End of mania? Dodgers outright John Ely, Carlos Monasterios

During a miserable 2010 season, John Ely and Carlos Monasterios had moments of near inspiration. Moments, however, does not a season -– nor a career -– make.

So it’s come to this: The two former emergency starting pitchers were outrighted to triple-A Albuquerque just before Thursday night’s deadline to set the 40-man roster and protect players from the Rule 5 draft.

Which is how the Dodgers originally acquired Monasterios, of course.

The Dodgers added five minor leaguers to the 40-man roster to protect them from the draft, leaving their roster at 38.

In 2010 the Dodgers went into the season without a real No. 5 starter, and soon it was tryout time. Ely got the call in May, and much to everyone’s surprise, initially pitched exceedingly well.

After seven starts, while the light-throwing right-hander’s control was sharp, he was 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA. He even inspired a fan’s conceived Elymania cover of Sports Illustrated (@PA_Dodger via Blue Heaven).

Alas, it was not to last. He finished the season 4-10 with a 5.49 ERA. Ely, 25, spent most of last season at Albuquerque where he went 7-8 with a 5.99 ERA.

The Dodgers kept Monasterios, 25, on the 2010 roster all season to keep his rights. He appeared in 32 games, including 13 starts, going 3-5 with a 4.38 ERA. He appeared in only one game at Albuquerque last season before injuring his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Of the five players joining the 40-man, only two were drafted by the Dodgers. Added were:

-- Outfielder Alex Catellanos, 25: He came from the Cardinals for Rafael Furcal. In 121 at-bats at double-A Chattanooga he hit .322, with .406 on-base and .603 slugging percentages.

-- Right-hander Stephen Fife, 25: A starter who came in the Trayvon Robinson trade, had a combined 3.74 ERA at double-A but has seriously struggled in the Arizona Fall League (1-6, 8.06 ERA).

-- Right-hander Chris Withrow, 22: Another former first-round pick from Texas, he went 6-6 with a 4.20 ERA at double-A, with 130 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings.

-- Right-hander Josh Wall, 24: A former second-round pick, he was a middle reliever at double-A who went 4-5 with a 3.93 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings.

-- Left-hander Michael Antonini, 26: A starter who came from the Mets for Chin-Lung Hu, and finished 10-9 with a 4.01 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 148 innings at double-A.

The Dodgers previously added outfielders Scott Van Slyke and Alfredo Silverio to their 40-man.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photos: (Top) John Ely pitches against the Detroit Tigers during an interlegaue game in 2010. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times. (Bottom) Carlos Monasterios posing during media day. Credit: Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images

Pirates' 6-2 win officially eliminates Dodgers from N.L. West

And that’s what a game in late September between two disappointing teams looks like.

Uneventful, long, slow, watched by precious few and filled with plenty of players who started this season in the minors.

For the Dodgers, it added up to a 6-2 loss Thursday night to the Pittsburgh Pirates, a defeat that officially eliminated them from the National League West Division race.

So much for those great comeback hopes.

The game was watched by an announced crowd of 25,381, the lowest official crowd of the season, though there have certainly been games with fewer actually in the seats.

Six of the nine Dodgers who started Thursday began their 2011 baseball journey in the minors. This is the time when you look at the kids, of course, when you’re out of the race and playing another team with nothing on the line.

The game did mark the first major-league start for Tim Federowicz, the catcher the Dodgers acquired in the Trayvon Robinson deal in August. In his first at-bat, he was welcomed to the majors by getting hit with a pitch. He did single in his second at-bat.

The pitcher the Dodgers couldn’t handle, on the mound or at the plate, was the unheralded Ross Ohlendorf.

Ohlendorf had won one game in his last 32 starts. He entered the night with an 8.03 earned-run average. In his last start, he gave up six runs on 10 hits in two innings to the Florida Marlins.

Against these Dodgers on Thursday night, he was an entirely different pitcher. He went seven innings, holding the Dodgers to two runs on four hits. He was a model of efficiency, not walking a batter and throwing only 72 pitches.

He had another out-of-body experience in the second inning, when he hit a three-run homer off Dana Eveland. In 100 career at-bats in the majors, he had never had an extra-base hit or driven in a run.

Eveland (2-1), the soft-throwing left-hander who had consecutive strong outings since being called up at the beginning of the month, never looked particularly sharp Thursday. He lasted five innings, surrendering four runs on eight hits and a walk.

MORE:

Dodgers-Pirates box score

Hiroki Kuroda has MRI on next, will start Friday

Dodgers ask whether ownership is affecting season-ticket renewal

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Pirates second baseman Neil Walker takes the throw as Matt Kemp slides into second base on a steal attempt in the sixth inning. Walker would make the tag in time. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press

Dodgers finally give up on Dioner Navarro, call up A.J. Ellis

Toss the confetti, the blue and white variety if handy.

The odd, misguided, what-are-you-thinking Dioner Navarro experiment has mercifully come to an end.

The Dodgers on Tuesday afternoon did what they should have done back in the off-season, calling up catcher A.J. Ellis from triple-A Albuquerque. To make room, they designated Navarro for assignment.

Exactly why Navarro was ever here in the first place was only slightly less mysterious than how the Egyptians built the pyramids. How he was an upgrade over Ellis required some particularly skewed glasses.

He was a switch-hitter! Right, a particularly bad one.

This is not something I mention after Navarro hit .193 for the Dodgers, but back when they signed him coming off that sterling .194 season with Tampa Bay. Say what you will about Navarro, but he was consistent.

It’s not that Navarro was a bad guy or popped attitude. He was actually very good in the clubhouse. On the field, however, he was one small step ahead of useless.

And it’s not that Ellis screams star in the making, or even starter. But he is better behind the plate, gets on base more and works his butt off. He’s also 30 years old. Time to find out if he can fit in the plans at least as a backup.

Ellis was hitting .304 at Albuquerque with an .885 on-base, plus slugging percentage. In his 166 major-league at-bats, he’s .247 and .621. OK numbers but, incredibly, a clear upgrade.

The only odd thing about this decision is the timing, which on the surface is more bizarre than signing Navarro in the first place. They stuck with him this long. Why not wait another nine days and just call up Ellis when rosters expand on Sept. 1?

It could mean they’re going to call up Tim Federowicz, the catcher acquired in the trade for Trayvon Robinson last month, though that would require adding him to the 40-man roster.

These are different days for the bankrupt Dodgers, however, out of the race and casting an eye to the future, though wondering how they can with the team's ownership in crisis.

The immediate future, though, is a little better with Ellis here and Navarro gone. Cue the confetti.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Catcher A.J. Ellis was recalled  from the minor leagues on Tuesday. Credit: Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

Dodgers' plans: Jerry Sands getting long look at first base

Like James Loney doesn’t need more bad news.

Down at triple-A, guess who’s suddenly playing a lot of first base?

Hoped for wunderkind Jerry Sands.

Sands is the one prodigy the Dodgers are hoping can provide future power. He is their reigning Minor League Player of the Year. He is the star they need to rise.

They also need to figure out what’s his best position, or maybe where their biggest need is.

If the Dodgers determine it simply doesn’t make financial sense to tender Loney this offseason, that leaves them without a regular first baseman. Certainly, without a long-term one. They might think about bringing Juan Rivera back as a stop-gap, but it would have to be at a substantial cut from the $5.25 million he’s earning this season.

Dodgers web musings: Jamey Carroll in search of records

Jamey Carroll has been a rare bright spot for the Dodgers the last two seasons.

Maybe no one got all giddy when the Dodgers signed the utility infielder a couple of years ago, but he’s won over fans with his strong play and consistent effort.

He's just having one little problem this season: Driving in runs.

OK, that’s hardly what he’s paid to do. He’s more of a table-setter, someone who gets on base and scores. Still, you play enough, you have to contribute by driving in some runs.

And in 358 at-bats this season, he has driven in just 10 runs. And that followed consecutive RBI games last weekend. He is nine for 53 with runners in scoring position.

ESPN’s David Schoenfield said Carroll has an opportunity to become just the fifth player since 1920 to get 500 at-bats and drive in fewer than 20 runs.

The all-time Bizarro leader: Enzo Hernandez, 1971 Padres: 618 PA and 12 RBIs.

Also on the web:

-- Outfielder Trayvon Robinson, now playing for Tacoma, talks about his days at Crenshaw High: "Ever since I came out of high school, all I knew was the Los Angeles Dodgers," he said.

-- The Biz of Baseball’s Maury Brown looks back on how Major League Baseball ultimately decided to allow the Dodgers to be sold to Frank and Jamie McCourt, after not being able to swing a deal with the NFL’s Malcolm Grazer.

Dodgers send Trayvon Robinson to Red Sox, world still rotates

Say what? Ah, really, it ain’t so bad.

In a three-way deal at the trade deadline, the Dodgers sent outfield prospect Trayvon Robinson to the Boston Red Sox for three prospects.

Robinson had been triple-A Albuquerque’s most productive player this season, hitting 26 home runs with 71 runs batted in and batting .293. Some considered him a strong candidate to win the starting left-field spot for the Dodgers next season, though I never bought it. He clearly wasn’t good enough to make a bad Dodgers team this season.

In return for Robinson, the Red Sox sent the Dodgers minor league catcher Tim Federowicz, and right-handed pitchers Stephen Fife and Juan Rodriguez.

The Red Sox then sent Robinson and an infield-outfield prospect to the Seattle Mariners for starter Erik Bedard.

The Dodgers lack promising catchers in their system, and Federowicz was the linchpin in the deal for them. You can argue how much of a prospect Federowicz actually is, but he is a catcher and a prospect. And they are seriously lacking in those.

"We’ve been on Tim for awhile," General Manager Ned Colletti said. "We need catchers.

"When you look at the catching in the game, it’s tough to find. This gives us another opportunity."

Something surprisingly positive about Dodgers -- Tony Gwynn Jr.

And now amid the Dodgers’ losing streak, their getting knocked out of the race with more than two months left in the season and Wednesday's looming courtroom drama, we bring you a bit of unexpected good news:

Tony Gwynn Jr.

Did you see this coming? OK, I did not. Not after his batting average dipped below .200 by the end of May. Particularly following his .204 mark last season.

Yep, I was ready to give up on the Gwynn experiment. Ready to even call Jay Gibbons back up or give Trayvon Robinson a whirl.

Only, since June 25, Gwynn has been one of the Dodgers’ best hitters. Now maybe you think that’s not saying much since most of the team, as Tommy Lasorda famously said about Kurt Bevacqua, couldn’t hit water if it fell out of a boat.

But since June 25, Gwynn has hit .355, raising his average from .215 to .262. All while playing some outstanding defense. And adding speed to the bases.

With a sinking team that’s 14½ games out, maybe it’s a small thing, but it’s a positive thing in a Dodgers’ season in which that’s in short supply.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodgers outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Jackie Robinson Day features panel discussion, Dodger Stadium ceremonies to honor No. 42

The Dodgers have scheduled a series of events Friday to honor the 64th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier.

They’ll start off the day with 10 current and former Dodgers holding a panel discussion on Robinson’s effect on baseball and society at Crenshaw High School. Former Robinson teammate Don Newcombe, now a special advisor to Frank McCourt, will moderate the panel.

Also scheduled to appear at the Crenshaw assembly are Tommy Davis, Maury Wills, Lou Johnson and current Dodgers Matt Kemp, James Loney, Marcus Thames, Tony Gwynn Jr., Xavier Paul, and minor leaguer and Crenshaw alum Trayvon Robinson. It is closed to the public.

The Dodgers have also donated tickets to the entire Crenshaw student body for their game June 13 against the Reds.

"The Dodgers and Jackie Robinson have been a team for so many years and they remain a team today,’’ Newcombe said in a statement. "I look forward to helping the next generation of Americans learn all about who Jackie was and how much he means to so many people.’’

Dodgers web musings: Rubby De La Rosa looking like the real deal

Rubby De La Rosa was veritable unknown last spring, a skinny kid from the Dominican Republic. He started the season at Class-A Great Lakes.

Only De La Rosa exploded upon the scene, dominating at Great Lakes and then at double-A Chattanooga. He was a combined 7-2 with a 2.37 earned-run average and a 1.13 WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched).

He was selected the Dodgers organizational pitcher of the year, though he seemed a long way from cracking the 25-man roster.

De La Rosa, 22, might start the season at Chattanooga, but Dodgers.com's Ken Gurnick said De La Rosa has been so impressive this spring, he could be pushing himself into the Dodgers’ plans sooner than most expected.

Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt told Gurnick there are similarities to De La Rosa and Clayton Kershaw when he was coming up and fast-tracked to the majors:

"Yeah, he's got a lot of positives. A plus arm, 'pitchability.' A little wild with the fastball at times, but he always came back. The changeup is filthy. If I had that, I wouldn't throw anything else. But he can throw 97 [mph]. The one thing is throwing consistently for strikes. But a 20-year-old won't have everything figured out."

[Update:] This original post relayed information taken directly from the Dodgers media guide that De La Rosa had been suspended for 50 games for a drug violation in 2009, but the media guide is incorrect. He was never suspended. My apologies do De La Rosa.

Also on the web:

-- In a video interview with Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, outfielder Andre Ethier talks about coming back too soon last season at the urging of Joe Torre.

-- Reliever Mike MacDougal (unscored upon in 5 1/3 spring innings) is examined by two bloggers. Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness’ Mike Petriello is conserving his enthusiasm for the well-traveled 34-year-old, while True Blue LA’s Eric Stephen still doesn’t believe he’ll make the final roster.

-- Baseball Savvy’s Howard Cole has another installment profiling bloggers, this time dipping into the airwaves with a question-and-answer piece on Fox Sports’ Patrick O’Neal.

-- Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci says the Dodgers are one of five MLB teams with the best chance to go from a losing record to the postseason.

-- Memories of Kevin Malone's Chad Moriyama gives a long look at outfield prospect Trayvon Robinson.

-- Fox Sports’ Joe McDonnell is the latest to profile the attempted return to form of Matt Kemp, who said he’s lost 16 pounds.

-- The New York Post’s Brian Costello writes Torre’s difficult departure from the Yankees is behind every one, after Torre accepts an invitation to participate in their Oldtimers’ Day.

-- In evil Giants news, ESPN.com’s Jim Caple writes that you’ll be stunned at what the reed-like Tim Lincecum calls a meal at In-N-Out.

And Rosenthal said the Giants might have another can’t-miss, Buster Posey-like prospect in first baseman Brandon Belt.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Rubby De La Rosa delivers a pitch during a spring game agianst the Cubs earlier this month. Credit: Julie Jacobson / Associated Press

Dodgers reassign Dee Gordon, option John Lindsey and Trayvon Robinson to the minors

Some day Dee Gordon and Trayvon Robinson may break camp firmly in the Dodgers’ immediate plans.

Not this spring, though. Not for this coming season.

Gordon and Robinson were among six Dodgers on Monday who had to pack their bags and head over to the minor league clubhouse.

If they were looking for sympathy, however, they were in the wrong group. John Lindsey, the first baseman who tore up triple-A pitching last season to finally earn a September call up after 16 years in the minor leagues, was also optioned back to the minor league camp.

Right-hander Javy Guerra, outfielder Jamie Hoffman, Lindsey and Robinson were all optioned to the minor leagues. Damaso Espino and Gordon, who are not on the 40-man roster, were simply reassigned to the minors.

Gordon is considered one of the Dodgers’ top prospects and their shortstop of the future. The speedy Gordon, who turns 23 next month, played all of last season at double-A Chattanooga, where he hit .277 and stole 53 bases.

Robinson, 23, was also at Chattanooga last season. The outfielder hit .300 and stole 38 bases. Signed when he was 17, this will be his seventh year in the organization. Guerra, 25, was a reliever at Chattanooga, where he had a 2.33 earned-run average but a 1.70 WHIP.

Lindsey was a late-season, feel-good story for the Dodgers. After laboring all those years in the minors, he became an instant hit in their September clubhouse, both for his story and his infectious personality.

Hoffman, 26, could be running out of time. He was taken by the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft last year, but returned before the season began. At triple-A Albuquerque, he hit .310 with a .431 slugging percentage.

Espino, 27, is a light-hitting catcher from Panama.

--Steve Dilbeck