Two Days to Go

(Unless there are three):

National League Wild Card
87-73 Houston (Chicago at Houston, 1:05 p.m.)
86-74 Philadelphia (Philadelphia at Washington, 1:05 p.m.)

American League East
94-66 New York (New York at Boston, 10:15 a.m.)
94-66 Boston

American League Wild Card
94-66 Boston
93-67 Cleveland (Chicago at Cleveland, 10:15 a.m.)

* * *

Tonight's Game

Comments

[deburns]

1.  Can someone explain to me why not "risking the embarrassment of Tracy's opting out to take a job with a lower payroll" is worth paying him $700K net of whatever he gets from becoming Felipe's bench coach (or whatever job he takes)?

[Bob Timmermann]

2.  Turns out that tonight is actually the last Channel 13 game, not the one last week.

Please go back to your tearful remembrances.

[Bob Timmermann]

3.  Ozzie Guillen is starting more of the Varsity squad for Chicago today. Not that that will help Cleveland if they keep up their Dodger-like hitting.

[Sam DC]

4.  Yankees Red Sox is a fox game, but they decided to run the Nats-Phillies on fox this afternoon, so the Yanks-Sox is blacked out in DC. Apparently on all outlets, though can't confirm extra innings, which I don't have. Wait, I think I just heard an angry howl . . .

[SiGeg]

5.  I hadn't realized how ordinary Olmedo Saenz season has been – ordinary for him, that is. I thought he was outperforming expectations, but it turns out that, after his September stumbles, the only unusual thing about his season has been how many at-bats he's had. He's OPSing 807 this year vs. 803 for his career,and his OBP is down. In years in which he's had at least 100 at-bats, this year was better only than his miserable 2001 OPSing .675. In contrast, he OPSed .857 for the Dodgers last year and .915 for Oakland in 2000.

Strange stat: This year, he's hit 24 doubles in 108 at-bats; last year, in 77 at-bats, he hit only 1.

Saenz and Choi have eerily similar numbers:
Saenz Choi
AB 318 317
H 84 81
R 39 40
HR 15 15
AVG .264 .256
TB 153 145
OBP .326 .339
SLG .481 .457
OPS .807 .796
RC 46.5 47.4

[King of the Hobos]

6.  1 I questioned that myself. But now I'll become even more impatient for Tuesday, as it's also the start of playoffs and the AFL...

And from the other paper, Daily News is questioning whether the coaching staff would stay. What's the concensus on who should stay and who should go, knowing that Tracy likely will try to invite some of them to his new team?

And whether Bako returns depends on whether he thinks the Dodgers have a chance to win. We could offer him arby, tell him we plan to lose, so he declines it. Then we get an extra sandwich pick somewhere (teams are far more willing to give sandwich picks, like the Twins did when they signed Redmond)

[Bob Timmermann]

7.  There are only three games available on Extra Innings tonight: Colorado vs. New York, Minnesota vs. Detroit, and L.A. of A vs Texas.

[Kayaker7]

8.  5 Of course, Choi's numbers are held down by his atrocious pinch hitting. In addition, Saenz has a higher RBI total (63 vs. 42), mostly due to batting order.

[Sam DC]

9.  7 Yes, it was, indeed, an angry howl . . .

[Sam DC]

10.  What's funny is that it's been ridiculously difficult to get the Nationals on TV all year; now that it doesn't really matter (well, to Nationals' fans, anyhow), they block the premiere game of the day.

[SiGeg]

11.  8 Yes, I was mostly just looking at the numbers that were similar, as I found them striking.

RBI is the most important difference. Saenz did have more opportunities with runners in scoring position, but he also hit much better than Choi did in those situations, so that may have had more to do with it than batter order. I don't read much into that beyond luck, though.

There are other differences. Choi struck out about 25% more often than Saenz did, but walked about 25% more often as well. Saenz had a better first half of the season than second half of the season, while Choi improved in the second half (in fewer at-bats, which either shows that Tracy underutilized him or utilized him in just such a way that he could improve. But let's not go there.)

[Bob Timmermann]

12.  So on Tuesday, will there be rejoicing in Dodger Thoughts Land or great wailing?

[HomeDePo]

13.  12 - i hope rejoicing. i am no longer a dodger fan if we keep tracy and fire depo

[Sam DC]

14.  13 Well, I would be pretty frustrated with the McCourt's if that happened, but not a Dodger Fan. I don't know about that.

[Sam DC]

15.  14 Just trying to squeeze in an extra apostrophe to make up for childhood wrongs, there.

[HomeDePo]

16.  14 - I would feel like i was betrayed by the organization, even if I have not choice in what goes on. it would just be a boneheaded move that I would not be able to live with. And it is not like i am an unloyal Dodger fan. It would be like a nasty breakup where you dont want to get back together but you do. I would just need my girlfriend, the Dodgers, to prove themself again.

[King of the Hobos]

17.  Wakefield ain't doing so good, 3 runs and 1 out in the top of the first. He decided to go with the fastball rather than the knuckler to Sheffield, and it went really far

[Bob Timmermann]

18.  Since the reports are that the Dodgers would tell Tracy his status by Tuesday leads me to think that DePodesta's status isn't being threatened.

If McCourt were to decide on Tuesday that he wanted to cashier DePodesta and keep Tracy, he would have to have somebody ready to step in and take over the GM job immediately. This is the busy season for GMs.

[HomeDePo]

19.  18 - good thinking bob, and thanks for calming my mind

[Sam DC]

20.  15 For the love of Choi, what is that comma doing there, there. I'm going to take a hint and be done for the day.

[Sam DC]

21.  20 And to top it off, no question mark. Sheesh, quite a run the kid's having as the season winds to a close . . .

[Bob Timmermann]

22.  19
I'm glad to be a calming influence. I could be wrong and McCourt could be incredibly mercurial and just fire everybody.

Come back Sam! Come back!

I'm hiding in my darkened apartment with:
1) the A/C on to prevent any ash from getting into my house
2) the blinds completely shut because they are painting my building and I don't want the painters looking into my living room.

[Icaros]

23.  22 Be sure to line your walls and ceiling with aluminum foil so those aliens can't intercept your brainwaves anymore.

[HomeDePo]

24.  23 - LOL

Dont you just love Bronx Banter?

[Bob Timmermann]

25.  Hey, I got them to correct the spelling of "judgment"!

[regfairfield]

26.  Season on the line, Yankees start a guy with a .169 average.

You'd think 220 million could do a little better.

[LAT]

27.  Wakefield not fooling anyone today

[Bob Timmermann]

28.  Wow, Cleveland actually got a hit.
They didn't score.

But they got a hit!

Since when did Cleveland start hitting like the Dodgers?

[Bob Timmermann]

29.  26
Unlike the Red Sox starting the fearsome Doug Mirabelli behind the plate.

[LAT]

30.  26. No one told me Jose Valintine was traded to the Yankees

[Bob Timmermann]

31.  Will any of the following players get a hit for the Dodgers in the next two days?
Jose Valentin
Ricky Ledee
Jason Phillips
Mike Rose
Hee-Seop Choi

[Linkmeister]

32.  So what's the consensus here? Root for the Sox today? That's my choice, solely because of Yankee hatred.

[HomeDePo]

33.  25 - I wanted to get an angry response from them with my comment number one, but nothing happened.

oh well there is always tomorrow

[Icaros]

34.  Since when did Cleveland start hitting like the Dodgers?

When the poor saps of Dodger Thoughts started rooting for them.

It's called the Steve Haskins A's Fan Syndrome.

[regfairfield]

35.  29 Touche. But at least he had an .893 OPS last year.

[HomeDePo]

36.  32 - I think the consensus is that the Sox and Yanks can do whatever they want as long as the Tribe make the playoffs

[LAT]

37.  31.
no, are you kidding?
yes, but will he be able to run it out?
yes, unfortunatly
no
yes

[Bob Timmermann]

38.  34
That's what I was thinking about Cleveland too.

It's all Steve's fault.

Fire Steve Haskins!

Meanwhile, my digital cable box is acting up and the video is all jumpy. It's because I am using a DV-R and the disk is skipping.

But it's going through the commercials just fine!

[Bob Timmermann]

39.  So did the Chan Ho Park for Phil Nevin turn out to be one of the least relevant trades in baseball?

[Icaros]

40.  Are the Padres on the hook for Park's salary next year? Isn't he due to make a ton of money?

[regfairfield]

41.  40 The Rangers sent "cash" to the Padres. I think he was due to make three million more than Nevin.

[Bob Timmermann]

42.  Randy Winn had an OPS of 1317 in September. He hit 11 home runs.

[Bob Timmermann]

43.  My windows have been covered in plastic and duct taped.

I'm ready for a chemical weapons attack!

[dzzrtRatt]

44.  I couldn't make any sense out of the Times article on Tracy this morning. Either the Times reporter is on cold medication, or the Dodgers are handling the Tracy move with an uncommon lack of grace. If they're worried about a sympathy wave for Tracy, it seems like they're doing what they can to promote one--sympathy for a guy who will be sent on his way with a $700,000 check in his pocket. What was that Watergate line? 'Let him twist slowly, slowly, in the wind.' If I read the Times correctly, they're suggesting that the Dodgers' position on Tracy is this:

"We're going to fire you Tuesday, but before we do that, we're going to make you an offer that we trust you'll find sufficiently insulting to refuse."

By the end of this process, Tracy will be unhirable by any other team unless they are willing to tolerate total insubordination. And no decent manager will want to work for DePo and McCourt because they won't want to risk public humiliation down the road. For the moment anyway, we're starting to make the Tampa Bay Devil Rays look good.

[HomeDePo]

45.  44 - i had trouble with it as well...i think the times' coverage of the dodgers is downright silly

[Bob Timmermann]

46.  The problem Henson is having is that he is getting very little space because it's the end of the year and there's college football and Angels stuff that they have to write about.

So he's trying to squeeze 10 lbs of something that is not Shinola into a 5 lb sack.

[dzzrtRatt]

47.  Listening to the pre-game show on the radio yesterday (I'm not a total geek, I was just in the car and wasn't in the mood for the Rolling Stones), I heard Rick Monday interview Jim Colborn, who was chatting in a very positive manner about next season, thrilled at the Gagne training program, and otherwise conveying a vibe that he's back next year. The only weirdness was this strained joke that I guess was supposed to be a put-down of Monday's broadcast crew.

Anyway, it got me to thinking...is Jim Colborn going to become the new manager?

[King of the Hobos]

48.  Another FA is gone. Not much of a loss, but it does make the market smaller. And the winner of the 3 year extension is:

Ryan Dempster

[King of the Hobos]

49.  47 As long as he doesn't play Phillips at first, or name Gagne pitching coach, I don't min I guess. I really have no idea how he would manage. Maybe Gagne can be a player/pitching coach

[dzzrtRatt]

50.  45, 46...both of your responses suggest you think the problem is the Times' butchering of the information they got from DePo and the team, rather than the way DePo and the team is handling the Tracy situation. As a Times-hater of long standing, I'm certainly open to that idea.

So what do you think is really going on? What does DePo mean when he says (or is quoted as saying, perhaps incorrectly): "Each possible outcome triggers a chain of events."

[dzzrtRatt]

51.  Oh, Fox, just switch to the Chicago/Cleveland game already. The Yanks have this one in the bag, and if the Red Sox make a comeback, you can always switch over again.

[rageon]

52.  49 If we're going with a player-coach, let's go with Rickey Henderson. No better way to combine plate discipline with hilarious interviews.

[HomeDePo]

53.  50 - I think DePo meant that he is prepared for the media to scorn his next move and he does not care

[King of the Hobos]

54.  Iguchi hits it out, 4-1 ChiSox

And my playoff hopes sure are crashing. At least the AFL has Gameday this year

[HomeDePo]

55.  52 - i do not think rickey would make the best pitching coach. But he is The Greatest of All Time

[HomeDePo]

56.  52 - i do not think rickey would make the best pitching coach. But he is The Greatest of All Time

[regfairfield]

57.  The Yankees record when they score at least 7 runs is 46-3.

This is due to the strength of their bullpen, apparantely.

[King of the Hobos]

58.  Apparently Ron Washington may be a candidate for the opening in Tampa Bay. I'm sure Upton would like that

[dzzrtRatt]

59.  Actually, a playoff scenario that has a first round of Angels v. Yankees, and Red Sox v. White Sox strikes me as very appealling. Both series come down to pitching v. hitting. The media will be rooting for a rerun of last season's ALCS, but I bet we end up with the Angels playing the Red Sox.

For Cleveland...wait'll next year. They'll be better next year.

[Bob Timmermann]

60.  57

Or just due to the fact that most teams win a lot of games when they score 7 runs.

[regfairfield]

61.  60 This is why Joe Buck is a poor analyist.

[Bob Timmermann]

62.  Haven't the Dodgers lost just one game in which they've scored more than 7?

[King of the Hobos]

63.  While we're all enjoying the Game Break, the Indians have pulled within a run, 4-3 and still threatening

[regfairfield]

64.  62 Their bullpen must be awesome.

[HomeDePo]

65.  62 - theyve probably only scored 7 runs once

[HomeDePo]

66.  62 - theyve probably only scored 7 runs once

[Icaros]

67.  I don't care how it looks, I'm glad Tracy is leaving. This year's team wasn't going anywhere with the injuries it amassed. Tracy thinks it wasn't going anywhere anyway. Whatever, he also thinks Phillips is a good hitter.

I'm just glad he won't be around to use his insane prejudices on the young crop of players making its way to the bigs over the next three years.

I don't want to wonder why Guzman isn't getting a chance because "Joel doesn't have a defensive position," or see LaRoche benched in favor of Mike Edwards because he makes two errors at third in one game. I don't want to see Matt Kemp fighting with Jason Repko for playing time because Kemp isn't a "gamer."

Tracy has always been his own biggest fan. We'll see how great he does with Jason Bay and the Pittsburgh Scrap-a-Lots.

[Bob Timmermann]

68.  The Dodgers are 34-1 when they've scored 7 runs or more.

[Fallout]

69.  44. dzzrtRatt
"or the Dodgers are handling the Tracy move with an uncommon lack of grace."

That is my take.

DePodesta was very bold when he took over. Now, he is looking over his shoulder. He knows what he wants to do but is trying his best to find a way to hold down the controversy manifesting in a "lack of grace."

[dzzrtRatt]

70.  67 Icaros, my take is that how DePo handles this does matter, because he's still a relative parvenue among GMs, and it's important that he maintain an aura of respect within the baseball community. Last year's buzz about his uncertainty in dealing with the Green/Navarro/Vazquez trade--fair or not--wasn't helpful. Nor is this. I agree, in the long run, the decision is far more important than the process. But that doesn't make the process irrelevant.

(I hope Sitrick is reading this. I just gave them the most important advice they can steal and overcharge McCourt for all year.)

[King of the Hobos]

71.  Indians have men on 2nd and 3rd with Martinez up. A sac fly and it's tied...

[King of the Hobos]

72.  71 Well, the White Sox decided a DP with the Not-So-Killer Bs was the wiser path. Belliard up with the bases loaded...

[Icaros]

73.  70 I think that stuff is overblown. I don't see how the manufactured controversy from last year's trade was helpful or unhelpful either way.

When coaches get canned, there are always hard feelings, but new coaches always sign on for the job, thinking it will work out differently for them. Same with players. Same with other GMs looking to deal.

[King of the Hobos]

74.  72 But FOX is also clearly taking the wiser choice. I'd much rather see Boston attempt a 5 run comeback with 5 outs left

[Bob Timmermann]

75.  Leo Durocher managed the Dodgers from 1939 through 1946. He was suspended in 1947. He came back in 1948, but left to go manage THE GIANTS. And after the Giants canned him, the Dodgers eventually hired him back as a coach.

[Bob Timmermann]

76.  Nothing to see in Cleveland people. Move along. Nothing to see.

[King of the Hobos]

77.  Belliard popped up on the first pitch, Brousard flew out to center.

[dzzrtRatt]

78.  73 I just think this makes DePodesta look indecisive and/or insensitive. It's not being done crisply. And people notice. The next manager needs to understand that DePo is firmly in charge, and deserves respect. Tracy read him as uncertain, and took advantage, the bastard.

I'm beginning to think DePo and McCourt are on the same page in terms of the big picture, but on opposite sides of the planet on day-to-day management issues. Maybe it's an Irish v. Italian thing.

[HomeDePo]

79.  funny thing: i was recently in boston and they hate frank mccourt more than any dodger fan. i heard he wanted to tear down fenway

[King of the Hobos]

80.  Indians have their last few batters up. FOX doesn't notice

[Bob Timmermann]

81.  Good thing Fox doesn't cover the NCAA basketball tournament.

[Icaros]

82.  It's not being done crisply.

Seems crisp enough to me. Tracy has seven days to decide whether to opt out, DePo is canning him on day two.

As far as insensitive goes, DePo hasn't said a bad word about Tracy all season. He has stuck up for and supported his manager even when everyone knew that Tracy was openly defying his plans for the team. To me, that type of repect would appeal to other prospective managers.

How often do GMs and owners make their managers the fall guy? All the time. The Dodgers have absolutely not done that this season. DePo and McCourt have publicly shouldered blame while Tracy has continued to pat himself on the back for a job well done.

[King of the Hobos]

83.  Grady Sizemore represents the Indians last hope...

[Fallout]

84.  79. HomeDePo

I guess that he did not come up with some of his funny ideas about Dodger Stadium overnight.

[Icaros]

85.  i heard he wanted to tear down fenway

We heard he wanted to tear down Dodger Stadium. Shows you how much rumors are worth.

[regfairfield]

86.  A-Rod never comes through in big games. He's obviously not a true Yankee.

[King of the Hobos]

87.  The Indians have stopped their hitting at the worst possible time. The media loves it I'm sure, now the Yanks and Bosox probably get to play. Well, go Astros/Phillies or Padres!

[Screwgie]

88.  "Each possible outcome triggers a chain of events. We are being prudent and thinking them through."

The only possible outcome that doesn't "trigger a chain of events" is an agreement by management to award Tracy the extension he's seeking.

Bye, Jimbo.

[HomeDePo]

89.  85 - he was not gonna tear it down... my bad. he was going to leave it up but build a new stadium elsewhere and abandon fen

[dzzrtRatt]

90.  You watch these two games today, and it's hard to argue that Cleveland belongs in the playoffs now. Yeah, they belong there if they get there, but I suspect there is some grade inflation in the AL Central.

[dzzrtRatt]

91.  DePo is canning him on day two.

Or, signing him to an extension. That's what I mean by 'not crisp.' What isn't clear at all is whether DePo wants Tracy to manage the team in 2005. He's leaving that up to Tracy. So, if I'm Jeff Kent or Derek Lowe, what's the message there? "I might want Tracy to be your manager next year. Or not."

[Fallout]

92.  85. Icaros

I believe that it became part of the agreement when McCourt bought the team that he couldn't move the team to downtown LA.

If Dodger Stadium was involved in the
agreement? Someone help me on this?

[Icaros]

93.  91 Does anybody think Tracy is getting the extension? They're just waiting until the season is over to officially anounce his being let go. I think that's pretty common practice.

He's not leaving it up to Tracy. They said they will fire him if they don't extend him. Tracy is guaranteed next year's salary even if he doesn't work anywhere next season. What horrible treatment...

[Icaros]

94.  92 I don't see your point. All I said was he isn't tearing down Dodger Stadium.

[dzzrtRatt]

95.  93 You're focusing on the outcome. Dodgers get a new manager, Tracy gets $700,000 and a free pass to find another job. Fine and dandy. Then why didn't DePo and the team just shut up until Tuesday, rather than uttering all these if this, then that, if that then this, but this will lead to that speculations in today's news? It looks bad. A chief executive allowing himself to look foolish and indecisive in the press is a mistake. What he's supposed to do is, if asked a question on this topic, answer "We'll address this issue after the season. I look forward to discussing the future with Jim Tracy." You've said nothing, but you look like you're in charge.

Sitrick must be on vacation. Hey, you've got to spend those fees someplace.

[Vishal]

96.  91 i don't really understand what you're saying, dzzrtratt. the dodgers aren't going to admit whether they're keeping tracy or letting him go until the season is over, which is entirely fair. so they're not going to say what the decision is; all they're saying is that it will either let tracy go or sign an extension.

however, almost as SOON as the season is over(tuesday), they're going to announce the decision.

from tracy's ungraceful comments this week, it seems pretty clear he's burning his bridges though, so we can infer that he's probably going to be fired. but i don't know what else you expect the front office to do at this moment? they're waiting till tuesday. that's it. fairly straightforward and "crisp" if you ask me.

[Icaros]

97.  95 All I care about is the outcome. I let the tabloid addicts worry about the meaningless stuff.

So, because of this, you think nobody will ever want to work for or trade with the Dodgers again. Fine, we'll see if that ends up being the case.

[Vishal]

98.  in fact, i think it's very polite of them to say "oh, this is a tough decision, we're struggling with it" rather than just firing him on tuesday and making it seem like ditching tracy is the no-brainer that it is.

[Bob Timmermann]

99.  If Tracy is let go, the Dodgers will not have a shortage of candidates.

People are lining up to manage Pittsburgh. Kansas City had candidates after Pena left. There are just 30 MLB manager jobs. If one comes open and you want to do it, you take it.

It's not like someone would be applying for the job of Ambassador to Kazakhstan.

[Icaros]

100.  99 What about GM of the Istanbul Rams?