Saito Has More To Show

In praising Takashi Saito at SI.com (that's what I get for not pitching an article because I think I've written too much about the Dodgers), John Donovan notes:

Like many Japanese pitchers, Saito throws at least five different pitches and, for the most part, he's thrown only three of them in America: the shuto fastball, the curve and the slider. (Martin (Dodger catcher Russell Martin) says he's seen Saito mess around with a split-fingered fastball, too.) With hitters more aware of him and what he throws, Saito may be forced to open his bag of pitches.

The concern right now with Saito is whether his current leg woes will set him back this season. But Saito and the Dodgers are taking the right approach in easing him into action.

Comments

[Steve]

1.  Speaking of baseball writers I don't much care for, would anyone like a crack at restating what Ken Rosenthal was trying to say but, like, coherently instead?

[Bob Timmermann]

2.  I would need protection to restate Rosenthal.

[Marty]

3.  I missed out on the Steve Jones talk in the other thread. I'll restate it here. He is one of my rock idols. He's got a terrific radio show here in L.A. now called Jonesy's Jukebox

[Steve]

4.  Bring in some of your enforcers from the effigy racket.

[Steve]

5.  The golfer?

[Uncle Miltie]

6.  Shaun Livingston is out for the season.

If you want to see something disgusting, turn on Sportscenter. I'm sure they'll show it again.

[Jon Weisman]

7.  3 - That is a great show.

6 - Ugh, I'll take your word for it.

[Marty]

8.  Sex Pistols' guitarist.

[trainwreck]

9.  Well I have not seen the injury yet, but I just read what injury he has. This should be brutal.

[D4P]

10.  The golfer?

No, the basketball announcer.

[Marty]

11.  7 Another fan!

[trainwreck]

12.  I like the Sex Pistols, does that count?

[Steve]

13.  OK, I'm caught up with everyone but Rosenthal.

[Marty]

14.  12 There's no future. And England's dreaming.

[trainwreck]

15.  I did however write an essay for a music class on how the Sex Pistols were just a gimmick.

[El Lay Dave]

16.  1 13 Not all of us who drink are poets. Some of us drink because we're not poets.

[Marty]

17.  That's what people think because of Malcom McClaren. But they really could play and the songs were great. They completely turned me into a punk rocker and changed my thinking about rock.

[Marty]

18.  With the Pistols, the Clash and then the L.A. scene with X, etc. it got fun again to like fast loud music.

[Marty]

19.  But I'm just an old fogey reminiscing.

[El Lay Dave]

20.  18 The Pistols did indeed. Although now, when I pull out the old vinyls, they, the Clash and X sound vital but surprisingly tame. But I will never forget the great X and The Blasters show I experienced at the Ackerman Union Grand Ballroom (1980?), right on the rail, in front of the speakers stage left. Left me drenched, exhausted and exhilerated.

[El Lay Dave]

21.  19 And I'm just an old_fogey_la reminiscing.

Who attended the James Taylor concert Tuesday night. And enjoyed it.

[Marty]

22.  Where was Ackerman ballroom? I saw some great X and Blaster shows at the Whisky and the Starwood in Hollywood.

[Marty]

23.  21 A friend of mine was at that James Taylr concert.

[El Lay Dave]

24.  Ackerman is the U.C.L.A. (or UCLA) student union building. I wasn't much of a club goer. How did Billy Zoom do it?

Taylor was a good, low-key show. Mostly just him and a pianist. A lot of between song patter, fairly effective with JT's somewhat Newhart-ish delivery. The crowd seemed kinda old though. Ohhh,... wait....

[Icaros]

25.  We just had an amazing hail and lightening show in SF. The streets look like it just snowed.

[Marty]

26.  LOL. That's what my friend said. He said he looked out at the audience and said to himself "there's nothing but white guys over 50, wait...."

[El Lay Dave]

27.  25 It could only have been cooler if it had waited until the Lantern festivals this coming w/e.

[Marty]

28.  Me and ToyCannon probably stumbled into each other at a show, but didn't know it.

[El Lay Dave]

29.  26 A lot of middle-aged white women too! Wife and I are only in our mid-40s though, is that middle-aged? The Wilshire is nice, fairly intimate setting though, good for that type of show.

[Steve]

30.  JT's

Those initials don't play here. Stick with James Taylor.

[Marty]

31.  All this talk of the old punk days, coincidentally, I'm listening to Iggy Pop right now

[El Lay Dave]

32.  30 Initial abuse! I plead no contest.

[Samuel]

33.  6

I just saw the injury on sportscenter. Not quite as bad as Theismann, but it's up there as far as disturbing injuries go.

[El Lay Dave]

34.  I was sitting pretty high up in the balcony. *J*ames *T*aylor was not nearly the only nearly bald guy in the house.

I ended up segueing into a post-punk, Elvis Costello phase though. Probably fits in better with my nerdier sensibilities.

[El Lay Dave]

35.  33 Just the text phase of the injury is enough to make me wince. Clippers luck returning to the mean?

[trainwreck]

36.  Really has nothing to do with luck. The Clippers were not very pro-active and it has killed their team.

[Greg Brock]

37.  Aw, man, I missed the JT talk. And apparently, I missed a very interesting story on a Mr. Tom Lasorda. I will reserve judgment and jokes until the facts come out. But after that...

[El Lay Dave]

38.  I thinking landing-wrong injuries is some large part bad luck. It's not like strains, pulls and tears because one is out of shape.

[Jon Weisman]

39.  Marty, is it okay that my favorite Iggy Pop song is "Candy"?

[trainwreck]

40.  I was just referring to their team as a whole.

[El Lay Dave]

41.  37 Apparently you sensed the usage of the initials from far across the internet.

Good "One Man Band" show Tuesday at the Wilshire Theater.

[El Lay Dave]

42.  40 Two words: Donald Sterling.

QED.

[Marty]

43.  39 Not at all!

[Bob Timmermann]

44.  The Ackerman Grand Ballroom, used for other purposes:

http://tinyurl.com/2332p5

It's just a big room in the UCLA Student Union. They used to show movies there at a cheap price, although the seats weren't slanted, so it really helped to be someone like me if you went there.

And if you sat behind me, well, you were screwed.

It was also the place to go to stand in a really long line in order to try to change your classes. In my day, you would get your class selections sent to you on a computer printout with a big number next to it indicating when your appointment would be to add/drop classes.

I also saw David Letterman get the Jack Benny Award. That drew a big crowd back in 1984.

[D4P]

45.  I'm hoping The Juice Blog has a "Please Explain: David Letterman" thread in the queue.

[Marty]

46.  Fogey alert: I remember when Letterman had a morning talk show where he introduced Stupid Pet Tricks.

[Frip]

47.  I can't fathom why this little girl is crying. I mean Tommy's cute, but he's not like Justin Timberlake cute.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/photo?slug=flrd10502221848.dodgers_spring_baseball_flrd105&prov=ap

[bigcpa]

48.  Did anyone catch the Indie 103.1 morning show last week? They were taking caller suggestions for a Saito theme song. I turned it off before they got anywhere.

[Bob Timmermann]

49.  46
Letterman would have witty byplay with Edwin Newman during that show.

[El Lay Dave]

50.  Once upon a time, Letterman was edgy. That was a long time ago, at a network far, far away.

[D4P]

51.  Letterman : Comedy :: Pierre : Getting on base

[El Lay Dave]

52.  There was Saito theme song blogging at ItD the other day too. Skimmed past it really fast trying to get to sadpanda's posts!

[El Lay Dave]

53.  44 Bob Hope made at least one of his appearances there while I was a student, maybe '79 or '80. I think he always cracked the Lot 32 joke.

[Icaros]

54.  Saito is not a hard thrower. His fastball rarely cracks 90 mph.

I don't get where this is coming from. Saito was hitting 92-94 all year.

[Jon Weisman]

55.  54 - That's true.

Okay, last new post of the night up top.

[Uncle Miltie]

56.  Letterman : Comedy :: Pierre : Getting on base
That's an insult to Pierre.

More like

Letterman : Making people laugh :: Erickson (with the Dodgers) : Getting batters out

[ToyCannon]

57.  Boy am I depressed. Left the game early, who cares who wins at this point. Typical Clipper scenario. They don't trade the kid for Carter and then one week later they don't have the kid or Carter. Smith, Manning, Harper, and on and on it goes.

[Icaros]

58.  I thought they were supposed to trade him for Iverson.

[Frip]

59.  Tommy Lasorda and little girl photo link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/photo?slug=flrd10502221848.dodgers_spring_baseball_flrd105&prov=ap

Sorry to belabor the point but I'm looking for some guidance here. It's just such an odd photo. Why would this little girl be crying during what would normally be jovial situation?

And why do reporters or caption writers lack the imagination to fathom that readers would wonder why she's crying, yet they don't bother to say.

Possible reasons why she's crying: (this is not meant to be a "jokey" list.) Your perspective would be appreciated, or at least tell me which of the following makes the most sense. Thanks

1. Her parents made her get Tommy's autograph and she's embarrassed or scared by the whole thing.

2. She's afraid of the way Tommy looks, like a big fat old scary guy.

3. She's not even dealing with Tommy, but just happens to be a girl in a photo who is crying for whatever reason.

4. Even though she doesen't actually grasp why, she is in awe of Tommy since growing up in a Dodger fanatic household, and hense overcome with emotion.

5. He's some kind of adorable Winnie the Poo type character to her, or mascot.

6. It's humid and she's really hot and grouchy or she has an earache.

7. Tommy, being charming, yet self-centered and highly defensive, said something mean to her after she asked who he was.

(I'm preparing myself to be ignored, it's ok)