Dodgers Web Musings: A day when team is dominated by the left

It feels like a left-field kinda day.

As in, who used to play, who’s going to play it, and will they be any good when they do. Maybe we’ll just start a daily theme post.

--Marcus Thames gets his Times’ T.J. Simers intro, and I’m guessing he might have been less than thrilled with questions about his defense.

--ESPN/L.A.’s Tony Jackson approaches Thames from a different angle, saying he is willing to play first base or anywhere else to help out.

--Manny Ramirez, that old Dodgers left-fielder, is getting a clean slate with Tampa Manager Joe Maddon, writes ESPN’s Jayson Stark, who said he was listening to the dreadlocked star. However:

"I know one thing," says a veteran big-league coach and manager. "It will end horribly."

Ah, what are the odds?

--Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness’ Mike Petriello wonders just how many different players will make an appearance in left for the Dodgers this season and if it will top last year’s mark of nine.

--Vin Scully Is My Homeboy’s Roberto Baly has his latest billboard shot in the Dodgers’ new marketing campaign, their takeoff of "It’s time for Dodger baseball."

This one shows the really old left-fielder, Kirk Gibson, raising a fist with the slogan: It’s time for magic.

Meanwhile, in posts not focusing on left:

--The Times’ Dylan Hernandez said Tim Redding, who is unexpectedly competing for a spot in the rotation, was turned down by teams in South Korea and Japan in the offseason.

--True Blue L.A.’s Eric Stephen correctly points out that my numbers from last Friday on the Dodgers’ attendance downturn incorporate two games at Dodger Stadium, which are still to be played this season, and games at Camelback are actually in line with baseball’s overall spring decline.

--James Loney, every stat-loving fan’s favorite player, is examined by Dodgers.com’s Ken Gurnick. Loney said he’s looked at tapes and made corrections to a swing that deserted him in the second half last year.

Said Loney: "I'm thinking that if I can drive in 90 and hit .270 with bad mechanics, imagine if I was doing all the right things?"

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[Lane Kiffen]

This one shows the really old left-fielder, Kirk Gibson, raising a fist with the slogan: It’s time for magic.

It should read "we're gonna need some magic.... alot of magic"

[Zen]

So, Steve, if I got the gist of the Jayson Stark article, Mini Ramirez is the best looking gal in the bar, and Joe Madden isn't afraid of approaching her.

'Bout sum it up?

[OldBrooklynFan]

Through the Golden years 1946-1957, the Dodgers had many left fielders, thankfully they had Sandy Amoros out there at the right time to bring in their only World Championship in Brooklyn in modern times. So let it be until a Tommy Davis like player comes along. Hopefully it's Jerry Sands.

[Ron Shafer]

Dodgers fans worried about the team's less-than-sizzling spring training should take heart. The team that became the Dodgers did even worse in the team's very first spring training in 1890 in St. Augustine, Fla., as you can see on my website www.brooklyndodgershistory.com. But they won the N.L. pennant in '90, as you can read in my coming book When the Dodgers Were Bridegrooms, Gunner McGunnigle and Brooklyn's Back-to-Back Pennants of 1889 and 1890. It's the first book devoted entirely to the creation of the team -- called the Brooklyn Bridegrooms--and their first pennants.

[Tom Daniels]

And hopefully Sands doesn't break his leg like Tommy did.

[N.P.Krohn]

Kenny lofton nailed it. I don't know why anyone answers tj Simers. Every story he writes is just another desperate attempt to draw attention to himself and really has nothing to do with the supposed subject of the article. When it comes to self promotion Simers is loaded with talent. An only child maybe? I wonder though that he couldn't find someone more important to ridicule? Thames, the Dodger's proposed part timer in left and slated to be our primary power threat as a pinch hitter, is a relative pee wee on the Dodger playground. Bullies like to pick on the little guy I guess. Maybe Marcus told Timers he looked fat in a dress. All I can say to that supposition is: At least someone's telling the truth.

[N.P.Krohn]

100% correct ol'Brooklyn. It only takes one great moment from one minor player to make the great Joe DiMaggio kick dirt.