Dispatches from Adam Rose, and other Blue Thoughts
After last night's 3-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley, Adam Rose, who hosts the UCLA and USC blogs for the LAT (woot!) and a sports guy at LAist.com sent these dispatches (and the fabulous pic at left) from the bleachers to the inbox at Blue Notes HQ. He couldn't get the full audio of Tommy Lasorda singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch, but that doesn't mean there weren't other items of import:
- Wrigley was sweltering when the Dodgers played there on Monday, hovering close to 90 with high humidity. Tuesday, the temperature was cut in half and winds didn't help any. The Dodgers really could have used Andruw Jones. At least he's well insulated.
- Monday was a Memorial Day sellout, but Tuesday's tickets were being scalped for less than half of face value. Prices at Wrigley are low compared to Chavez Ravine. For less than $100, you could take a family of polar bears to the ballpark.
- A guy two rows in front of my was bundled up and in water-proof gear. Somebody spilled not one but TWO beers on him, and he didn't notice.
- The bleachers in Wrigley have more animosity towards each other than the visiting team. The left field periodically chanted, "Right field sucks!" and vice versa. (Seriously).
- Tommy Lasorda sounded fine, but was pretty much drowned out by the crowd. I had no idea if he said "root, root, root for the" Dodgers or Cubbies, but my money is on the former.
- Fans are still sporting apparel (particularly headbands) with the rising sun symbol in "honor" of Fukudome. Whoops.
- I had to travel a couple thousand miles to find a place that didn't report any news about the Lakers.
- A good, locally brewed beer for $5.75? Try finding that inside the Staples Center or Dodger Stadium.
Speaking of beer (segue alert)...
The Dodgers offense of late has likely driven many of you to drink. In their last 18 games, the Dodgers have scored three or fewer runs 10 times. As a team, they have only 16 home runs in May, fourth worst in baseball. Equally telling is that only three teams have fewer May RBIs than LA's 85, Cleveland, Seattle, and Kansas City. Fair to say none of those squads are setting the baseball universe on fire. Pick a category, and the Dodgers are near the bottom this month:
- Total Bases: 28th (289)
- OBP: 22nd (.316)
- Slugging: 27th (.360)
- Doubles: 30th (28)
And so on. The question is if this is the sort of performance the Dodgers should expect going forward. Obviously, the absence of Rafael Furcal has made a monumental impact on LA's ability to score, but there are certainly other issues. Jeff Kent has been horrible in May, batting .179 with a .233 OBP and a .254 SLG. James Loney has slumped, though any regular readers of this site will know I'm a big believer in his ability to hit. Having Andruw Jones out of the lineup should help-- though you wouldn't know that by the results of the past few games.
Blake DeWitt, having earned the third base gig, continues to produce, but there are certainly reasons to expect a swoon at some point in the season. Assuming he's mortal, of course. Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Juan Pierre have been productive over the last 30 days. It's not like the entire team has gone in the tank at the same time.
Can't blame people for worrying, and at some point, they'll have to look for solutions to the lineup problems, whether from within the organization or outside of it. That begs two more questions- who (if from within) and how much will it cost (in players and cash if from another team). I'm just spitballing here, and we cover a lot of the offensive woes on today's PG&B podcast with Adrian Garcia of Fox Sports Espanol and 710 ESPN radio. But I'll close with the three words that are on the tips of Dodger Nation tongues:
Get well Raffy.
UPDATE: How did I miss this? (Thanks to Big League Stew for the tip!)
BK
Subscribe to this Blog | What is RSS?
To answer your questions BK, I already suggested Ryan Howard and I got creamed on this blog for it. How dare the Dodgers consider trading Loney, Lowe plus a prospect or two for Ryan Howard. That's the general feeling I got from my comments a couple days ago.
Why in the world would the Dodgers want a 40 HR/120 RBI guy in the middle of their lineup. Nah, let's just leave Jeff Kent in there. Come on people.
Calling up Andy LaRoche is not gonna do a damn thing. Where is he gonna play? He's been working at 1B and 2B? What a waste of time. Unless Kent goes on the DL, there is no way in hell Joe Torre starts LaRoche at 2B over Jeff Kent regularly.
I didn't just pick Ryan Howard's name out of thin air because I'm in love with the guy or anything. I just heard that he is trade bait, and I know that the Phills desperately need pitching. Lowe is completely expendable and useless to the Dodgers (especially with Kershaw here, and a healthy Schmidt just a few weeks away, and a formidable duo in Park/Kuo). To the Phillies, he would fit right in as a #2 starter. He is currently the Dodgers #4 or #5 guy - except for a couple of decent starts.
At least I tried to make a suggestion other than "just play the kids... it's early... it could be worse..." Your turn Dodger Nation.
Posted by: Higgins | May 28, 2008 at 03:52 PM
Higgins-
I don't think it was the suggestion of trading for Howard that earned the, um, disagreement from readers, but the initial proposal of Lowe and Loney. Lowe, as a struggling 34 year old pitcher has very little appeal to other teams, certainly not as a main player in a deal for Howard. Nor do I think tossing in a Meloan or Hu (where would the latter play in Philly?) does the trick, either. It would cost much more than that to get an MVP in the prime of his career.
If they could somehow do it without decimating the Major League roster, than it's worth a thought, but think about it from Philly's end- who would you want in return for Howard? It would go deeper than Lowe, Loney, and a couple middle prospects.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | May 28, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Higgins
I think you are right to try and think of a way for the Dodgers to manufacture some runs. This is much more than the current management has done. You are also right that calling up Andy LaRoche will not solve a damn thing, although many on this blog think he is some kind of God send. The Dodgers would have a better chance with BK on the team. The Dodgers have many youngsters that could be traded like Maza, Hu, LaRoche,Tiffee, Young and yes, Repko. (Don't cuss, Benzo.)Hell, they could even throw in Sweeney. Now I will get creamed because some will not think these players are good enough to trade, while others will just hate to see all of the above traded. Any or all of the above plus Lowe and Loney might get a nibble. Giving up a front line pitcher and an upcoming star seems like a lot but Howard is one of the chosen players with a .209 BA. Go figure. Fat Guy was supposed to be the answer. But obviously wasn't or will be. Maybe some others can think of a way to manufacture runs.
Package
Posted by: Package | May 28, 2008 at 04:45 PM
Tommy's blog has audio of the horrific event:
http://tommy.mlblogs.com/
Posted by: Brian | May 28, 2008 at 04:55 PM
Ah, BK, but see that's where you're wrong. It WAS the suggestion of trading for Howard that earned the, um, disagreement from readers. People weren't disagreeing with me because of the proposal of Loney and Lowe. People were saying that Ryan Howard is useless. You are the first to agree with me that Howard is an MVP in the prime of his career. For example:
This from Benzo: "Ryan Howard-- ugh. It's like getting AJ without the Golf Ball. Let the kids play."
This from Package: "The Dodgers already tried signing a big HR/RBI man in Jones. He really showed us, didn't he??...To make such a trade seems to be a kneejerk reaction."
This from Brooklyn Dodger: "Ryan Howard is a strikeout machine (historically worse than Jones), and a defensive liability. Loney may not have Howard's power, but he will eventually hit with power, and for a lot higher average than Howard."
(not only does BD argue that Ryan Howard is a bum, he is saying that Loney is BETTER than Howard)
This from Jim: "Don't forget that Ryan Howard also plays in Philadelphia, where everyone hits a gazillion homers..."
Do you get my point? People were knocking the idea of Ryan Howard in a Dodgers uniform regardless of who I proposed for a trade.
The only people who were intelligently arguing that it would cost more than Loney and Lowe were you, BK, and TJ2. And I respectfully understand your arguments. Perhaps it would take more than Loney, Lowe and prospects.
But what does that say about Loney, Lowe and prospects that they can't even fetch us a "strikeout machine" and a "defensive liability" like Ryan Howard who can "only hit in Philly"? It says that the Dodgers are in more trouble than we thought. So now we don't even have the right pieces to make a good trade? Wow.
Furthermore, I still disagree that the Phillies wouldn't want D-Lowe. Look at the ERA's of their starting 5:
Hamels = 3.18
Moyer = 4.45
Kendrick = 4.84
Eaton = 5.37
Myers = 5.79
Lowe's 5.03 ERA would have him fit in nicely in Philly. Sure, they wouldn't be getting a front-line starter, but who is gonna get that? Every team needs one right now. Only one team is gonna end up with CC Sabathia, and it'll probably be a team like NY or Boston.
I still contend that this is a doable trade.
Posted by: Higgins | May 28, 2008 at 05:11 PM
Higgins,
You said:
"At least I tried to make a suggestion other than "just play the kids... it's early... it could be worse..." Your turn Dodger Nation."
What do you think "play the kids" is, if not a suggestion? The real problem goes back to last year, when the Dodgers continued to retard the development of their younger players by shuttling Kemp and Ethier in and out of the lineup to provide playing time to the declining Gonzo. That was further compounded by waiting until June to call up Loney.
If they really believe in their young players, then management needs to formulate a plan to play them regularly, and then STICK TO IT. When a young player you believe in slumps, do as you would with a veteran, and let him play through it. When you go with young players, at least initially, you can expect bumps in the road. The question is, do you stray off the road, or stay the course. For me, the path to success is to be patient and stay the course.
Why wouldn't I trade Loney for Howard?
1. Howard is not old, but given his body type, I'm not confident he won't burn out prematurely. But I could be wrong on that score.
2. Howard is an atrocious first basemen, with very little mobility. I spent years watching Keith Hernandez and John Olerud play first base for the Mets, and came to appreciate that their stellar defensive play made the entire infield better. When they left, the overall infield defense of the Mets suffered. I don't think most fans appreciate how much of an anchor a first baseman can be to a team's overall infield defense.
3. Loney is not only good around the bag, but has a very strong arm, which he uses effectively to cut down runners at 2nd and 3rd. In case you're unaware, the year the Dodgers drafted Loney as a first baseman, he was rated one of the top high school pitching prospects, with a fastball in the 90's.
4. I've seen enough of Loney to believe that he will eventually hit 30 homeruns. Power is the last thing to come to a player, and in Loney's case I don't think we're going to have to wait too much longer. He looks bad now because he's in a slump. He'll look a lot better when he comes out of it. I wonder what Howard looks like when he's in a slump?
Mind you, I wouldn't mind having Howard's power, but not at the expense of Loney. And I doubt we could get him without decimating the core of this team. That being the case, I prefer to pass on this one.
Posted by: Brooklyn Dodger | May 28, 2008 at 05:21 PM
Hey guys, thanks for the sweet photo of Wrigley.
It's a cool place and the city is wonderful, but as my wife says, "Cubs lose! Cubs stink!"
Hopefully tonight will be more like one of the June games I saw there two years ago, when the Brewers came to town and kicked the crap out of the Cubs. Chris Capuano almost looked like Sandy K.
Idiots in the bleachers are always winging beer at each other--if you're lucky enough to get caught being naughty, you get to visit Marty, the main security dude who has some nice spy cameras (basically, he can see anyone in the park and read their scorecard from his office) and two jail cells at his disposal. He is easily the best part of a Wrigley tour.
Cub lose. Cubs stink. Hopefully tonight.
Posted by: Eric M. | May 28, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Ryan Howard strikes out too much.
199 ks in 2007, 75 already this year. That's not going to help with RISP.
Posted by: SaMo | May 28, 2008 at 05:35 PM
Higgins - If we get a golf ball with Howard... I will approve the trade.
KBros - I think we need a live blog to break the slump.
Package - Don't even KID about trading Repko. Frogs will rain down on us.
Posted by: benzojones | May 28, 2008 at 05:52 PM
Higgins, I understand your frustration, I really do. But I've watched baseball for too many years to think that one big bat instantly solves all the problems. Maybe it works if you're Steinbrenner, you're willing to commit $100 million over the next 5 years, and you sign 5 big bats all at once, then maybe you can guarantee yourself some playoffs. But if you're talking just one big bat, well, the Fox-run Dodgers come to mind right away. And I like sticking with the young-core plan a lot more than going back to the panic-moves plan...
I also think that Philly as an organization faces a lot more negative fan attitudes than we do (ever been to a game there, anybody? They cheer Utley and Howard, then boo everyone else. Loudly. It's the anti-St. Louis), and if they were going to trade one of only two players the fans don't throw batteries at, well, they'd have to get a lot of major league talent in return to avoid a riot. I don't think we're talking Loney, Lowe and Meloan at all; more like Martin, Kershaw, and LaRoche. It's just not worth that for a guy with as much long-term risk as Howard (whom we'd still have to sign long-term, I might add).
You know, Higgins, you should maybe hang out with some Phanatics some time...
Posted by: VA Blueblood | May 28, 2008 at 07:37 PM
Higgins-
Okay, I see what you're saying. Well, if it means anything to you, I'd do Lowe and Loney for Howard in a heartbeat. Those who think he's only performed in Philly need only look up his splits to see that's not true. As for the notion that he strikes out too much, well, he does, but I'll trade that for the 105 homers and nearly 300 RBIs he's logged over the last two seasons while striking out too much. But I think you're underestimating how much it would take to get him. If Lowe/Loney/prospect, or the equivalent of that, could have landed Howard, he wouldn't be in Philly anymore. Someone would have picked him up.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | May 28, 2008 at 09:00 PM
VA,
Well said.
Higgins,
I did not call call Howard a bum. However, other than his power, the rest of his game stinks, and he's FAT, SLOW, and RANGELESS.
And yes, in the LONG RUN, I do believe Loney will hit for both average and power, and will be a BETTER player than Howard. But maybe it's just my bias for young players. Perhaps that's why I was opposed to the trade of Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields, when most everyone else thought it was a steal for the Dodgers. I also didn't like the deal that sent Sid Fernandez to the Mets for Carlos Diaz and Bob Bailor, for those of you who can remember that far back.
Look, I want the Dodgers win now as much as anyone. But I also realize, that had they bitten the bullet last year and went along with the kids (instead of Gonzo and Nomar), those kids would have gained valuable experience, and perhaps would have been playing better now. The Dodgers spent the winter holding onto their kids. Now is not the time to panic (and that's exactly what a Ryan Howard trade would be) and scuttle the plan to commit to their youth. Once and for all, this team needs to make a COMMITMENT, and STICK TO IT.
And yes, we will still probably be ONLY 3.5 games behind the D-Backs after tonight. Last I looked, the Snakes were losing 7-0 to the Giants. Doesn't appear as if they''re going to run away and hide.
As for power, I'm willing to wait and see what our kids do as the season progresses. Kemp, Ethier and Loney all have power potential. I don't know how much power they're going to produce this year, but I do know that power is generally the last thing that comes to a hitter. Even DeWitt has some power, having hit as many as 19 in a minor league season. I also don't think it's inconceivable that AJ will contribute in the second half of the year. If the current hitting slump ends, and the pitching continues to improve, I see no reason why this team will not contend. But even if the outcome isn't what we want, we might really have something to look forward to next year (I know I'll be criticized for this comment by the "we haven't won in 20 years crowd").
And who knows, maybe LaRoche will be able to contribute. I have no confidence in Kent, and although I like Hu, he might be better served playing everyday at Las Vegas when Furcal returns (hopefully), and also this coming winter.
Finally, there is something to be said about Ryan Howard playing for Philadelphia, where they hit a "gazillion" homers. Clearly he is better protected in that lineup than he would be in LA. And I know most of his bombs would probably go out of any stadium, but it still doesn't hurt that he plays in a bandbox. Even Ryan Howard must get a cheapie every once in a while.
Posted by: Brooklyn Dodger | May 28, 2008 at 09:59 PM
I have attended Phillies games when I was living there and the Dodgers were playing. I thought I was going to get beat up but I still wore my Dodger hat and cheered them on while those sitting next to me wanted to throw me out. Philadelphia fans are very passionate and will throw stuff at the players if they are not producing I've seen it!!
Posted by: espie | May 29, 2008 at 08:47 AM
Brooklyn Dodger you keep posting exactly what I want to post!...I also live in NY and have seen over the years what a good fielding 1st baseman can do for an infield. not to mention Hodges, Parker and on the flip side what a lousy 1st baseman, Garvey can do.
But re the Howard thing....Higgins you make the usual mistake fans make when they covet another team's player....You assume that the Dodgers that you want to get rid of will have the other team salivating or that by throwing more players into the deal, quantity over quality, the other team will jump at the bait.
Your suggestion is very much like the frenzy over trading for Cabrera this past winter on this blog, and how many were willing to throw in Kershaw into that trade?
Like Brooklyn Dodger says, you got to make a commitment one way or the other. Can't just flip flop, especially in the first 3rd of the season.
Posted by: dodger55 | May 29, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Hey BK ... thanks for posting the dispatches. Rough series for the Boys in Blue!
Wrigley is truly a shrine to baseball. If anybody out there hasn't been, go -- and try to sit in the bleachers.
Speaking of baseball road trips, have you heard about the guy going to 30 stadiums in 27 days?
http://laist.com/2008/05/29/to_thirty_baseb.php
Posted by: Adam Rose | May 29, 2008 at 08:38 PM