Ethier's hitting streak is on hold as he sits out with sore elbow [Updated]
Andre Ethier's hitting streak was put on hold Wednesday when he was a late scratch from the Dodgers’ afternoon game against the Cubs with a sore left elbow.
Ethier has hit in 29 consecutive games, tying him with Zack Wheat (1916) for second on the club’s all-time list.
He is two games back of Willie Davis, who set the franchise record with a 31-game hitting streak in 1969.
The hitting streak is for consecutive games played, so Ethier’s streak will remain on the line the next time he hits.
Ethier was originally in the Dodgers’ lineup Wednesday, but was scratched about an hour and half before their noon game.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly originally talked to Ethier before posting his lineup.
"I’d give it [day off] to him if he wanted it, and today was one of those days because last night after the game he felt like he had some stuff going on a little bit with his elbow,’’ Mattingly said. "I checked with him this morning to make sure he was OK, and really explained I don’t want him to just go out there if he doesn’t feel like he can’t go out there. He said he was fine to go, ready to go.”
There was apparently a second conference after batting practice, where Ethier had changed his mind.
[Update at 4:38 p.m.: Ethier said he originally hurt the elbow on April 16, when he scored from third on a James Loney bouncer to Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, who fired home. Ethier used a wide slide and reached in with his hand to score.
"I don’t know if I hyper extended it or jammed my elbow reaching for home plate," Ethier said. "It’s been on and off the last couple of weeks, but the last couple of days it’s been worse."
Etheir said he told Mattingly he was willing to risk his hitting streak and pinch-hit Wednesday if the situation called for it.
"It’s more tender on the throwing than it is the swinging,'' he said. "After I take five or six hacks, it loosens up pretty nicely but throwing is still pretty sore."
Ethier said he is scheduled to have the elbow examined Thursday after the Dodgers arrive in New York by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the team doctor who happens to be in New York.
"Hopefully there’s nothing serious he finds, and it’s just a sore elbow or a bone bruise or something," Ethier said.]
-- Steve Dilbeck
Photo: Andre Ethier. Credit: Jeff Gross / Getty Images
A month into the season and his elbo is sore!
How did Cal Ripken Jr. ever play in 2,632 consecutive games...
Posted by: I don't feel good | 05/04/2011 at 01:16 PM
Y'know what? I have elbow pain. I think I'll quit, too. Ladies and gentlemen, YOUR Los Angeles Dodgers.
Posted by: Chumpy Kemp | 05/04/2011 at 02:01 PM
Today would have been a perfect day game for him to hit, especially considering how he hits Zambrano. I only hope the game he comes back, he isn't even a little rusty. Last year he was leading the league in several categories and he came back too early and still injured, and the rest of the year his output was below his average. He oughtta sharpen up first at Cucamonga or Albuquerque a couple games before trying to continue his streak.
Posted by: Native Angeleno | 05/04/2011 at 02:05 PM
Chumpy - You're an idiot. Even your handle is ridiculous given how great Kemp has been this year.
Don't be so ignorant as to criticize one of the few players that actually belong in a big league lineup.
Posted by: vtadave | 05/04/2011 at 02:51 PM
u sure it's his elbow? couldn't really tell the way he dogged it going to first base after the cubbie second baseman made a nice grab of ethier's ground ball.
nice hustle, andre. NOT!
Posted by: fire mc court, pls | 05/04/2011 at 03:05 PM
Dear slappy 'e'
Please get well soon - if you don't, I'll have no dudger to pick on besides broxton... and loney, and navarro, and gibbons, and...
xoxoxoxoxo
Your pal
16blows
Posted by: 16blows | 05/04/2011 at 04:07 PM
How come it's merely consecutive games? What if some pinch hitter hit once a week for 3 years? Not the same thing at all.
Posted by: mikeohara | 05/04/2011 at 04:24 PM
...because a pinch-hitter is really going to get a hit every time up. Sigh...
Posted by: vtadave | 05/04/2011 at 04:56 PM
I'm sorry but Mike O'Hara's comment gave me a headache..
Posted by: Kim | 05/04/2011 at 06:36 PM
I know a pinch hitter's probably not going to get a hit every game. (I guess it also depends if he stays in the game after his first at-bat.)
But that's the effect if you don't make the streak truly consecutive, like Cal Ripkin's. Let's make the example easier: a right-handed hitter who chooses to bat only when it's a left-handed pitcher. Or a hitter who only bats when the Royals are in town or Broxton is closing. Etc. You can't let the hitter pick and choose what games he plays.
I don't for one sec take anything away from Ethier. He's a total stud--one of maybe two or three remaining reasons to keep following the Dodgers. I'm just saying the concept of "consecutive hits" is warped.
Posted by: MikeOHara | 05/04/2011 at 10:43 PM
I think DiMaggio's streak was game-to-game, without any breaks:
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats3.shtml
Posted by: MikeOHara | 05/04/2011 at 10:48 PM
If Steve McGarrett were still with us, now is about the time he would turn to Danno, and say (adjusted for our tale of ongoing dudger woe) ~ "Book 'em, OHara - poseur one!"
That poseur would be slappy 'e', who indeed - merely by virtue his sitting out a single game - one - has fallen short the great DiMaggio (not to mention that slappy is castor oil compared to the blessed baseball water was Joe - which is to say, artificial, at minimum.)
Allowing any 'streak' to continue despite the fact the player missed a game that was played/on the schedule and he 'could have' played in (he wasn't in a coma, was he? Just an elbow twinge) does not measure up/remain legit.
Sort of like broxton/whomever getting credit for a 'save' or even a 'win' end of a baseball game, despite having danced on the head of disaster and very nearly turning the thrill of victory into the agony of defeat, ad nasueam.
And that makes Mike OHara spot on regards Joe not missing an single game - none. God forbid these modern day "oww, my pinky, ouch my elbow, d'oh! my feelings" need a break 'china dolls' of sport.
It's no different than a player making a belated appearance late in a game just to allow his name into the box score/record book. As for Cal Ripken, he was both a beneficiary & victim, my opine. He missed 68 total games (50 in 1994 and another 18 in 1995 due to the MLB strike. Conversely, he played longer seasons that era than did say Lou Gehrig, whose record games played streak Ripken broke. Upshot - he did NOT accomplish the same thing nee as much as did Gehrig, my opine.
The problem with the Ripken (et al) situation is they will by the very nature force? the issue upon a Manager (like yesterday when slappy decided not to play) who won't want to be seen as the spoilsport who stopped it, regardless how tired and/or ineffective a player might be at some point (Ripken's case, reportedly he wanted to keep playing despite Manager's desiring otherwise, regardless players diminishing well south of .300 batting average, etc.)
Too, a Ripken was doubtless saved wear & tear/got rest in the long run via missing those 68 games (almost half a season's worth) , '94/'95. What in the world would today's "better, bigger, stronger, faster" (snicker) athletes have done back in the days say two-way football?
It ain't gonna happen, but if slappy 'e' adherents got their wish & he did hit in more games* ("I'm sitting today Coach") than Joltin' did, the next thing they will be saying is "he's 'better' than DiMaggio!"
Sure.
Posted by: 16blows | 05/05/2011 at 09:02 AM
My elbo would be sore too if I were going up against Carlos Zambrano...
Posted by: what a wuss | 05/05/2011 at 01:07 PM
Really Steve? You let somebody call me an idiot?
Posted by: Chumpy Kemp | 05/05/2011 at 02:02 PM
Mike Edwards of the Oakland A's had a 17-game hitting streak even though he didn't play in consecutive games.
Posted by: Chumpy Kemp | 05/05/2011 at 02:04 PM