty wasn't dominant during that special season, but won a critical Game Three, then repeated the feat in a decisive Game Seven as Brooklyn finally managed to beat the Yankees.  He was 23 at the time, and felt there wasn't that much pressure on him- after all, the Yankees were supposed to beat him.  Over the course of his career, Podres would make four All Star teams. 

The Dodgers released a statement on his passing, including comments from some of his teammates.  Click below for that.

BK

These days, you have to be clear about this sort of thing. 

But in talking to TJ Simers for his latest column, Kent floats a proposal that has been kicked around at length by fans and some members of the media, but not often enough by players:

"I'd like to see every player take a blood test and have the samples frozen," Kent says, then waiting for the day when there's a foolproof HGH test to identify the cheaters.

"Not everyone in the game is using HGH, but I would bet it still is being abused," he says. "Why not have blood tests? If ultimately you want a clean game, then it needs to happen.

"They ought to be testing for drugs in the playoffs too. They never do that."

Yes, the rivalry is heated.  Yes, smack talking is expected and even encouraged.  But it's still never cool to throw down over your teams in the Ravine parking lot.  Never.  Especially when doing so leaves a woman legally blind in one eye.  Said victim is alleging that stadium security didn't do its part to keep the brouhaha from escalating, thus a lawsuit now in play.  The plaintiff's are asking for a mil in damages.  We'll see how this shakes out.

As for Dodger matters limited strictly to the field, mlb.com's Ken Gurnick breaks down the upcoming season when it comes to first and third base.  I won't reveal which corner feels more solidified, but let's just say job security isn't among James Loney's bigger worries these days.

-AK

Luis Gonzalez instead spoke to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick about his desire to play in 2008.  Presumably with another club, since I'm likely a safer bet to wear Dodger blue next season. 

It'll be interesting to see how this quest shakes out for Gonzalez, assuming there's a "shake" in development.  Which teams can use Gonzalez?  And more importantly, what role will make him happy?  If you believe Gonzalez, the notion that he MUST play every day is false.  Agent Gregg Clifton says his client is "just looking for an opportunity to play on a regular basis -- whatever that is -- and get back to the World Series again." Should being a fourth outfielder wind up part of a championship route, no worries.  However, if you believe Gonzalez's body language and obvious displeasure down the 2007 stretch while being merely a part-time fourth outfielder, it's harder to picture the guy remaining happy  after two or three series without a start.  Between his rep's mixed message (the difference between playing on a "regular basis" and "every day" may be semantical at best) and Gonzo's insistence that the tank is hardly running on fumes, if I had to guess whether a role like last August and September's would make him happy or not, I'm leaning towards "not."  Obviously, a different scenario might change his opinion of that job description, but were I a GM, unless certain I could offer Gonzo an inked spot in left (assuming he's the guy I want there), I wouldn't take a flyer.

Resisting the urge to dive into the Roger Clemens mess, I think it could be a good day to turn to the Hall of Fame, where Tuesday we'll all find out who will be having his face cast in metal and slapped on a plaque.  Jayson Stark of ESPN.com voted for eight guys, including a few he thinks have been unfairly forgotten over the years. (He includes Andre Dawson, a dude I absolutely believe is HOF worthy- love The Hawk!).   No Dodgers appear on his list, but it got me thinking (never a good thing) which leads me to this QOTD:

What former Dodger (with, let's say... at least two years in Blue) isn't enshrined in the Hall that you think should be there?  If you don't have a Hall-worthy selection, is there a player you feel has been more generally deprived of a lofty place in baseball lore?

BK

With the holidays and Blue Rose Parade floats behind us (and KTLA bricking its Dodger-centric coverage of said parade, in the opinion of third hand gossip), Ravine enthusiasts can officially begin their examination of the impending season.  An opening day that can hopefully compete with the excitement generated by celebrated author Jose Canseco dropping another opus. Those counting on a World Series title coming courtesy of a Chin-Hui Tsao will curse the front office aggression of K.C., but such developments aside, the Dodgers have been praised of late for their latest seasonal blueprint.   We've already broached the "Do you like the offseason moves" or "where do you think it's all heading" topics on more than one occasion (and fielding related questions when MLB.com's Ken Gurnick isn't carrying the load), so it's silly to spark another identical conversation.  But here's something y'all can discuss a bit. 

With 362 days remaining in 2008, the months are still very young and capable of shaping.  Thus, if you could pick New Year's resolutions for Dodger players, coaches or front office, what would they be?

Off the top of my head, I got a few.

The Dodgers haven't been a flurry of activity this offseason, as Ned Colletti has resisted the urge to send players- presumably young ones- out of town for some of the bigger names on the trade market.  On the other hand, where the Blue have chosen to toss a pot on the hot stove, they've made some big splashes.  Andrew Jones (fingers crossed) addresses needs the Blue have both offensively and defensively, while Hiroki Kuroda (fingers crossed) fills a big hole in the starting staff.  Gary Bennett?  Well, somebody's got to be the backup catcher, right? 

But their NL West rivals haven't been sitting idly by, watching them improve.  Well, not all of them, at least.  As we kick off the new year, obviously things can still change, but it's as good a time as any to do a quick check on what the neighbors have been up to. Are the Joneses getting better or worse?  Early indications are that the NL West once again has the chance to be baseball's most competitive division, top to bottom. Should make for a fun season.