'You could call it in Braille'

I didn't take this picture -- it was passed along to me by a friend whose brother went on a Dodger Stadium tour --  but I have to admit I found it amusing.  Too bad Chick Hearn isn't around to comment.  No offense intended to the visually or behind-the-plately challenged.

Comments

[SoSG Orel]

I wonder if Enrico Pallazzo is behind that door.

[underdog]

I agree with H-Joe, bad officiating in this UCLA ASU game. Maybe it's ultimately even, I don't know. But that was definitely a blocking foul that they instead called on Collison. Of course he also might have gotten away with a hook right before it but they rarely call it. Oh well.

[Dodgers49]

Dodgers keep talking to Manny

>> While some wonder how the Dodgers will reallocate their Manny resources, the truth is more likely that they don't want to. It's either sign Manny or pocket the money and wait to see if a trade is necessary. Without Ramirez, the payroll could be slashed $40 million from last year, and reducing costs has been an organization goal since the economy tanked. <<

http://tinyurl.com/d4jdqy

[El Lay Dave]

Hilarious!

I really gotta let stuff like this go, but in the Gurnick article Dodgers49 just linked:

"[if Manny doesn't sign] The Dodgers plan to go into the season with the lineup they currently have and see if the kids can step up their game a notch, with veteran Juan Pierre in left field.

And if the kids can't cut it?"

Uh, Ken, what if Juan Pierre can't cut it?

[Tripon]

The Dodgers will talk to Manny as long as Manny is unsigned.

[Tripon]

By Kids, I assume he means Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier. I'm pretty sure they already proved that they can 'cut' it.

[El Lay Dave]

Tripon - he wrote :"lineup" not "outfield". I assume he includes Martin, Loney, DeWitt along with the OFs to see if they collectively "step up ... a notch" to carry the offense.

[El Lay Dave]

TBLA, inspired by DT, conducting the "Broxton - Closer or Poser" poll.
http://www.truebluela.com/2009/2/12/757982/broxton-closer-or-poser

[Tripon]

Tripon - he wrote :"lineup" not "outfield". I assume he includes Martin, Loney, DeWitt along with the OFs to see if they collectively "step up ... a notch" to carry the offense.

Posted by: El Lay Dave | February 12, 2009 at 08:24 PM

Ah, I see. Still, I still think he's wrong. Because he assumes that Juan Pierre's production is good enough that he's not a question mark for the Dodgers.

[Hollywood Joe]

watched the end of the superbowl again on the NFL network

Roethlisberger was incredible on that drive

what a show

[Andrew Shimmin]

El Lay is only linking the TBLA poll because he had a really funny comment on it.

[Tripon]

Picking up on my previous thought, its the implication that Juan Pierre is somehow one of the best players on the team, and is obviously going to play and contribute as only he can that bothers me. I certainly don't think Gurick's analysis of the current Dodgers situation is correct.

[Marty Leadman (LAT)]

I feel much more comfortable (if not dominant) now that Shimmin has dropped that Wilson Pickett and Bokonon fooferaw.

[fanerman]

Wilson Pickett = Bokonon = Shimmin? Amazing.

[LAT]

Bud is an idiot. His A-Rod comments are lame.
Baseballs best player in the last 40 years is about to go on trial for perjury. Its most expensive and highest profile player just disclosed he was juicing not for one or two, but three years. One of the game's greatest pitchers is rightfully humiliated and could face charges, not to mention is about to lose a high profile defamation case that could turn into a malacious prosecution case. And a former MVP is about to plead guilty to avoid perjury charges.

Nice work Bud, if I were you I'd keep my piehole shut.

[LAT]

"[if Manny doesn't sign] The Dodgers plan to go into the season with the lineup they currently have and see if the kids can step up their game a notch, with veteran Juan Pierre in left field.

In other words, we are setting the Way Back Machine for 2007.

[Jon Weisman]

Dodgers have an 0-fer in national sponsorships of Camelback.

http://tinyurl.com/d3vaxj

[Disappointed]

Jon Weisman is a sellout.

This new board is a joke.

[Andrew Shimmin]

I was Shut Up, Becky for one comment, too.

[Tripon]

I'd sell out too for money.

[El Lay Dave]

LAT - I agree with you on Selig. If he really wants cooperation from the players, he needs to work with them looking forward, not dredging around in the mud of the past, mud for which he himself is partially to blame. Even suggesting or hinting that the mere thought of suspending Rodriguez has flickered for a moment in his mind is dumb, dumb, dumb, because he has no grounds to do so.

[El Lay Dave]

Shimmin - I was going to call rule 7, but that would be wrong; if it is sarcasm, there's no way it will be misinterpreted!

[El Lay Dave]

I will sell out for food.

[Hollywood Joe]

I will sell out simply for the pleasure of disappointing others

[Tripon]

I am surprised Micheal Scott knows what how to use a flash drive.

[LAT]

Disappointed, you have a lot of nerve. Jon spent years at the Toaster posting interesting and insightful articles everyday, policing the site so civility is kept in and the trolls kept out. He sacrificed hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of his personal time so we could enjoy the site. And he did all this for free refusing to make DT a pay site. (BTW, did you ever donate to the Paypal link on the side--I didn't think so.) Now he comes to the Times and hopefully he will make some (a lot) of money for his effort. He has a family to support and a full time job. I think he is entitled to earn whatever he can off the site.

[Jon Weisman]

I own up to being a sellout. In fact, I've been a sellout ever since I got a summer job in 1984 and took money in exchange for work. And with a family of five living on one income, I was long overdue to become more of a sellout. I'm relieved to be a sellout. Those who choose to work for free, more power to you.

I definitely remain open to hearing any grievances about the new site. I will admit that right now, I feel things are similar enough to the old DT that if you think it's a joke now, you probably thought it was a joke then. But again, I certainly know it's not perfect, so feel free to pass along any complaints.

[LAT]

I have a degree in sell out. Went to sell out school for three years and passed the sell out exam in two states. I am now a professional sell out.

You guys were talking about the law, right?

[LAT]

Add tolerance to Jon's list of virtues.

[Hollywood Joe]

Wow -

I hate when I am an ill manner lout and attempt to insult someone...and they in turn exhibit grace and intelligence and humilty and all at once show themselve for a true gentleman and me for the boor that I am

I really hate it when that happens to me

Makes me feel small

[KG16]

LAT: I really don't understand how Selig is still the Commissioner.

If he says anything about this it should be something like: Bonds, Clemens, Palmerio, and Tejada are on the HOF ineligible list, and anyone who tests positive for PEDs from this day forward will join them.

Of course he won't do that, so maybe he can do something else in the best interest of the game and resign.

[Linkmeister]

I'd be quite willing to be a sellout right about now, as this economy has reduced my client list to slightly below one.

[KG16]

Sell out, with me oh yeah,
Sell out with me tonight,
The record company's gonna give me lots of money
And everything's gonna be

[Hollywood Joe]

KG
All PEDs HOF inelligible, where do you draw the line?

You going to pull all the guys out of the hall that played on greenies for their entire career too?

What about guys who get a doctors note saying that they have ADD today so that they can still get speed to play on?

What about if I get unnessary surgeries on my body so that I am more flexible or can see better or make my fingers longer/grip better - is that too performance enhancing?

What about hard maple bats do they enhance performance too much?

There is increasing amount of statistical data that suggest that PEDs, despite their name, don't enhance baseball performances

A HOF without those players is a dead HOF

I hope no one ever judges me the way these players get judged

[Don Burns]

Jon:
I don't know why someone would criticize you for working for a living. Most of us would be grateful for having the opportunity to do so. You have done a wonderful job with Dodger Thoughts. Congratulations for that, and for your new gig.
Don

[Dodgers49]

Spring preview: Missing Manny

http://tinyurl.com/alz6lw

[tjdub]

LAT 8:55
Selig is the opposite of media-savvy. MLB can save itself a lot of headaches by remembering a few core principals:

1. In general, people who regularly follow baseball will not give it up. Very few people actually care enough about PED's to let it impact their buying/watching habits.

2. Great players are great players, enhanced or not, and respect for their contributions to the game and its history should be preserved rather than denigrated, even in the face of controversy or scandal.

3. We live in a very forgiving society.

I would suggest that the best way to handle the A-Rod fiasco (other than the required pie-hole shutting) would be as follows:

1. Express outrage at the leaks. "We are serious about ridding the sport of PED's and have instituted rigorous testing protocols, but the privacy of the players is an important right. We will do all we can to protect the integrity of this process."

2. Highlight A-Rod's accomplishments and acknowledge the apology (such as it was) while taking credit. "We are grateful that Mr. Rodriguez has decided to come clean about his involvement with steroids. His honesty at this time will help us all move forward. Mr. Rodriguez is truly one of the great players in the history of our game. His 5 triumphant seasons since the implementation of our strict testing regimen have proven that singular talent, clean from performance enhancement, will prevail.

3. Find someone else to join the build up A-Rod bandwagon. This is the most important part. A-Rod probably has few friends but one or two of them could help diffuse this if done properly. Someday, probably soon, the other 103 players will be ID'd. This is unavoidable. If MLB can find one or two of them, preferably significant players who have retired, and convince them to out themselves early, A-Rod can get the credit. The press conference: "Thank you for being here today. This past few weeks have been very difficult for me and my family. I have been struggling with this for a long time but I'm here to publicly acknowledge that I also experimented with performance enhancing drugs prior to their official banishment in 2004. I have long regretted the decisions I made at that time, but until Alex came forward I was to proud and frightened to admit it to anyone. I would like to thank Alex for his courage and example and hope others will as well. "

If two or three players came out "voluntarily" prior to the leak of more names, the public would eat it up.

[Lex in support]

I miss the toaster. The toaster was the best. I think the toaster was better than this current board for reasons that have already been expressed. I also think that Jon's insight on the Dodgers is something that benifits everyone. Jon being here will make many more Dodger fans a lot more well informed, which can only be a good thing. L.A is very lucky to have Jon Wiesman, and the more people who read DT the better.

I just hope that they don't all come to the picnic:)

[jujibee]

Sure, but if I cheated on several tests that bumped me into the top 90 percentile of the class, does that mean I deserve to be there? If my allowed "cheat sheet" that I composed had more useful formulas to allow me to succeed on a test, does that make me smarter than the next guy who had different formulas that didn't appear? Cheating is cheating and unless the playing field is level, I don't but the argument that cheating is justifiable enough to place you into the same class of those that didn't cheat. Having a surgery is hardly cheating. I have not heard of a surgery that made someone's fingers larger, thus enhancing the grip or movement on the ball. I don't buy the argument that Tommy john surgery is in any form cheating, even if it allows a pitcher to reach 300 wins.....to me that is like retaking a class. Those who didn't have the surgery are greatful, and those who had it, wish they didn't have to have it. That being said, Einstein would still be smarter than the guy sitting next to him if he copied a couple of history answers in grade school.

[KG16]

Joe: I think there is enough evidence to make the ruling on the guys that I named. I also think that any future positive tests should also bar entry. Pete Rose is one of the greatest players ever, and he's ineligible. Shoeless Joe also was one of the best to ever play. Both are barred because of the damage that gambling caused the game. I see nothing wrong with applying the same standard to those using performance enhancing drugs.

As for your examples, the adoral, ritlin, or whatever the new ADD drug is distinguishable because it's a prescription. Just as a guy recovering from, say, testicular cancer might need steroids, and shouldn't be banned. The guys who are in the Hall should stay in, but the full story should be told. The example of surgeries, I don't know about, I'll have to think about it. Maple bats are legal, the PEDs however, were not (either against the rules of baseball or flat out against the law).

With respect to PEDs not actually enhancing performance, well, yes and no. Sure Bonds has a great eye, and tremendous hand-eye coordination, but how many of his home runs would have been harmless fly balls caught by outfielders without the extra muscle gained from PEDs? How many extra games did he play because of the improved recovery?

And, quite frankly, this is more important than statistics.

[jasonungar]

The mere mention of Juan Pierre starting has me on edge as well. I can't wait for the article that talks about how the 1-2 punch of speed at the top of the order along with professional hitter Casey Blake batting clean up are keys to success. At the bottom of that article will be a blurb saying that Schmidt will be held out for precautionary reasons but is feeling fine.

[underdog]

Can't we all just get along?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56I1m__fnBY

Very much safe for work. And darned cute!

--

These 9pm soccer games are gonna kill me. Now I'm all wired and starving. At least soon there will be actual baseball to talk about.

[underdog]

I don't know if this was actually posted at some point before and I missed it, but if it only exists in the magazine which I now have in my hands, thought I'd reprint the Sporting News baseball preview mag's list of the Dodgers top prospects. (Minus the write-ups for each; buy the magazine for that.)

1) J MacDonald
2) Lambo
3) Josh Lindblom
4) DeJesus Jr (whom they helpfully point out is the son of the player with the *same name* --fancy that)
5) Scott Elbert
6) Ethan Martin
7) Chris Withrow
8) Devaris Gordon
9) Austin Gallagher
10) Kyle Russell (with some caveats of course)

Pretty decent write-up though. Elbert gets their rookie spotlight/"impact rookie"

Chewbacca gets "impact wookie".

I really need food.

[I Should Be Working But...]

Re: selling out....

I wasn't a staple (at all) of the old site and I probably won't be a staple here - but I do feel more comfortable posting here - and find it every bit as inviting as the old site and also somewhat less insular - which in my opinion is a good thing.

But that said - and this is spoken as someone who's been around the entertainment industry and the publishing business for more than a week or two ... I don't think I've ever seen a more stand up guy than Jon Weisman when it comes to writing and commentary. I've listened to him on Dodger Talk, I've read his posts here for at least a couple of years (not all, but many), and (this is as much directed to him as to everyone) the idea that he should apologize for anything he's doing or done (that I've seen or heard) is absurd. I haven't agreed with everything he's written or said, but he's never taken the low road, he's always been fair - almost to a fault - and has been, in every instance that I know of, a total mensch. For those who don't know what a mensch is - it's a human being, in the best sense of the word. I once heard a writer/story teller turn a phrase about how he wished he could be "the man his dog thought he was." I'm not. But from what's in evidence here - Jon is.

So no apologies. And if this is selling out - then it's selling out with about as much grace and integrity as is humanly possible. (But it's not selling out - not hardly.)

[Brent Knapp]

Jon,
After reading Disappointed's rude post I feel bad for writing "I miss DT" on the old Dodger Thoughts blog. I was an infrequent poster but read 80-90% of everything on DT and found it a fabulous source of information and family like discussion. I do miss DT on baseball toaster simply because the format and flow became so natural and like second nature. However, I will continue to read the new DT and will adjust to what are in the grand scheme of things are very minimal differences. Congratulations again on the new gig.

[tjdub]

True story. My wife and I bought our first house in 1996. We lived in a modest new neighborhood with a lot of young couples. As families and incomes grew, many friends began to move away. The funny thing is, they did not move far and good number of them actually became neighbors again just a mile or so from the first neighborhood. When we and our stuff outgrew our first house we ended up following. We live in a new neighborhood, but our children play with many of the same kids who were the other children they first ventured out and met. We've lived here now for a year and a half, but we still keep largely the same company we have for more more than a decade, with a bit of an expansion of our circle. It's strange, but very comfortable. DT is a great community. It hasn't changed much; the house is just a little bigger and there are a few new friends sprinkled in with the ones we followed here. Keep up the good work Jon.

[underdog]

Was 30 Rock tonight an homage to the photo in this post? Coincidence?

Wasn't a classic episode but some absolutely priceless moments, especially the whole Donaghy in church sequence.

[I Should Be Working But...]

By the way - don't know if this was mentioned - today (for another forty-five minutes) is the 200th Anniversary of both Lincoln's and Darwin's birthdays.

Born on the same day - same year.

A double-play team definitely made in heaven.

Or whatever the moral equivalent of heaven may be.

Just figured it was worth a mention.

[Rob]

Jon,
I have one complaint. Dodger Thoughts is TOO POPULAR! I know to you there can't be such a thing but coming from an occasional Blue Notes reader and participate I can't keep up w/ all the posts.

The thing I cherished about Blue Notes was the closeness of the community. There were your regulars and then new posters would post from time to time. You had a feel for everyone... here on DT, it feels like a "free for all".

[Hollywood Joe]

KG
The thing is I don't think it's important at all

It's a non-issue that somehow reason stirs the romantic fires of fair play as it relates to baseball and baseball alone.

NBA players put on 30 pounds of muscle when they come out of college and have arms that body builders aspire to, NFL players are size and speed freaks beyond what mere good genetics and hard training can reasonably explain - we know that they are on HGH and whatever other new drug that isn't tested yet

Even if I cared and was somehow offended by the use, I would recognize that the test can never catch up with the drug development and that what players will take to recover and stay healthy will always keep moving forward and baseball will either make its peace with that or it will always be stuck looking 5 years back wondering what happened.

The test will never keep up with the drugs - they will always be testing yesterday.

Baseball has had its players go beyond looking for the competitive edge since its inception. Corked bats, stolen signs, wired signals, spitters and vaseline, shaving the base paths, soaking the basepaths, greenies...it just goes on and on. Why are these stories charming and PEDs so damning?

Do you think that the players in the past were more noble and someone would have walked away from any possible advantage? Ty Cobb was the greatest ballplayer of his era but shaved his spikes in order to get such a small incremental advantage, could you imagine him at a modern pharmacy

Speaking of pharmacy what about all the non-banned suplements, they are surely better than anything available to the players in the past enjoyed shall we ban them too?

And ballpark size, if our records are so sacred then maybe we should stop moving the fences in and lowering the mound to create more offense

and stop expanding since Maris hit all his jacks in an expansion year and McGwire and Sosa hit all theirs in an expansion year too

How about off season conditioning? Do we need to eliminate that to level the playing field? Players in the past sold insurance from November to Feb just to pay the bills, do we need to figure that into our models

We can never make tomorrow like yesterday and the sooner we accept it we can start trying to make tomorrow like the best tomorrow it can be

Legalize it

[I love Jon]

Anybody talking smack on a man who now (finally) gets a pay day for doing what he loves (and doing it well) is a total loser. Frankly, I couldn't be more happy. I'm happy for Jon, happy that I get to continue reading his offerings, and happy for Dodger fans and Los Angeles as a city.

(Also, kudos to the Times for having a clue for once)

No, this site will never mimic the intimacy of the toaster site. Get over it. It's for the greater good. We need more Jon Weisman(s) and less Ken Gurnick(s). (No offense Ken, Jon is just better than you)

Well done Jon. You earned it. Now, will you marry me? I could use the divorce settlement. Oh wait, that's not legal here anymore.

[BHSportsguy]

If you think this place gets wild and crazy, try to find a calm and well thought out comment on a UCLA fansite tonight.

[JJ24]

I've gotten used to this site, so much that I forget that it's on the LA Times and just focus on the content. Jon's excellent posts have stayed the same and I feel the wit and insight from the commenters is unchanged from the Toaster.

It's kind of like on Spenser: For Hire, when Spenser gets a new Mustang and someone comments to him that though it's got a different body, it has the same soul as the old '65 version he used to drive.

And yes, I just referenced Spenser; For Hire.

[LAbits]

I have my tickets for 'the berm' at Camelback on the Ides of March.

[trainwreck]

Thankfully, UCLA can crush Arizona again to make everyone feel better.

[Ken Noe]

It took me about twenty-fours to adjust to this site. Other than missing the little reference numbers [99] that substituted for threading, I'm fine with it now. Jon's here, old posters are here, some new interesting posters are here, fear of JP in left field is here, it's still DT.

[Howard Fox]

Jon at 9:29 pm

You have no reason to apologize, nor should you. I am sure this is an extremely time consuming project, and always has been. If some of your followers have issues, maybe they should look within themselves.

While you are accused by some of them of selling out, might I remind them that spending their day at work blogging here is akin to employee theft. I could be wrong, but I don't think the Policies and Procedures of their employers include blogging on Dodger Thoughts as a job requirement or company benefit.

I have always looked to your site for updated information on the Dodgers and insights. For this I thank you and many of your compatriots.

Just remember, you are getting paid for doing something you love. Most people cannot say that.

[jpg]

Go Sparkies

[Andrew Shimmin]

Picking on the new digs is played out. But I haven't seen anybody take a shot at Jon over the new sidebar picture of him. I had that same sweater. . . when I was a nine year old girl! Boom roasted.

[D4P]

I took a shot at Jon's Seinfeldian "Jeans/white sneakers" combo in his "Pretending to make a leaping catch against the Dodger Stadium outfield wall" photos he posted at the old digs, but nobody cared.

[Andrew Shimmin]

They're all keeping their powder dry for the dust jacket photo that's coming.

[DL]

I love that KG posted the lyrics to "Sell Out." I was humming that song while reading this thread.

I've gotten used to the LA Times site, I guess. The posting delay hasn't been a problem at all, and there hasn't been the huge influx of idiots that I was dreading. I understand Jon's been getting excerpted in the dead-tree version of the Times, which I think is awesome. But I still miss the quicklink post numbers, text effects, and the collapsable comments.

And does the page behave weirdly for anyone else when you refresh it? Sometimes it takes me to the top of the page, sometimes to the bottom, and sometimes right where I left off in the middle.

[D4P]

***According to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, the Mariners and Ken Griffey Jr. "are moving toward finalization of a one-year, incentive-laden contract." At a golf tournament yesterday, Griffey did not seem to have much knowledge of the talks.***

It's a hard knock life.

[jim hitchcock]

Right on, LAT 9:26!

[jim hitchcock]

Wow, I haven't said Right On! in years...

[Gen3Blue]

Yes DL, I never know where I will end up after a refresh. If it follows any rule, I haven't figured it out yet.

[okdodge]

Taking shots at Jon, totally uncalled for. I'd refernce a certain phrase from Grandma's Boy if it wasn't for that pesky rule one. The new site is still great, I only miss the numbered posts, but I'll adjust. Congrats on selling out Jon.

[Larry Slimfast]

I'll take a shot at Jon. When you click on his book at Amazon, you'll find that, "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought 'Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector's Edition).'" I challenge anybody to top that.

[D4P]

It appears that Lucille II has signed a minor league deal with the Mets.

[Hollywood Joe]

From Mike Lombardi's (very good) football site "The National Football Post"

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/

Said pertaining to Football but certainly relates here...

"In free agency, you should spend money on great players and spend very little on role players. Where teams make mistakes (and I’ve made them myself) is when they pay top dollar for a second-level player. Overpaying for mediocrity is a cancer for teams in the UFA market."

Hmmm, I think we can all pile on Dodgers signed past that illustrate this point

[MollyKnight]

I am a sell-out, too. And so are the Kings of Leon. I like the Kings of Leon.

[jim hitchcock]

You know, when the Who sold out, all they got was a bathtub full of beans.

[kngoworld]

This seems very intriguing, for all Arrested Development fans.

http://tinyurl.com/brle7s

[Old Dodger Fan]

Scott Boras says that if the Dodgers sign Manny they can sell out 81 times this year.

[GoBears]

I might as well add another voice to the chorus (I sing bass - not Suffering Bruin basso profundo, but bass nonetheless).

My first comment on the new site was pessimistic. I wasn't worried that Jon's writing would suffer in any way, or that the DT family would abandon him (to the newbies - yes, it's a really big family, but it's still pretty cozy and intimate). I just didn't like the Un-Toasterized format for the comments. The lack of numbers still bugs me, but I've learned to just look at the times.

But I too have acclimated to the new site very quickly. That it's on the Times is completely irrelevant, as far as I can tell. I link directly to the blog, and it's off to the races.

My guess is that the genius who called Jon a sell-out had no reason (even in his own head) for saying that. That was the blog equivalent of a prank phone call. I hope he had a good giggle about all the trouble he caused.

[DL]

He caused trouble? I'm gonna download "Sell Out" when I get home later. I used to like Reel Big Fish.

[GoBears]

DL: I meant to say that he caused a reaction. Not that it was a bad thing for lots of people to sing Jon's praises. That's always nice to hear (see).

[Sean P.]

"Sure, but if I cheated on several tests that bumped me into the top 90 percentile of the class, does that mean I deserve to be there? If my allowed "cheat sheet" that I composed had more useful formulas to allow me to succeed on a test, does that make me smarter than the next guy who had different formulas that didn't appear?"

This a a bad analogy. Taking a PED is not comparable to receiving a cheat sheet for an exam. It is comparable to to taking stimulants to stay up all night long before the exam to cram.

PEDs change the body's potential to allow one to train harder, longer, and more often. They do not do the work by themselves. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens did not do PEDs because they were lazy; it is because they wanted to work their bodies harder than their bodies could stand otherwise.

[kinbote]

So is anyone excited about Spring Training?

[KG16]

HJ:

I've not heard anything about NBA players on drugs other than the yoda, and I contribute the great shape most of them acquire between college and the NBA to having a real weightlifting program for the first time in their lives (high school and college basketball, from what I understand, haven't caught up with every other sport in that regard). I don't doubt that NFL players are on PEDs, it doesn't make it right.

I understand, also, that the tests can't keep up with new innovations. However, I do believe that if swift, drastic penalties were handed down, the deterrence factor would be huge. Sammy Sosa was recently caught with a corked bat, it wasn't a "charming" story. He was called out as a cheater. But there is also a difference between modifying equipment for an advantage and modifying your bio-chemistry.

and the distinction between banned and non-banned substances is just that: some have been banned and others have not. If players want to use legal, non-banned substances, I don't really have a problem with it.

Nor am I arguing that we should make the future like the past. I am only arguing for a certain continuity. Yes we can recognize advances in sports medicine, and our understanding of physiology, and the rest, and those can be incorporated into the game - and should be. But there is a distinction between natural athletic ability and rioded up cartoon characters.

I'm as libertarian as they come, I'm all for legalizing a lot of stuff that currently isn't legal, but when it comes to sports, I'd prefer they stay clean. Respect the game because it's a special, magical thing.

[Humma Kavula]

In the movie 24 Hour Party People, Tony Wilson -- played by Steve Coogan -- reveals that the only act that represents income for him is not actually under contract. They can sign with a major label and leave Wilson with nothing, nothing, nothing.

Wilson reveals that he set up his company this way on purpose, with all rights belonging to the artists. He justifies it this way:

"My epitaph will be: 'He never sold out.' I protected myself from ever selling out by having nothing to sell."

When Tony Wilson says that in the movie, the viewer is led to believe that he sees himself as principled. But it also seems like the guy is not from planet Earth. That's not way to live your life.

Just sayin': big fan of Jon, happy he's getting paid.

[Andrew Shimmin]

Hypothetically, if Disappointed was really Jon sockpuppetting, his hate crime against himself worked out better than Michael Scott's. I'm not accusing, just brainstorming. . .

[68elcamino427]

@Sean P. 9:47

That is a great obsevation!
*"they wanted to train their bodies harder than their bodies could stand otherwise."*

Yes, they train very hard.

The hitters used to gain explosive power.

The pitchers used to shorten recovery time and gain endurance.

Question:
What are the new yet undetectable subsatnces that we will learn of next?

[jim hitchcock]

"So is anyone excited about Spring Training?"

Yep, but it's snowing pretty good right now in Carson City, so I'm having a little trouble getting in the mood.

[Humma Kavula]

WRT the Gurnick article, two things.

1. Regardless of who is playing in left field, the kids do need to step up their games a notch. Billingsley and Ethier excepted -- if they can repeat their 2008 performances, well, more power to them. The rest -- I hope to see improvement. To the extent that Gurnick is wondering if 2008 represents the kind of performance we can expect from the kids, then it will be a long season for Dodger fans, he's right. The team, rightly, has pinned its future on those guys, and this year should be the time they show what they can do -- whether or not the team has Manny.

2. The idea that Juan Pierre somehow gets a pass is infuriating. He is a valuable bench player, I think, because he puts the ball in play and has speed. Late in the game with men on base and the pitcher up, I like Juan Pierre. But he shouldn't be sniffing the starting lineup.

So, yeah, the kids need to step up no matter what. AND we shouldn't ignore that if we have no Manny, we have a hole in left field.

[underdog]

Odd news of interest:

One-time UCLA Bruins basketball star Nigel Miguel is the new Film Commissioner in Belize.

http://bit.ly/6eN7v

[bobnsb]

Jim Hitchcock@9:09

LOL!! - I was trying to make some connection to that, but yours is the best.

[Hollywood Joe]

KG

"but when it comes to sports, I'd prefer they stay clean"

Me too, if I had my druthers they wouldn't exist, but they do

(Some other random wishes: a true 40 hour work week, flannel uniforms w/ visible stirup socks, and a secretary that got me coffee and who happened to look like one of the ladies of Mad Men)

Because these substances do exist and I dont think you can make them not exist, I just don't think you can remove them from the game.

Through this perpetual witch hunt and slippery slope about what is and what isn't alllowed, you run a far larger chance of destroying the game more than you can save it

Embrace it, incorporate it and understand it is the continuing evolution of the athlete (and in case we think this is a modern phenomena, the ancient greeks took magic mushrooms and other substances in the early olympics to improve and maximize performance)

The game remains unchanged as long as you appreciate the players are only playing within the context of their time. There are enough differences between the eras that this idea of a string of performances that relate to eachother in a apples to apple way is more an illusion and projection than it is reality. Whether we look at things like who can play, equiment, ball park size, training, offseason, ball construction, DH, and many other things too tedious to mention.

The beauty is that Baseball has remained essentially unchanged and yet it remains relevant and compelling; all the while the world has moved and the players with it.

Great players of yesterday would be great players of today, but they would be different players. PEDs aside, what would have Hank Aaron accomplished if the mound was lower for all of his career, he had nutrionist and weight trainers, had enough money that he stayed primed for baseball all year and didn't have to have an off season job, was able to see video of opposing pitchers.... What would have Mantle done if instead of having his knees butchered he could have simply had them scoped? How many Homeruns would he have had if he worked out, ate right, and got help for his drinking problem.

The entire life of a baseball player has changed and it has always changed from era to era.

Records and numbers are valuable within the context of their time. Records and numbers outside of the context of their time is great for bar room debates but otherwise misleading.

...and of course NBA players are in on the game too

[jasonungar]

Ethier hit ..335 .409 .583 .991
Kemp hit .299 .344 .478 .821

after the all star break. They are fine with hopefully Kemp getting better.....

Pierre has an OBP of .327 before Manny and the three prior of .326 and .330 and .331 after Manny it was .327..thats the weak link, even if Ethier or Kemp don't step up one bit

[Paul Scott]

"A double-play team definitely made in heaven."

Was that intentionally ironic?

[GoBears]

Unintentional comedy is often even more satisfying.

[Humma Kavula]

Agree to a point, Jason. What I'm trying to say is this:

Regardless of who the left fielder is, we are looking for improvement from the kids. If they don't improve, we can have Manny, or Juan, or Spawn of Kavula in LF, and it might mean as much for the Dodger's playoff hopes.

I will note that the Spawn covers a lot of ground these days, but she has no arm at all.

[Hollywood Joe]

There are 12 days until Dodger Baseball is on the air

Of all the things I am jealous of players for, maybe the thing I am the most jealous of is a day like today.

When I start to imagine Walking into spring training. Dumping my equipment bag off at my locker. Seeing all the old faces and getting treatment in the training room. Telling all the jokes. Putting on the uniform. Getting my mind straight to start the new season...I get choked up thinking about it

[Paul Scott]

"If they don't improve, we can have Manny, or Juan, or Spawn of Kavula in LF, and it might mean as much for the Dodger's playoff hopes."

You are overstating the case. The difference in wins between Kemp, Either, Martin and Loney 2008 vs. 2009 will be less than the difference in wins between Manny 2009 and JP 2009.

[Paul Scott]

Don't misread that, HK, for pessimism w/o Manny. I think we have a good shot at the playoffs either way (Manny making it much stronger, however) and I think the team today is better than the team a year ago.

[Tripon]

We expect improvement from the young players. Ken Gurick is skeptical of it. Yet thinks that Juan Pierre is good enough to start for the Dodgers.

[Paul Scott]

Gurick would have to be a fool to not expect the true talent of our younger players to improve. If he is skeptical of our young players putting up better numbers in 2009 than they did in 2008, it must (to be rational) be based on a case that our younger players over-performed their talent level in 2008 such that even after they improve, their 2009 numbers will regress. Is that the case he is making? (or just link the article, if you have it. thanks).

[Ken Noe]

Juan Pierre has a ring in a box.

[Hollywood Joe]

Well put Paul

While I expect improvement from Martin and hope for improvement from Loney, I will be more than satisfied with full years of this from Kemp and Ethier (while understanding there is certainly reason to think they could even be better)

Ethier hit ..335 .409 .583 .991
Kemp hit .299 .344 .478 .821

I don't think we can lump the "youngsters" together any more in terms of proving themselves and the need for them to "develop" as if they are a unit developing at the same time

Some are now proven (Kemp, Ethier, Martin) and others are yet to prove themselves fully (Loney & the infielders) even as we hold out hope (mixed with an appropriate level of analysis and reason) that they do continue to progress and prove themselves

[JMK]

Is Nate Silver talking about Manny?

http://tinyurl.com/bv68yj