Kiss Me Deadly

There's so much I could say now, though most of it would be obvious and therefore pointless.

On a personal note, I do keep thinking about that error Rafael Furcal made 11 days ago in San Francisco. The team was on such a roll before that inadvertent stumble. For me, so much changed from that point on. It's been uphill ever since.

And the Dodgers' rivals keep winning.

Who better, in a way, than Takashi Saito to give up the crushing home run tonight? Someone whom we couldn't possibly be mad at. Someone who falters so rarely that when he does in a critical moment, one strike away from victory, resignation opens the door for you with utter grace. I'm enough of a sap to only tiptoe in, but I'm not looking back.

It's been a schizophrenic year. It's been a year of transition, a year of potential, and it has just gotten away from us. Everyone will have their opinion of what went wrong. It will be interesting to see how the Dodgers assess it. Some mistakes, like a Furcal error or a 1-2 pitch from Saito to Todd Helton, just happen. Some mistakes don't need to be repeated.

* * *

I've had to come to terms with something recently. I tear up at movies. Like, pretty often, not just Brian's Song often. A movie hits me in a certain way, and I'm hopeless. It's the wife and kids that did it to me, and it's done.

And there is no crying in baseball, not for me. There's moaning and groaning and cursing, but no crying. I've invested ... well, I've invested every day since the 2006 season in this 2007 season, and yet nothing in a day like today moved me as much as the movie I saw for work this morning. Completely off guard, I was forced into surreptitiously wiping at my eyes.

I used to wonder whether I could ever be as happy when the Dodgers won as I was sad when the Dodgers lost. Not anymore. In all these years since 1988, I've changed. I've learned how to treasure the good in baseball, and fear the worst elsewhere. I'll remember last year's September 18, not this year's. And so even on a day as depressing as today was for the Dodgers, I'm going to keep the faith. I'm still looking forward to when they win.

Comments

[GoBears]

1.  Blah, I got LAT'd.

In re: the Broxton Dilemma:

It's all well and good to say that because players won't complain about being hurt, management has to figure it out and take action, but how is management supposed to figure it out? With some injuries, an MRI or X-Ray will tell the tale, and management can order the test and respond to the results. But the best diagnostic tool is still asking the patient questions. If they lie, you're out of luck, unless House is your team physician. When "tell me where/when it hurts" gives you zero information because players won't fess up, management is pretty much screwed.

Now, they can still go ahead and bench a player for poor performance, and not really care if the reason is an injury, but I don't see how that would be a better outcome.

[Eric Stephen]

2.  Jon, what movie was it?

Movies I am not ashamed to admit I have cried while watching:
-Rudy
-Field of Dreams
-Major League

I swear to Ch-i, "The Indians win it. The Indians win it. Oh my God, the Indians win it!!!" get me everytime!

[KG16]

3.  I got LATed, but the point remains, I miss Jayson Werth and think an outfield of Werth-Ethier-Kemp would be a lot of fun in the field and at the plate.

As for this season, well, it's been a blast, I was hoping they'd hang on just long enough for pre-season NBA action to start up, but oh well. The hot stove action will be interesting, I guess.

[El Lay Dave]

4.  A movie hits me in a certain way, and I'm hopeless. It's the wife and kids that did it to me, and it's done.

I understand that completely. The same thing happens to me. I'm a complete sucker for parent/child relationship moments in movies.

The Dodgers have never made me cry, and the wretching season and heartbreaking moments eventually pass. But I'm old enough to have memories of 1988, 1981 and the 1970s almost-annual contenders to fall back on.

[underdog]

5.  I guess from the subject header that Jon had a lot of 'Spillaining to do.

But I couldn't have said it any better myself. Well put, Jon.

Wait, what movie did you see this morning?

[King of the Hobos]

6.  GM/White update:

Paul Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says Amaro Jr is the favorite to be named the Astros GM. This is the second source to report Amaro as the favorite (the Philly Daily News reported it this morning). However, in the Houston Chronicle, McLane was quoted saying he needs to discuss the matter further tomorrow morning with Tal Smith. The Post-Gazette also mentions that Ed Wade would join Amaro in Houston as an advisor, which makes sense (he has close ties to both Smith and Amaro).

The Post-Gazette also mentions that as of tonight, the Dodgers had not requested permission to interview to Logan White.

[KG16]

7.  1 - honestly, I think the better coaches and front office types are able to spot when a player is hurting. It might be a little thing like them not going as hard in warm ups, or something being off in the mechanics. The problem is, because most coaches use to be players, they also have it ingrained in their heads that not playing when your hurt is letting your teammates down.

[Eric Stephen]

8.  2 I should have read more into the title of the post.

[El Lay Dave]

9.  Speaking of Jayson Werth's nice night, maybe it's good luck to discuss 19th century literature with Molly Knight. Can she discuss maybe Moby Dick with Andy LaRoche?

[GoBears]

10.  And now, by selfishly re-posting my blather from the last thread, I've wiped my dirty boots all over the clean carpet of Jon's terrific new post. Sorry about that.

I'm the same way with sports these days. I get very annoyed when people in positions of authority make avoidable mistakes, especially when it's due to stubbornness. But I no longer get angry with players for screwing up. I don't blame Juan Pierre for being Juan Pierre. It's not his fault someone paid him a fortune and someone else plays him every day.

And over time, especially with baseball, I've become as much a fan of the game as of my team. I'll cheer for a no-hitter against the Dodgers. I love watching Barry Bonds hit or Jake Peavy pitch. The 2005 season did not bother me because the team on the field was awful (due mostly to injuries to all the good players) - it only bothered me when Tracy still found a way to make the worst of a bad situation.

As I said a week or so ago, I think a lot of this is because the team I'm most passionate about, my alma mater, has been just horrible for most of my fandom. Going 1-10 really makes you appreciate the 1. Maybe the same is true for Jon, whose own alma mater has seen more rough times than good ones (at least in football, and despite recent success, mens hoops).

[El Lay Dave]

11.  The Dodgers lost 1.5 games in the standings to every team ahead of them in the NL, except the Mets. They, and the Rockies, lead the Brewers/Cubs by 1/2 game.

I wonder if the "which starter on three days rest Saturday" question might become moot by then, practically if not mathematically.

[CanuckDodger]

12.  6 -- Did you mean the Pirates haven't requested permission to interview White?

[Eric Stephen]

13.  11 Yeah, I have a feeling Stults may be going on 16 days rest Saturday.

[Jon Weisman]

14.  Today I saw an upcoming movie called "Lars and the Real Girl." Read the description, and then wonder.

Tomorrow, I see "Juno."

[King of the Hobos]

15.  12 Yes

[trainwreck]

16.  14
I have been waiting to see "Juno" for awhile. I basically want to see it because it stars Ellen Page along with AD alums Michael Cera and Jason Bateman.

[dzzrtRatt]

17.  I'm with you, Jon.

I am disappointed but not feeling particularly rancorous. It's been a mostly enjoyable season, and there are still a couple of weeks to go.

I don't give Little or Colletti a pass for any of their mistakes but...eh. They've done more things right than wrong. I don't see any of our competitors having a magic formula that we're missing out on. It's going to be a competitive, exciting division for the next few years, one that will drive us crazy.

That's the thing about today's games. Colorado's got some damn good players. It's no shame to get beat by the likes of Jeff Francis, Matt Holliday and Todd Helton (Durham is another story). Our young guys were unlikely to go from AA to the World Series in a year. It should be good enough for this season to know that Kemp, Loney, Billingsley, Broxton, Abreu and Martin weren't hype like Dodger prospects of the past. And I sure don't give any credence to speculation that Colletti's going to replace them with more 40-year-olds.

Anyway, it's still fun.

[preacherroe]

18.  I agree its tough to invest too much emotionally in this season.It was all so iffy and transitional,tonight's let down hit me pretty dispassionately.I remember as a kid watching Stan Williams walk in the winning run in the 1962 playoffs against the Giants.That stung. Niedenfuhr's flameout in 1985 and Forstner's gopher ball to Morgan were painful.This was more like.... whatever.
If you're Colletti how do you take the club from mediocrity and diminished expectations to the promised land?

[bhsportsguy]

19.  There are now 4 NL teams fighting for 3 playoff spots. As it stands right now, the D-Backs, Mets and Padres are in but the Phillies are now not only a game and half behind the Padres but now also the Mets.

[dbenzen]

20.  I long for the good old DePodesta days. Colletti's penchant for the aged gives me cramps. If you gonna lose, lose with style, Ned.

[Linkmeister]

21.  Re players playing hurt, UH football coach June Jones just said that his QB (Colt Brennan, who's got a very badly sprained ankle - black and blue variety) would play Saturday. "If you want to play in the NFL you gotta play with that kind of pain."

Well, maybe, but not at the team's expense or at your long-term health's expense, I wouldn't have thought.

I can't imagine how badly Saito feels; I'm frustrated but I didn't have a whole lot of hope left anyway, so to heck with it. Let the Brewers win; they haven't been there since 1982.

[max power]

22.  18 You just made me shudder, bringing up that Niedenfuhr '85 business. It's been too long since I've gotten angry about that.

[fanerman]

23.  Man, that one hurt. I'm a bit under the influence (for unrelated reasons) so I won't say anymore than that.

[das411]

24.  Terrific post Jon. I can't help feeling that the Dodgers, strange as it may sound, are kind of where my Phils were towards the end of last season: shifting gears on the fly, yet still making a run of it, a couple of oldies that no longer really belonged (although to their great credit, Wolfman and Lieby seem to be fitting in very well in LA) and a whole slew of youngsters who make the future look brighter than ever.

But hey, if I were of an older generation of Phils fan, I would certainly be able to tell ya that 4 1/2 games back with a dozen to play is most definitely not insurmountable...

[underdog]

25.  14 Written by Nancy Oliver who used to write for Six Feet Under. Looks great, even if the premise superficially makes you think of Mannequin, but it sounds like a different planet from there. I love Gosling and Paul Schneider, who was so good in All the Real Girls and quite funny and different in Live Free or Die. (not Hard)

19 Hey, the Dodgers aren't officially eliminated yet! ;-(

[sporky]

26.  The only thing that's making me -truly- sad is knowing that I'll have to survive months without the Dodgers. Making the playoffs is obviously wonderful in itself, but it also delays the inevitable hibernation of baseball.

Hopefully after today's 2 losses, we'll see more of Meloan, Hu, Young etc.

[JoeyP]

27.  Given the payroll and not making the playoffs---McCourt must be fuming.

With Zona' and San Diego being ran by people that know how to use computers, it'd be nice if McCourt brought that style back. Someone that knows the value of OBP, SLG, etc, cost-benefit analysis, upside....

PVL wont win you anything but smiles from the media.

[Eric Stephen]

28.  The one potential positive of the wind being knocked out of the Dodgers sails is LaRoche getting more playing time so he can (hopefully) taste some major league success heading into 2008.

After his silver sombrero® in Game 1 today, LaRoche's line is .193/.382/.263 in 76 PA. He has been a two true outcome© player with the big club this year, walking or striking out in 42.1% of his PAs, putting him on par with:

Russell Branyan 49.5%
Ryan Howard 47.1%
Adam Dunn 42.1%
Wilson Betemit 42.1%
Jim Thome 42.1%

Hopefully LaRoche can get HR #1 out of the way, then the floodgates can open.

[underdog]

29.  I actually thought Tony Jackson's last blog post tonight was one of his better ones, FWIW.

Okay, back to writing, vegging and sleeping. Here's to Hu's at Short tomorrow.

[Jon Weisman]

30.  25 - The difference between this movie and Mannequin is like the difference between Ramon Martinez and Matt Kemp.

[Eric Stephen]

31.  30 RM1 or RM2? :)

[Eric Enders]

32.  14 Commencing wondering.

[underdog]

33.  30 - I was thinking the difference between Earth and Betelgeuse but go with the baseball analogy. Or between Matt Kemp and Mike Edwards?

I look forward to it.

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

34.  Given the payroll and not making the playoffs---McCourt must be fuming.

If he's realistic, McCourt will understand this is a roster in transition.
Last offseason, no one was sure if the kids could build on their promise. So, the team brought in veterans (and went overboard doing so).
A year later, it's obvious the young players are here to stay. Now, the challenge is to reshape talent into a winning team.

[bhsportsguy]

35.  27 Maybe you would be but I just don't think he is fuming.

He certainly is not going to throw Ned under the bus for this season, I heard him say it at DT day and everytime he is interviewed that the best decision he made was hiring Ned.

[Bob Timmermann]

36.  I don't see McCourt as a guy who fulminates like Steinbrenner.

The team has done pretty well, just not well enough. And a lot of people have paid to come to the stadium.

[King of the Hobos]

37.  28 He's still over 10% behind Cust though, so he has a lot of work if he wants to be number one. Though if he increased his number anymore without hitting .300, he'd end up in the same situation as Betemit.

However, I think this just shows that Laroche really is pressing. He's striking out far more than he ever did in the minors, and I don't think the dramatic increase in K rate is solely a result of facing better pitchers.

[Eric Stephen]

38.  37 Wow, Cust is at 52.5% of his PAs ending in BB or K! I should have thought to look him up.

Maybe Grady Little just needs to be Leo Durocher to LaRoche's inner Willie Mays, by going up to his young slugging third sacker and saying "you're my guy" to get LaRoche to settle down.

[bhsportsguy]

39.  I don't know why there is this big concern about Andy LaRoche, he has had an inconsistent season, especially with all the injury breaks, now he is expected to perform well with sporatic play during the last two weeks of the season.

I would hope that whatever happens, good or bad, Andy will be given a fair shot to be the third baseman next season. And I think that will be the case.

[Bob Timmermann]

40.  And is it a good thing that the owner becomes very angry when things don't go right? It was considered a bad things after the 2005 season when the McCourts went on a firing binge.

So is the best way to respond to a bunch of panicky moves is with another series of panicky moves?

The McCourts knees can jerk only so many times.

[Linkmeister]

41.  Red Sox fan not happy either, with glorious picture of Gagne in Bosox uni.

http://tinyurl.com/36e2bq

[Eric Stephen]

42.  I didn't notice the title of today's Dodger Report until after Game 2 tonight. I had to laugh amid my sorrow when I read "A Title Could Push Wells Out of Game".

[Eric Enders]

43.  Players in the last quarter century who have posted an OPS+ of at least 125 at age 23 or younger:
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/xKv8

Carlos Baerga
Jeff Bagwell
Barry Bonds
Ryan Braun
Travis Buck
Ellis Burks
Miguel Cabrera
Robinson Cano
Jose Canseco
Eric Chavez
Will Clark
Kal Daniels
Alvin Davis
Adam Dunn
Lenny Dykstra
Prince Fielder
Travis Fryman
Troy Glaus
Juan Gonzalez
Mike Greenwell
Ken Griffey Jr.
Vladimir Guerrero
Mel Hall
Jeremy Hermida
Kent Hrbek
Andruw Jones
Ricky Jordan
Austin Kearns
Matt Kemp
Ryan Klesko
James Loney
Don Mattingly
Joe Mauer
Brian McCann
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Lloyd Moseby
Matt Nokes
John Olerud
Jhonny Peralta
Albert Pujols
Tim Raines
Aramis Ramirez
Hanley Ramirez
Manny Ramirez
Cal Ripken Jr.
Alex Rodriguez
Scott Rolen
Gary Sheffield
Ruben Sierra
Grady Sizemore
Darryl Strawberry
Frank Thomas
Jim Thome
B.J. Upton
Robin Ventura
David Wright

Players in all of Los Angeles Dodger history who have accomplished this:

Tommy Davis
Ron Fairly
James Loney
Matt Kemp

[Eric Stephen]

44.  39 I would hope that whatever happens, good or bad, Andy will be given a fair shot to be the third baseman next season. And I think that will be the case

I hope so too. Well said.

[Vishal]

45.  4 i'm not even close to being a parent yet, but "house of sand and fog" made me weep like a little child.

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

46.  Eric,
Fine use of PI there.

[Bob Timmermann]

47.  45
My advice to anyone whose mother has passed away recently: don't watch "The Joy Luck Club."

Or you can just watch "Grave of the Fireflies" anytime and you'll be weeping within 15 minutes.

[Eric Stephen]

48.  43 Eric, keeping your theme alive, here are the pitchers 22 or younger in the last 25 years with an ERA+ of 140 or higher (min 100 IP):

Chad Billingsley
Mark Buehrle
Scott Erickson
Dwight Gooden
Scott Kazmir
Francisco Liriano
Pedro Martinez
Ben McDonald
Mark Prior
Jose Rosado
Bruce Ruffin
Bret Saberhagen
Anibal Sanchez

Dodgers in bold.

http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/G4y4

[trainwreck]

49.  47
I was about to say, I would bring up "Grave of the Fireflies," but I am sure Bob will do it.

You know how some things make you feel so dirty that you have to immediately take a shower? Well, as soon as I left class I put on music that made me happy and then I went and got some nachos, because I was in dire need of happiness.

[still bevens]

50.  Can we bold Scott Erickson for old times sake?

[trainwreck]

51.  "Pather Panchali" was so depressing and made me so uncomfortable, I actually thought of walking out of class.

[Eric Enders]

52.  The Dodgers would like to know if they can use the last 15 words of 49 in next year's advertising for the AM/PM pavilion.

[trainwreck]

53.  Well I guess I did that a lot actually, but the thought was in my head for completely different reasons.

[Eric Enders]

54.  50 Your wish is my command.

Pitchers in L.A. Dodgers history with a season ERA over 6.00 (minimum 50 innings):

1 Odalis Perez 6.83 59.1 2006 29
2 Carlos Perez 7.43 89.2 1999 28
3 Phil Ortega 6.88 53.2 1962 22
4 Hideo Nomo 8.25 84 2004 35
5 Scott Erickson 6.02 55.1 2005 37
6 Roger Craig 6.15 112.2 1961 31

[Eric Stephen]

55.  Speaking of dominant Dodger closers having a bad day, Eric Gagne's seven week sojourn with the Sox has been less than stellar:

14 IP, 9.00 ERA, 2.14 WHIP
opponents hitting .365/.429/.540

Opponents were only hitting .192/.265/.275 against the Texas version of Gagne.

[Eric Enders]

56.  55 Is he worth a $6M flier for 2008?

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

57.  Catchers who had a single-season OPS+ of at least 114 by Age 24:
Ted Simmons (4)
Johnny Bench (4)
Earl Williams (3)
Joe Torre (3)
Joe Mauer (2)
Jason Kendall (2)
Darrell Porter (2)
Russell Martin
Brian McCann
Javy Lopez
Mike Piazza
Craig Biggio
Matt Nokes
Mark Bailey
Rich Gedman
Lance Parrish
Biff Pocoroba
Gary Carter
Milt May
Carlton Fisk
Thurman Munson
Ray Fosse
Bill Freehan

[Eric Stephen]

58.  56 I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Maybe we can play an edited version of the opening to Welcome Back Cotter when he enters the game next year!

[Linkmeister]

59.  56 No.

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

60.  55 - Gagne is of the most beloved relievers in Dodgers history, and one of the most reviled in Red Sox history.
Quite a feat.

[Linkmeister]

61.  To amplify, Saito's cheaper and just as effective, and so far he's not shown himself to be as injury-prone as the latter-day Gagne.

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

62.  57 - In the expansion era (1961-), I should've added.

[Eric Enders]

63.  61 The question was not about replacing Saito with him, though. That would be nuts.

[Jon Weisman]

64.  60 - Gagne is the anti-Dave Roberts.

[Eric Enders]

65.  I don't revile Dave Roberts. I quite like him, actually.

[Eric Stephen]

66.  56 ,58 I should add that there is no way Gagne would comeback to the Dodgers because he's going to want to close and he's not going to close in LA.

57 Catchers with 18+ HR, 20+ SB:

Benito Santiago, 18/21 (1987)
Ivan Rodriguez, 35/25 (1999)
Russell Martin, 18/21 (2007)

[Eric Enders]

67.  Perhaps Gagne is the anti-Nomar.

[Eric Stephen]

68.  60 ,64 He is the anti-J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo...oh wait.

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

69.  65 - Roberts won a place in my heart by successfully climbing Tal's Hill to steal a home run.
And that play kept alive a save for... Paul Harvey, er, Eric Gagne.

[Eric Enders]

70.  If Gagne were the anti-Nomar, each player would have the added distinction of being reviled by the major league team closest to where he's from.

[Jon Weisman]

71.  65 - Do I really have to explain? I just meant that Boston has had the opposite reaction to him.

[Bob Timmermann]

72.  71
He thought you mean Dave Roberts, the former Padre.

[Eric Stephen]

73.  I'm a little disappointed that this thread hasn't evolved into everyone listing movies that make them cry. I stick my neck out with "Major League" in 2 and now I hear crickets! :)

[Gold Star for Robot Boy]

74.  Snoopy Come Home.

[overkill94]

75.  73 I figured you were joking

For whatever reason I've become much more prone to tearing up during movies in my post-college days than I ever did before. Even a movie like Donnie Darko that isn't much of a tear-jerker got me a bit welled up recently. Others off the top of my head that blurred my vision:

Field of Dreams (obviously)
Little Children
The Elephant Man
Garden State

[Eric Enders]

76.  73 I was trying to think of some, but most of them were in 1989 when I was like 12 years old.

Field of Dreams
Glory
Dead Poets Society
Dances With Wolves
Antwone Fisher
Schindler's List

That's about all I can come up with.

[overkill94]

77.  BTW, watched AI (the Spielberg movie, not reruns of American Idol) tonight and found it a bit dull. There was one basic theme with no fleshed-out side plots yet the movie was almost 2 1/2 hours long. The overall message of the movie was interesting, but I feel like it could have done a better job of building a relationship between the robot and the family.

[Eric Enders]

78.  Oh, and E.T. Definitely E.T.

I know there are E.T. haters out there. They are few, and deeply misguided, but they're out there. Of course, I suspect none of them are on this site, because they all hate baseball. And sunshine, and puppy dogs, and apple pie.

[Louis in SF]

79.  Speaking of crying I was in the Dodger dugout as young stringer in 1982 and Terry Forester was crying alot!

I can accept this season easier then some of the others where the Dodgers have seemed to under achieve. But for next year as important as figuring out 3rd base will be, the Dodgers will need in my mind more of the starting staff to pitch deeper into games. Can't prove it but some of the problems from Broxton of late I attribute to too much work. He is talented but those pitches staying up are brutal.

[Dodger Tony]

80.  I believe tonight was the beginning of the end of the Grady era as manager of the team. The outcry has gone public with A. Martinez speaking of the clubhouse discontent openly on the broadcast.
I would very much like to see Dusty Baker given a chance as Dodger manager. I think he would be a fantastic role model for the youth on this club, he knews the league and the division, was a hated one but originally one of us. Yes, Dusty would be the next guy I feel

[trainwreck]

81.  80
You just completely changed my mind.

Keep Grady!!!
Keep Grady!!!
Keep Grady!!!

[Eric Enders]

82.  Dusty Baker hates young players more than any manager I've seen in my 25 years of closely following baseball. He just absolutely despises them and will do everything he can to make sure they do not get a chance to play.

Not to mention, he destroys pitchers' arms with overwork. His strategies are bewildering at best. He bunts every chance he gets and gives lots of playing time to really awful players. I mean, this is a man who, in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 of the World Series, sent up Tom Goodwin, David Bell, and Tsuyoshi Shinjo to hit as his team's last best hope. Give me a break.

[overkill94]

83.  I'd rather have Jim Tracy back as manager than to hire Dusty Baker

[Jon Weisman]

84.  78 - I'll say I liked E.T. more than Before Sunset. That's all I can give you.

Plaschke has weighed in on the Dodger Talk controversy. Is there really a need for this to go on?

[Jon Weisman]

85.  80 - I don't want Baker either, but what did A Martinez say?

[bhsportsguy]

86.  I always lose it when I see the scene where the Richard Farnsworth character dies in the television adaption of "Anne of Green Gables" especially when he tells Anne after she says they should have gotten a boy to help him with the farm, that he wanted her the minute he laid eyes on his Anne.

That and certain Bonanza episodes does it for me.

[Kilgore Trout]

87.  Following the posts a couple days ago about the Dodgers' record with Kemp/Loney, I took a look at their record when Lieberthal starts in place of Martin.

In those games, the Dodgers went 3-13.

This means that when Martin starts, they were 76-59, a .563 winning percentage, which would project to 91 wins and a playoff spot.

Not saying that Martin should start every day, but it's food for thought for anyone who thinks your backup catcher can be any over-the-hiller who hit 30 home runs once.

[Greg Brock]

88.  There are far too many to mention, but a few that get me every freaking time--

Ray Kinsella: Dad...Wanna have a catch?

Harry Bailey: A toast to my big brother George...The richest man in town.

Oh Captain, my captain

Christopher Plummer sings Edelweiss before leaving Austria

Oskar Schindler is given the ring

C.S. Lewis and his son in Shadowlands

The end of Glory

"Say goodbye to Frankie"...In America.

[bhsportsguy]

89.  85 According to A Martinez, towards the end of the first game, he spoke to a "veteran" player who was upset that Grady played LaRoche and batted him 7th in such a crucial game.

Martinez added that generally there have been rumblings about Grady's lineups for a while but this was the first time someone had spoken to him about it.

[Eric Enders]

90.  Which is more important, the offensive gap between Lieberthal and Martin, or the defensive one? Or is it just the combination of the two that's a killer?

[Greg Brock]

91.  86 I'll call you very soon. I've had a rough week and a half.

[bhsportsguy]

92.  91 No sweat.

[eusmus]

93.  87 Can you list the starters for the Lieberthal games?

[Eric Enders]

94.  I was just about to post something wondering whether Brock thought he was too good for us all of a sudden now that he has a highfalutin' job. After all, what would Dodger Thoughts at 2 a.m. be without Greg Brock?

And then he comes along and repeats four, count 'em four, of the six movies I named.

[Eric Stephen]

95.  So I'm not the only Dodger fan having trouble sleeping tonight!

[bhsportsguy]

96.  90 If Martin played something like 11 out of every 14 games, I think the backup catcher's win-loss record would be better than 10 games under .500

[Greg Brock]

97.  94 Brock isn't too good for anybody. Brock loves his DT peeps. Brock has had the worst week of his life. Brock is just climbing out of major, major depression.

Brock is picking up the pieces.

[bhsportsguy]

98.  86 The great thing about YouTube, while I was thinking about that scene of Anne of Green Gables, I was able to find it and yep, it does it to me everytime.

[Eric Enders]

99.  96 Brock has people here wishing him well. So, there's that.

[Eric Stephen]

100.  89 I would guess there are three possible "veterans" that would express disappointment with LaRoche batting 7th in game 1:

Kent, Lowe, Gonzo

They are usually the ones with the veterany type quotes. Nomar seems too quiet to grumble, and I can't think of who else it would be.

It would be fantastic if Shea Hillenbrand was the unnamed veteran!