Dodgers To Be in Lasorda's Hands for a Week

The funny thing is, if you were going to put Tommy Lasorda back in charge of managing the Dodgers for eight games ... nah, I'm not sure there's anything funny about it.

I know this isn't in the spirit of the occasion - I know he can't really do any damage in a week (can he?) - but please be gentle with our boys' arms, Tommy.

* * *

Meet Russell Martin footsteps-follower Lucas May, courtesy of Tony Jackson of the Daily News.

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How many links does it take to get the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? From Joe Frisaro of MLB.com via Fish Stripes via Baseball Musings, ex-Dodger Cody Ross underwent a unique procedure to try curing his ailing hamstring.

Comments

[MollyKnight]

1.  The greatest moment in the history of my being a Dodger fan was Gibson's home run in '88. I had just turned seven. The WORST moment in the history of my being a Dodger fan was waking up the morning after the 4 Plus 1 game and learning about the 4 Plus 1. I'd fallen asleep in the middle of the 9th. (Three hour time difference, I curse you).

As such, I am in denial of the Four Plus One game ever happening. Although I must say, my good friend Tim who is a diehard Astros fan and a huge baseball fan in general, teared up while watching the highlight montage on sports center because he was so moved by the improbability of the comeback. That, and he's a sensitive soul.

[Brent Knapp]

2.  Are all the choo-choo references directed towards valentine's themed Simpsons episodes or the baseball player? Ralph has got to be the most hilarious Simpson's character.

[scareduck]

3.  More importantly, he can't execute any trades in that span. Clayton Kershaw fans, rejoice.

[MollyKnight]

4.  Gosh. It looks like the Marlins are entering camp with Hendrickson as their third starter...

[Kevin Lewis]

5.  Just got through the posts from the weekend. I am with you Molly. The first page of the article seems to be setting Kemp up for the blame of anything that goes wrong this season. I expect Kemp to be a big part of this team, but it is not all up to him, and it is not fair for Plaschke to put that kind of pressure. What about our pitching collapse last year?

I would have to go with the 4+1 game, since I was there.
Oh, with the baby on the way and a possible internship starting, does anyone no of any good part-time work?

[Bob Timmermann]

6.  does anyone no of any good part-time work?

Well, I wouldn't suggest proofreading. ;-)

[therickdaddy]

7.  I'm happy for Tommy to get back in the saddle for a few games. I can only imagine how fun those would be to attend. You gotta think he's going to jog out to an umpire and argue at some time LOL. Wish I could be there.

[Lexinthedena]

8.  Bob...I can always count on you not to let it go....

Kevin, it depends on what are you live in, but I know of some part time work in the Pasadena Unified School District. If you don't mind working with kids.

[Bob Timmermann]

9.  8
Hey, I used a smiley!

But I hope Kevin likes working with kids since he's going for the intensive kid experience.

[Kevin Lewis]

10.  6

Wow! I always laugh when someone else does that. Now I am humbled. Apparently this weekend took more out of me than I realized.

[Kevin Lewis]

11.  6

Bob, next time just bold the word for me. I read through that a few times before I saw the mistake :)

[Bob Timmermann]

12.  10
Kevin, I'm sure with a baby on the way, there will be more sleep-deprived typos on the way.

I have no such excuse when I make them.

[Kevin Lewis]

13.  Lex,

Thanks for the offer, but I will probably be looking at nights and weekends.

[Lexinthedena]

14.  13 Dodger Stadium is hiring ticket people:)

If I didn't need full time work(I too have a kid on the way) I would jump at that.

[Lexinthedena]

15.  14 It's mostly nights and weekends:)

[scareduck]

16.  Speaking of the 4+1 game, since MLB got all the original broadcast clips removed from YouTube, I thought you guys might be tickled with this slightly ersatz version:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZNDWDE__cW0&feature=related

[underdog]

17.  I'm with Jon in worrying a little about Lasorda managing half the team for a bit of time, hoping he doesn't ruin any of the kids. But on the other hand, it could be fun for old time's sake to see ol' #2 out there again. I wish they'd bring back Jerry Reuss and Jay Johnstone to be in the dugout with him, too.

Btw, bad news, I had to cancel my tryout with the A's this week because I hurt my shoulder while unexpectedly having to play keeper for a half last night. Ah well, what can ya do?

[Eric Stephen]

18.  ESPN's bracketologist, Joe Lunardi, has his latest mock NCAA tourney field out, and there are 7 Pac-10 teams in (almost 8):

UCLA - #2 seed (west)
Stanford - #2 (east)
WSU - #5 (south)
Arizona - #7 (midwest)
USC - #8 (east)
ASU - #10 (south)
Oregon - #12 (midwest)

Cal was among Lunardi's last 8 teams out of the tourney. Oregon was among the last 4 in.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

[Bob Timmermann]

19.  Oregon? In the NCAA tournament? That's going to be tough. The Ducks are going to need a split down in Southern California to have a chance.

[Dodgers49]

20.  Billingsley working on ace label

>> "I'm feeling good, healthy and strong," Billingsley said. "I started working out around Thanksgiving at home in Arizona. I wanted to be ready when we go there. <<

http://tinyurl.com/382ydw

[Kevin Lewis]

21.  The USC/UCLA game had some ugly shooting last night. I really enjoy Kevin Love's passing more than his shooting. Any time he touches the ball, I get excited for a great pass play.

[MC Safety]

22.  Tommy shouldnt do any harm. He just needs to look out for flying bats. Not that he could get out of the way if one were to come flying his way again.

[El Lay Dave]

23.  My initial reaction to the Lasorda announcement is negative.

If Spring Training is purportedly serious business where Andy LaRoche is supposed to prove that he merits the full-time 3B over the PVL Nomar Garciaparra, where Andre Ethier is required to significantly outplay Juan Pierre to gain more valuable playing time, and where a plethora of pitchers are competing for one or two remaining spots on the roster, is it appropriate to drag out an 80-year old man to manage ST games as (what I perceive as) a publicity stunt?

Or maybe I'm just getting crotchety in my middle-aged years.

[Kevin Lewis]

24.  23

I'm only 28, and I feel the same way. Maybe it's just cynicism?

[Jon Weisman]

25.  23 - That's why I'm having trouble seeing this in what would seem to be the appropriate spirit.

[Dodgers49]

26.  Dodgers Take Leave of Another Town

>> But Vero Beach won't have the Dodgers anymore. The 60-year marriage between this city and a baseball team has ended, conjuring feelings of grief, betrayal, déjà vu, and, lately, resignation. Leave already, Vero Beach is saying to the Dodgers, who have heard it before. Ya bums. <<

http://tinyurl.com/2vz4v5

[Louis in SF]

27.  23

While I think you are correct on some level, the La Roche Nomar issue shouldn't be a problem since Nomar is going to China and will play and La Roche should be playing in Vero. The Juan Pierre Ethier situation is more challenging, but in a sad sense I think it is setteled already, Pierre will start in LF and Ethier will be rotated in-the greater amount of playing time for Andre will come based on the how things are going if JP sucks to start off he will lose some playing time, but will always be the first option....My greater concern is Kuo going to China. I think it would be more beneficial if he stayed in the US

[Bob Timmermann]

28.  So if I go to the Marie Callender's that is supposed to go up at the spot of Papadakis Taverna can I go there and break plates?

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_8291894

[Marty]

29.  Yeah, Pedro really need a Marie Callendar. That'll bring the neighborhood back.

[Kevin Lewis]

30.  I went to high school with Petros and Angel Papadakis. I don't think losing any local restaurant for Marie Calendars can be considered a good thing. Maybe I am just being cynical again.

[Kevin Lewis]

31.  Dang spell check, Callendar's

[Bob Timmermann]

32.  From an old Rockford Files:

"Hey, Rockfish, I want you to come down to a nice little place in San Pedro."
"Gandy, there's no such thing as a nice little place in San Pedro."

[silverwidow]

33.  If not (a starter), then I guess they might have to look at getting rid of me if they don't see me as an asset to the team. I don't know. -- Juan Pierre

http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/mlb/dodgers/

Please, please, please ask to be traded!

[Aug C]

34.  Hi everybody,
sorry to repeat this message, but I'm starting a fantasy baseball league for fellow readers of Dodger Thoughts. So far we have 4 participants. Please e-mail me at axc227@case.edu if you are interested.

[Dark Horse]

35.  33-

Anybody catch this, from Diamond's blog as well:

Yo, Joe: Juan Pierre spoke to Torre this offseason, and was told, "Obviously I can't make any promises. The people who are going to be in the lineup are going to be the ones you have the best shot with."

Hmm...

[underdog]

36.  Aug, I'd join but I did bad enough in the DT fantasy football league. And don't have much time. Plus someone else would draft Martin and Loney first and I'd cry. But good luck and have fun.

Speaking of crying, Slappy McPopup sounds like he's on the verge. Boo hoo, I make 44 million dollars to play a game. Okay, seriously though, haven't we already determined there's no team left that could be a fit for him? I don't see how a trade could work but if Ned makes it happen he's forever in my good graces.

[Terry A]

37.  33 -- I can't believe you didn't quote Pierre's best line in that blog entry:

"I'm not going to walk around here salty."

[underdog]

38.  To be fair, here's the rest of what Pierre said as quoted on Diamond Leung's blog:
>>I'm no dummy. This guy's (Andruw Jones) won Gold Gloves. I have no choice but to move and do the best job I can wherever I'm at.

Some people value my game. Some people don't. Some people in LA like it. Some people don't. I know my game is not pretty. I'm not the guy all over SportsCenter.

I'm not going to walk around here salty.

I know I have to get on base a lot more. I had a disappointing season, and I take full responsibility. I have to improve offensively and defensively.

If not (a starter), then I guess they might have to look at getting rid of me if they don't see me as an asset to the team. I don't know.

It is what it is. I'm just trying to put it behind me, get past it and help the team win. And I'm all for winning.<<

[underdog]

39.  37 Yeah I was tempted to boldface that in 38 .

[Terry A]

40.  Does it mean Pierre's not going to "walk salt(il)y" around the clubhouse? I don't know what that means.

Or did Diamond miss a comma? "I'm not going to walk around here, Salty." Which I take to mean that Pierre doesn't take walks, which we all know is true.

[delias man]

41.  30 I lived there 27 of my 28 years. Did I miss anything by never eating there?

[Dark Horse]

42.  38-I admit, Pierre's quote in full is tough to quibble with. As has been pointed out before, if he did "get on base a lot more," he'd be a valuable guy.

[Marty]

43.  Obviously, it's a throwback from his Marlin days.

[Kevin Lewis]

44.  41

It's decent, but it is more about the atmosphere.

[Icaros]

45.  Interesting that Pierre would cop to a "disappointing season" when Colletti has said all along that Pierre put up exactly the numbers he expected him to.

[old dodger fan]

46.  45 Pierre 06 vs 07
BA was up .001; OBP was up .001; SB's were up from 58 to 64 and CS were down from 20 to 15. XBH were down from 48 to 32 but I don't think Ned (or JP) evaluated him based on XBH's. His SLG Avg was 49th among the top 50 NL OFers in AB's (Nook Logan, who we just signed was 50th).
What metric to you think caused him to say he had a disappointing season?

[cargill06]

47.  any idea who's pitching next thursday?

[Icaros]

48.  What metric to you think caused him to say he had a disappointing season?

That's what I'm wondering. The whole Pierre debate has always centered around the value of OBP. Old-schoolers like Ned don't pay attention to it. It seemed like Pierre didn't either.

[MollyKnight]

49.  Did you guys see this?

Kyle Kendrick getting tricked into thinking he's been traded to Japan. Everyone from Charlie Manuel to the beat writers were in on the joke:

http://tinyurl.com/yukjky

[jasonungar07]

50.  What metric to you think caused him to say he had a disappointing season?

Andruw Jones.

[Brent Knapp]

51.  30 What year did you graduate Kevin? I'm a 2001 grad from Peninsula.

[underdog]

52.  49 Yah, people were commenting on that in the previous thread. Personally, I'm all in favor of a good practical joke if well-thought out and funny. This one actually seemed kind of cruel to me, even if undeniably elaborate. As noted, Kendrick could have easily debunked the scheme had he checked into it at all, so it's sort of on him, too. But it didn't seem that hilarious to me.

[berkowit28]

53.  49 I guess it might take something like that to really appreciate Philadelphia...

[jasonungar07]

54.  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/02/18/sports/s112301S69.DTL

"I only can control what I do," said Pierre, who signed a five-year, $44 million contract with the Dodgers before last season. "I've got to get better offensively and defensively. If I'm healthy, I want to be out there for 162 (games)."

Pierre has played in 162 for five straight years. He enters this season having played in 434 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the big leagues. He actually has appeared in 821 straight dating back to 2002, but his appearance as a pinch runner on June 3, 2005 snapped his "games played" streak, according the major league rule book.

"It's not important," he said of the streak. "It's been a blessing I've stayed healthy this long. You sign a contract for 162. I like to think it's honoring the contract. I want to be out there every day."

Pierre acknowledged there was an element of hurt feelings when Jones signed.

"The Dodgers got finally got a center fielder," he said, assuming that was the attitude in some circles. "That kind of hurt a little bit."

[El Lay Dave]

55.  Eric Stephan linked Diamond Leung's Tommy story in the last thread (http://tinyurl.com/yruvp9). From that:

"This is the dressing on top of the cake," Lasorda said Sunday.

Dressing? Is that akin to gravy?

[underdog]

56.  55 - Lasorda's turning into Casey Stengel.

"All right, everyone line up alphabetically according to your height."

[natepurcell]

57.  54

Aw Juan, its nothing against you personally.

I feel bad for hating him on my team now.

[Terry A]

58.  55 - C'mon, Dave. Don't be walking salty around here.

[underdog]

59.  Pierre's quote just makes me want a pretzel.

[delias man]

60.  I did not realize that Bedard will be 29 on Opening Day. I am glad they did not make that move even more.

[jasonungar07]

61.  I'd be pissed if I was Pierre and I would demand a trade.

[Lexinthedena]

62.  Is there any team left that would have a use for Pierre?

ChiSox?- Only if they trade away Konerko
Baltimore?- They filled out their outfield
Minnesota- They wouldn't block Gomez for 4 more years
St. Louis- Don't they have a stud CF prospect?
Texas- Hamilton trade

These were the teams I thought may have been suitors

Who else? Who?

[jasonungar07]

63.  cincy...

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080218/SPT04/802180372

[underdog]

64.  63 Not with Pierre's contract and Jay Bruce coming of age. Lofton is probably more interesting to them 'cause they can sign him for a year. So, wishful thinking, methinks.

[Izzy]

65.  The Dodgers must have a good bench coach in mind, because Tommy was semi-incoherent last year at spring training. He couldn't even stay awake at the games and had to be caught when he started to fall over while leaning against the backstop. I hope he doesn't hurt himself, but it will be fun to see him at it again. I think.

[Bob Timmermann]

66.  RIP, Kon Ichikawa

[underdog]

67.  66 More: http://daily.greencine.com/archives/005507.html

Another great one departs us...

[Kevin Lewis]

68.  52

The whole time I watched the "prank" I kept thinking, "this is just wrong". I do wonder how they were able to tape the whole thing without him being suspicious. And it does look like he is trying not to laugh at the mock press conference. If he truly had no idea, than that is a pretty messed up prank. I can only imagine the planning he is doing in his head to move to Japan.

[overkill94]

69.  68 That's what makes it a great prank. It's not like they told him his mother died or something, but it was messed up enough that they really got a reaction out of him.

They were able to get away with it because they claimed they were doing a day in the life of a manager with Charlie Manuel.

[regfairfield]

70.  They gave him enough clues that he could have figured it out. It's a great prank.

[Kevin Lewis]

71.  69 70

Fair enough. I did think his face in the office was priceless. I wonder what was going through his mind. He did not look happy

[Icaros]

72.  They told him he was traded for the hotdog champion. He should have had a clue.

[El Lay Dave]

73.  Kirk Gibson would probably offer a different opinion.

[El Lay Dave]

74.  Diamond Leung's latest blog entry:

Colletti on Pierre

He knows I like him.
I think he's a strong asset for the team.
The criticism from a year ago was wrong.
He's a championship-type player.

(Normally, I wouldn't copy-and-paste the whole thing, but what could I leave out?)

On that third sentence, I'd sure like to hear the explanation behind that stance and how that fits in with the action taken - signing Andruw Jones.

[silverwidow]

75.  74 Ethier's toast, sad to say.

[trainwreck]

76.  We should have kept Luis Gonzalez around. He's a championship-type player.

[underdog]

77.  I don't want to insult anyone who may be from there, and with apologies to WC Fields, I'd rather be in Japan than Philadelphia.

[Lexinthedena]

78.  I'm hoping that it's just Ned trying to talk-up Pierre's value....yeah...that's the ticket!

[trainwreck]

79.  74
The criticism was not wrong, because most of it was aimed at you, Ned.

[PalmdaleSteve1]

80.   74

At last, the first sign of the baseball season about to begin for the Dodgers, a negative Juan Pierre story/comment.

Spring has sprung 

[underdog]

81.  I feel as if Juan Pierre is like the weather at this point. Everyone's talking about it but no one's able to do anything about it. My philosophy is to wait til the season gets in full swing before getting a) a better sense of how or where he'll fit in, if at all; b) incensed, if necessary. I don't completely trust Colletti but I do trust Torre to do as he says, play the people who will help you win. If Pierre starts sulking and demands a trade, well, then, fine by me. 'til then, though, I'm trying not to get too worked up over anything Slappy-related.

[El Lay Dave]

82.  Gurnick's take on JP:
http://tinyurl.com/352ang
Juan Pierre won't be happy if he's moved to the bench, but he's on board with moving to left field after the signing of Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones.

Gurnick also adds a little info on Pierre's limited no-trade clause:
Pierre has a partial no-trade clause he said allows him to list five off-limits clubs

...and he clarifies (I think) what Leung wrote about Ned's "The criticism from a year ago was wrong" statement:
"Even after acquiring Jones, Colletti has maintained his support of Pierre that criticism of the outfielder as the cause of the club's struggles last year was unfair."

[El Lay Dave]

83.  80 ... all over, apparently.

[cargill06]

84.  maybe they can pull a milton from office space and just "fix the glitch" in pay-roll and the rest will work itself out

[Kevin Lewis]

85.  51

Brent, I graduated in 98. Is your brother Avery?

[Kevin Lewis]

86.  84

I just looked at my swingline stapler and smiled

[Brent Knapp]

87.  Yes Kevin, I remember your family from PV, and my brother is Avery. Did you have a little sister in my grade? Catherine, I think?

[Brent Knapp]

88.  85 Maybe it was Karen now that I think of it. Small world I guess. Email me bwknapp@gmail.com

[Ken Noe]

89.  So to sum up JP today: I'm hurt that they got Jones, I'll play left, but if you want to bench me, you'd better trade me. That's not a happy camper.

[Kevin Lewis]

90.  88

Yep, it's Karin. I think I played little league with your brother.

[PalmdaleSteve1]

91.  89

You think?

"Pierre, 30, has played in 434 consecutive games, the longest active streak in baseball. He said it wouldn't hurt his pride if the streak stopped, but if he lost his starting job entirely, that would be another story.

"I sign a contract for 162 games and I like to think I honor the contract," he said. "I know the team counts on me. There might be guys that want me to sit, but that's just the way I feel.""

You expect Juan who is know for his work ethic to just take the money and be happy to sit on the bench...hardly, and not to mention that Pierre is pretty much the same player he's always been as far as stats go.

[Gen3Blue]

92.  I am obviously behind in reading the comments, but as I contemplate a Marie Callender's frozen dinner, am I to understand there is also a chain of restaraunts? This is usually not a good sign, thinking back on Boston ---, and Howard Johnson's. I may be a bit isolated and behind the times, so if MC's is also on the east coast, I didn't know. Marie has that marketing that implies a more generous, county influenced, and dare I say natural frozen dinner. But if you find the right side of the box, I must say the list of ingredients ( including chemicals) is as big as any.

[MC Safety]

93.  Can someone shed some light on what a "championship player" is?

[Johnson]

94.  93 Can someone shed some light on what a "championship player" is?

Juan Pierre is a championship player. He has won a championship. Q.E.D.

[El Lay Dave]

95.  92 It is a chain. But there was a real Marie Callender, and she started out as a 1940s piemaker. The facts are these: the first pie and coffee shops opened in the mid-60s in Orange Country here in California. Eventually they expanded to be restaurants.

I can remember eating dinner at the Toluca Lake location in the early-to-mid 70s, tureens full of soup and, of course, pie to finish.

[El Lay Dave]

96.  Oh, facts lifted from here:
http://www.mcpies.com/about_us/our_history.php

though I did remember a little of it from the reading the back (front?) of the old menu.

[MC Safety]

97.  94 It just seems so silly. From now on that title is reserved for good players. Johan Santana is a championship player. Miggy Cabrera is a championship player. David Eckstein and Scott Podsednik are not championship players, but they have won championships.

[Bluebleeder87]

98.  I'm pretty sure Tommy will be managing the game ESPN will air on the 28th & I'm almost positive ESPN announcers will want to talk to him, I'm sure it will be fun watching that game.

[underdog]

99.  98 Makes me wish Dave Kingman was an ESPN announcer.

[Bob Timmermann]

100.  96
The presence of a Marie Callendar's in San Pedro instead of Papadakis Taverna means that you will likely not be hearing of stories of USC football recruits going to San Pedro to receive "extra benefits" that contravene NCAA rules.

Unless, there are some players that USC is recruiting that really, really, really like cornbread or pie.

I tried to take my dad out to lunch one day at a Marie Callendar's near his home. That did not end well. My dad was not one to get a free meal from his son even if it was his birthday.