Welcome to The Times' new Dodgers blog

Tell me what you think.

That will be the mantra here as the Los Angeles Times launches its new Dodgers blog, led by me, Steve Dilbeck.

Tell me when you think I’m wrong, when I’ve nailed it, when I’ve entirely missed the point.
The site will flow with news, but hopefully much more. With insight gained from the seven years I spent as a traveling Dodgers beat writer. With opinions honed from the eight years spent as the lead sports columnist at the Los Angeles Daily News.

I’ll try to offer both the expected and unexpected. There will be some original reporting. There will be time spent in the clubhouse, on the field and in the press box. A daily dose of Dodgers from the inside.

I will attempt to build upon the great community Jon Weisman developed here. Certainly, there will be growing pains. An evolution.

But the first team I ever followed was the Dodgers. Vin Scully’s miraculous voice echoing through our home was as much a part of a summer evening as iced tea.

I sat in the stands when Sandy Koufax threw a no-hitter. Witnessed Fernandomania. Was in the press box when Kirk Gibson hit his home run. Steve Finley, too.

A personal, professional history that will hopefully add a new dimension to the blog. One that intends to stimulate conversation.

I may talk to a young prospect or track down a former player. May just offer color from the locker room. Often, I’ll offer my view on a player or a move or a team need. If I tick you off, let it be known. If you think I’ve gone soft, let me have it. Share your thoughts.

I’ll try to inform, kindle interest, entertain.

And then tell me what you think.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[jpg]

Good luck Steve, welcome to the Dodger Blogging World.

[Chris]

Welcome, Steve! I look forward to hearing and discussing your insights over the course of the coming season. Go Blue!

Chris from http://dodgerfan.net

[underdog]

Welcome Steve and good luck. Hope it's a good, fun season for you -- and for the Dodgers!

[DodgerGirl]

Welcome, I am looking forward to participating in my first blog.

I would like to discuss how Jamie McCourt does not deserve to have any participation in managing/owning the Dodgers even if a court decides she does. She plays the intelligent female but then plays dumb "didn't know what she was signing when the signed away her Dodger interest to Frank", when it's convenient for her. It's an insult to truly intelligent women everywhere.

I don't think either one deserves to own the Dodgers and they have successfully proven our doubts that they would be capable owners. Los Angeles deserves so much more! Owners that care about the fans first!

[go blue]

Welcome, Steve...it's great to have another voice. My favorite sites are the ones that can get everyone to talk about the same thing on a given thread...it's a conversation as opposed to not. Not quite sure about the name, though. What about, "The Dodgers"?

[Dodger Tony]

Steve, this is a joyful moment for me. As a guy who has been in the trenches, you are THE MOST qualified person to run this blog to date. First things first: let's bring emotion back to the LA Times Dodger Blog. It has been sorely missed. Emotion is every bit as important as statistics in Baseball. If one skews too far the other way, an imbalance occurs. My sincere hope is that, within reason, we as fans can express ALL of the varieties of unbridled opinion, without prejudice or favoritism towards a positive or negative take, even if it is completely off base and unsupported by numeric minutae. Just bring it! This should be a place where fans can rant and rave as much as they need to, as long as others are respected. Even those who may be feisty, again within reason, should let loose some good natured ribbing every once in a while. The world is too serious as it is. Let's bring some humor into this thing. The most important aspect, for me, is that the game as played on the field be respected above all else. The tradition of the players, the sweat and smells of a ballpark, these should be of the utmost priority. The most monumental aspect of baseball is that it is, most of all, a HUMAN game, albeit one with numbers galore. But WHIP, and BABIP and even, SLOB percentages may give us an abstract concept of a player, but if it misses the heart beating in the chest, it misses the heart of the game.

So glad to have you here. I look forward to contributing consistently and with passion. All you loudmouths out there, come on in. The waters fine.

[Package]

Good Luck Steve. I hope to see some insightful information on your blog.

[Package]

Good luck Steve. Don't know if my first post came through.

[Dallas]

Best wishes on a long run here in Blue Town Steve - look forward to the days, weeks & months ahead!

I have to start out with a post that may not be very popular, but I have followed this team for over 45 years now so I know a little whereof I speak. I have seen players, coaches, mangers, GM's & owners come & go. Personally, I have never been a big fan of Free Agency as there is little loyalty left in the game, relative to what it once was. And it's apples & oranges when people say it's a free country & a player can do whatever he wants, as they operate in a world far removed from you & I. I know of no one personally that makes 20-30 Mil a year & has 4-5 months off each off season. Thanks Andy, thanks Curt.

That said, I strongly feel as long as Dread Colletti & Frank run this team, they will never advance past the NLCS, if they get that far. For one thing, the NL West is not a powerhouse division & we expect them to finish at or near the top. And for example, the Phils, the team the Dodgers may have to again face, only got better, the Dodgers on the other hand, have done little, except for losing their most consistent SP in Wolf, & they did so as Dread was not wise enough to even work it to get 1 or 2 first round picks in exchange!

I have said before, Dread & Frank are trying to build the best bargain basement back up team in baseball! Carroll, Padilla, Johnson, Amegaza. Ortiz, Weaver ?! What a scrapheap that will do nothing to further the progress of this team! I mean Steve, they lost Wolf & I just don't see Padilla putting up those consistent numbers over 30-35 starts & he does have a history of not fitting in. and while he had a few good games, he got hammered in the most important game.
So they really didn't replace Wolf, Kuroda is too inconsistent, Bills has a history of meltdown, so again, the Phils add Halladay & the Dodgers starting pitching is worse off than last year. Yes, Kershaw is on the cusp & IF Bills can put together 2 good halves, we have 2 solid starters - I am not at all excited about 3, 4 & 5.
And to me, & 6 others in our group that canceled our season seats a year ago, for Frank to extend Dread only proves he really knows little of baseball.
Here's a great example; Dread knew as did we fans, that Jason Schmit already had lost 3-5 mph off his heater, but apparently Dread is color blind as he didn't see the red flag! There's 47 Mil gone. Then he couldn't land a Soriano, Lee he has to settle for Juan Pierre. I love JP & his work ethic(best wishes in CHicago JP) & attitude, but we needed a power hitter & while JP has a solid OB%, a solid BA, a lot of speed, for the PF as well as the base paths & his low K ratio, he has no arm or power - there's 42 Mil. Then Dread must not have even worked out the fat, out of shape & lazy Andruw Jones & his .222 BA the year prior & of little power - 36 Mil gone. So there's 125 Million & for what ?! Then toss in ManSham & his 45-50 Mil, so you got 170-175 Mil on 4 players that should NOT have ever been brought here & have done nothing to put them over the 22 year old proverbial hump! And let's look at the ManSham fiasco. Dread was once again back into that oh so familiar corner for him, & instead of the team owning the 25 Mil opt out on Man Sham, he & Bortas get it so we are stuck with him again this year & without a solid 1-5 SP staff, he is not the answer, but the team is left holding the ticket on that 25 Mil! & let's not forget the 50 games he was banned!
I will say Dread has done, 1, that's ONE good deal since stealing paychecks from McCourt & that was no-brainer that even Dread was able to figure out; unload head case Bradley for Andre. But alone was not enough to warrant him an extension! He has done squat in putting this team back into the Series! And his cosmetic moves this off season are another joke! For this team to succeed to the Series, they needed to sign a stud SP & while they need a hustling power hitting OF that can also play some defense, they, thanks to Dread, are stuck with ManSham out there.
And why not trade for a quality Catcher ? Martin, in his 4 years has gone down statistically each & every season, he has warning track power, his K's have risen & his whining to the Ump every time he K's with runners in scoring position while he takes strike 3 again, is not cutting it! & him throwing out runners ? Average, at best! And Casey Blake, while a solid player, is not close to being great - he makes the tough plays with his glove then sleeps during the easy ones & his offensive numbers are nothing special.
And look at the recent contracts; Andre, Kemp & their agents are not sure either of the future here as they get only 2 year deals, OR Dread couldn't satisfy them for a 3 or 4 year deal! And to low ball the best IF they have in Loney with only a 1 years was a disgrace; the kid can hit, he's a Mark Grace type of gap hitter, doesn't K nearly as much as Kemp, plays a very solid First Base! So what is it, Dread can't see the bargain there in giving Lonely some decent money for a 4,5 year deal ? Why not lock them up before their price goes too far north ? Or the players know they want to move away from this team in 1 or 2 years?
Don't get me wrong Steve, as I love & have loved the team for 45+ years, & that is why I am passionate, & upset at the direction of this team, under Dread & Frank. Frank, go sell real estate & sell the team to a baseball man & maybe then, he can do what needs to be done with Dread & that is can him & get a quality GM in here. I was hopeful that perhaps, just maybe, the new, ahem "president" of the team was a baseball man, but alas, no, he's also wearing blinders.
Oh, have to mention another waste of a signing & $$ - I love Jim Thome, but he has never been a PH of any value - look it up Dread, yet what does Dread sign him for ? Yep, pinch hitting! What a piece of work this GM is, or pretends to be!
Of course, I would love to see this team go all the way & win the Big Dance, but again, with Carroll, Amezaga, Ortiz, Padilla, Johnson, Weaver, Belliard, therew is not a game breaker amongst them, so if they get back to the Divisional series, then that may be as far as they go.

[Ken]

Look forward to reading your posts. The L.A. Times made a great choice. You are a class act.

[These Dodgers Suck]

Welcome back Steve ......
You're a refreshing change to the 'homers' that haunted these pages prior.
Keep up the good work and don't pull your punches.

OH! BTW, that little billingsly character is a wimp!

[Cool Dudes]

Good luck.

Just some advice, there's already a lot of good Dodger blogs that cover analysis, but almost none really investigating and generating news. Take advantage of that aspect of the Times where you can get a lot of new information and have a good sense of humor. I don't know what to tell you to do about the idiots.

[Ted]

Great to have you back on the scene Steve! This will make the Dodger season that much more enjoyable. Best of luck, Ted

[NickJ]

I think I am glad Dilbeck is doing this. Will subscribe for sure! Great move Times folks.

[tom montella]

oh,these great 40 years! 40 years a devoted dodger fan,i have never been dissapointed in my dodgers,all great moments win or lose.if i died today,i would be so satisfied that i had the time to listen and watch my favorite team play with all they have.thank you steve for your passion! its rare that we are so lucky to have you to give us your gifts on this new blog.i will be in touch with you and all here.here is to another 40 or more great dodger moments!

[Dave]

>

Six homers and 20 rbi over 92 ab = 39/130 in 600 abs. Is that not "Manny Power"?

[Dallas]

Dave, projections are useless - how did your projections work out last season when ManSham was banned for 50 games ?! Did you factor this cheater's games lost into your projections & what he cost the team ?!