The Most Dangerous Condiment......Ever.

Mustard. People like to pour it all over their Dodger dogs. You can find it on those bratwurst things they sell. But it is dangerous, and it should be outlawed at Chavez Ravine. Ok, so I have to admit. I am not a mustard fan. My dodger dog is lined with ketchup and onions...ONLY. And although I've had my fair share of ketchup disaster run ins (can they PLEASE put some flow control on those dispensers???) I think most people would join me in my plight to name mustard the most dangerous condiment ever.

Picture this: You enter Dodger Stadium filled with anticpation and excitment. You flash the usher your ticket as you waltz past the gate. You locate your seats when suddenly your nose (and then, of course,) your stomach remind you that it is time to eat. You browse your food choices...depending on the level in which you sit...this could take a short time or a long time :) After realizing that there really is no choice better than the Dodger Dog, you jump in line. Hopefully you've jumped in line where the dogs are NOT grilled, and when you order you order the all beef super dodger dog. But, hey, I'm not hear to judge...you're still at the game. After spending WAY TOO MUCH money on your hearty feast, you proceed to the condiment station. Hmmmm..choices. Relish. Mustard. Ketchup. Onions. Being the Roman that you are, you decide to pile your Dodger Dog with every condiment option. Voila! Masterpiece. Since you're an old pro you roll up the dog back in the wrapper as if it's never been opened. Napkins? Check. Better make it a double stock of napkins.

The warm Dodger Dog awaits its moment to shine. In mere seconds you will embark upon the delicious taste that no other hot dog can give you. Hopefully you reach your seats AFTER the National Anthem. There is nothing worse than having to hold your Dodger Dog at bay while you wait for the song to finish and you don't want to be THAT person (you know the one that tries to sneak in bites during the song). You settle into your seat and begin to unwrap your Dodger Dog like a little kid on Christmas. Mouthwatering, you sink your teeth into it and cherish every bite. It's overflowing with condiments, but you are careful not to spill any on you, or the fancy dodger gear you're sporting. (extremely careful if the dodger gear you're sporting is authentic). As you wipe your face with your 18th napkin and congratulate yourself on a job well done....no spilling it seems like...success!! You proceed to just make sure and give yourself the once over. The friend you've brought with you nicely comments to the side crevice of your mouth and gently lets you know "hey, you've got mustard there." No problem, you just pull out your 19th napkin and wipe away the evidence. (good thing you got that double stack)

The game begins and as you reach for your drink a yellow flicker catches your eye. The ninja mustard has done it again. This time, in your fingernails. How the heck did that happen? You use the palms of your hands to hold the dog as well as keeping the part not being eaten INSIDE the wrapper. There's no sign of relish, ketchup, OR onions on your hand..just the dang mustard. It appears on not one, but two of your mischievous fingers. You slyly grab your 20th napkin and secretly try to rub it off. Before you rub all your skin off, you realize a dry napkin is just not going to work. You figure out a way to hide these yellow fingers until you can make a bee line for the bathroom.

Ok, it was inside the side crevices of your mouth. Embedded in your fingernails. These are things we can work with. However, as you look down you notice a tiny splotch of mustard on your jersey. Not only is it mooshed in to the jersey, it is in a location you are fairly certain your hot dog never went. Not at any moment do you recall setting your hot dog down on your hip, or your shoulder, or in the middle of your stomach.

If any of these has happened to you, you can understand and appreciate how mustard is the most dangerous condiment ever. It is the ninja of all condiments. We should send mustard in to invade our enemies...they won't even know what hit them. Maybe it's a little hasty to say that mustard should be outlawed at Dodger Stadium. But maybe, they should provide dry cleaning services.

Will the Real Clayton and Andre Please Stand Up?

WOW. WHAT A GAME LAST NIGHT!! Last night was one of those days that you are proud to be a baseball fan. Last night was one of those games that you wish a "nonbeliever" was with you. You know, the ones that say baseball is boring and they just can't understand why the heck anyone would want to watch a game? Last night is exactly why. I enjoy baseball (specifically the Dodgers) in any form I can get it. Now, I'd love to travel with the team and go to all the games, but that's just not possible so I watch it on television. Sometimes, I'm not home to watch the game on t.v. so I'll read about it, tivo it, or find the highlights. But, last night, was one of those times you remember that you can't actually beat being AT the stadium. The infectious crowd, the jumping up from my seat, the dodger dog, the cotton candy. I'm still living off my high of last nights game, and hoping going to tonights will provide just as much fun.

I regret my last postings of Ethier and how he just doesnt seem to be the guy he once was at the moment. Maybe he read my blog. Maybe he wanted to show me that he didn't need Manny back to get him swinging again. I apologize Andre and you sure showed me. 3 homeruns...in ONE game. His assault started in the 2nd inning and he produced everytime he came up to the plate. Jason Vargas gave Ethier an offering that he couldnt refuse. Each time, there was no doubt to me or the fans that it was outta there. That's how deep his home runs were. Whew. Wow. This puts another chip on the shoulder of good ole Joe when Manny returns next week. Dodger fans have been waiting a long time for a ball club like this. Even though Im not always his biggest fan, I'm going to give some credit here to Ned Colletti. Let's not forget "we" traded Milton Bradley to the A's for Ethier a couple seasons back. That was a GREAT trade move and at that point Ethier wasn't nothing more than a top prospect. We all know how that can go sometimes. And the other all star of the night....

Clayton Kershaw!! Man, Clayton, where have you been all my life? You keep throwing like that, kid, and you're going to solidify the #3 spot on the rotation come the playoffs. I think that his durability is even better than Wolf's for the moment. I'm going to say that I think Sunday's outing when Kershaw had to get himself out of the jam really made him grow up and realize the confidence and potential that he had. He now knows that he'll be able to buck up and get himself out of it. He is stronger now and it shows. We all know Clayton likes to throw a good fastball to get through the lineup but this new Clayton wasn't afraid to change up his pitches last night...and he did it early. He retired the side in the 3rd perfect inning of the game last night. Kershaw's ability was never up for dispute, it was his ability to be consistent and locate the pitches in a different way that he struggled with. It's great to see that he is beginning to do that. Clayton has a long career ahead of him and we have him for, what, the next 4 seasons under contract? This is a razzamataz group of players with great chemistry and great heart, I'm just proud to be a fan and watch them take on baseball. I'm going to miss the interleague play....I kind of like it :) well, let's see what Milton does for us tonight comin off the D.L. Cross your fingers but, unlike Grady Little, we know that Torre will do the managing....and I'll also be general managing from my seat at Dodger Stadium ;)

I don't like to wear Sox anyway.

Alright. We have to brush off this series. This is the first series since May that the Dodgers have let slip away. It's ok though, I'm not a fan of sox anyway :) My boys of summer played their heart out yesterday, and I think it was not getting the hits we needed in the clutch that really allowed the CWS to come back and get that one run they needed. Billingsley (still trying to be the first 10-win pitcher in N.L.) missed his attempt at a win for the second time in a row. Bills. what's up Buddy? You sure have a sturdy pair of legs....why are we losing it at the end? To be fair, the game was lost in the bull pen. Bills pitched a really great first 4 innings and the offense gave him a great lead in the beginning. Blake's controversial line drive could have been one of those game changing plays (and it might have been) but ultimately we just couldn't get what we needed when we needed it. Not for lack of trying. Or the fact that Torre rested about half the starting line-up. Weaver did alright tonight as a reliever, and I have to say I'm glad this "giving up runs" Jeff showed up tonight and not days ago when he faced his brother. That outing was much more important to me. Well, that's how I make myself feel better over this loss.

Let's talk for a second about Casey Blake. He is just an awesome player that I think really flies under the radar. He plays his heart out, every game, is just seems to be a calming force for all the young and hungry talent we have in our line-up. He always seems so calm, cool, and collected (ok, minus that ball in threw way over Loney's head when we played the Angels) and that he shows up everyday to play his hardest. He seems humble. His barehanded pickoff of the bunt was an incredible play to watch and just solidified his status as an all star player. I keep replaying it in my head as I write about it. How he had to be on the move up when it was hit, grab it, and make a perfect throw to Loretta at 1st base. Way to go Blake. You might be my new favorite player.
Now let's talk about the All-star Matt Kemp. Now, ok, I appreciate watching him play and he really put his all in to it yesterday, but let's give this guy a day off Joe. He played his heart out and gave an all out effort to catch a single by Podsednik scoring the winning run, but came up to allowing it a short hop. He did go 0 for 6 offensively with 4 strikeouts. Clearly, the man needs to rest. He can come sit next to me tonight.
We need to shake this off and let this homestand against the Mariners and the Rockies, turn us around again. We'll play the Mariners while the Giants (who are on our heels....a hungry line-up also) are away playing the Brew Crew and the Rockies are away playing the A's. We'll then meet up with the Rockies, while the Giants head to play the Cardinals in good old St. Louis. After a day off.......we all know what happens.......we head to San Diego (and if everything goes as hoped) the ManRam will be back in the lineup on July 3rd. I'm hoping the hype of him coming back isn't giving the Dodgers a cause to feel a sense of relief. I don't think it is, and I'll be there tonight hootin and hollerin. Let's Go Dodgers, Let's Go!

Joe....an Ear please?

Joe. Joe. Joe. Clearly you did not read my post about my suggestions for Pierre upon SIr Manny's return. Torre is making it very clear that when Manny returns he will be coming back as the starting left fielder. Ok. I get this. and you know this is what a good manager does. Pierre knew going in to this that Manny was the starter and I respect that fact that Joe is adhering to that BUT I think that given the clear stats on how everyone is playing, Pierre should be one of the starters too. Upon further thinking, I have come down to this: Joe.......are you ready?

Clearly, You can't bench ManRam. This is not what the fans want. This is not what he wants. This is not what we need. The only way to get him back in tip top shape for when we really need him (October baseball, people) is to just let him flipping play. But here are the other facts.

Pierre is hot. I mean, he's on fire and he is showing zero signs of slowing down at this point. Matt Kemp is hot. and he's also doing really well for the team. Ethier? Well, I really like Ethier. REALLLLLLLLLY like the guy, and he is a good guy to have up in a crunch but ever since Manny left he really hasn't been producing to the level that he "should be" I mean, neither is Russell Martin, really.....but the point of contention isn't the fact we have 47 catchers, it's that our outfield roster is filled with all star players. Let's look at his stats.....even though Ethier went 2-for-5 on Sunday's game he was hitting a mere .177 in the 9 or so games before that. Going in to tonight's game (a win!) his average had fallen to .268 from the .317 is was before Manny was suspended. His OPS is .887 or so which isn't bad but that has also fallen from the .927 it was previously. Now, again I don't want Ethier out of the game, I just feel so bad for Pierre I'm trying to figure a way where we can all be happy.

Kemp's original position was right field and Pierre already converted from a Center Fielder to a left fielder. Let's put Pierre back in the spot of center fielder and have Kemp and Ethier rotate around with right field. At least until we can see how the dynamic is gonna change once the ManRam gets back on the field. Maybe all will reveal itself then and maybe Ethier was putting too much pressure on himself to carry the team that he psyched himself out of being the player he is clearly capable of being. Manny being back could have a great effect. I just dont know. I guess that's why I have the blog and Joe gets to stand in the dugout. With his awesome watch.

It's Manny's World..We just live in it

Just call him the atom smasher. Ok. Well. maybe the atom crasher after his performance today with the Isotopes (my favorite name, ever...does that make me a geek?) but it does seem as though Manny is running the show. I mean, with good reason I suppose. He is getting paid about a bazillion dollars (what I make in a year EVERY time he comes up to the plate) and the man can swing a bat. I like to think of Manny like a stubborn teenager where the more you push him and give him grief, the less he wants to do for you. No, Manny likes to be in control. And so some semblance of control is what we give him.

    Manny played 4 innings today with the Triple A-squad. He was the leadoff batter. Leadoff batter. Ha. I bet he's never seen that spot in the lineup. My best bet is that he wanted the extra at-bat that the leadoff hitter gets. For this, I think it is a good idea. Clearly Manny was a little rusty today, not being able to make contact with the ball coming at him at 94mph. I can't blame the guy. I'm still impressed anyone can ever hit anything that small coming at them that fast. I just hope Manny doesnt get embarrassed or think he's good enough to just walk up on July 3rd and not play too many more games. I think itd be best for him to get some more action in the Inland Empire (ok, a little bit because I want to go to Monday's game) so that he cant get back into the mindset of the game.

  I know, I know he's been working out blah blah blah but you can work out everyday and pretend your fine, do some practice on your own but there is a HUGE difference to that and actually being in the game. Looking at pitches, swinging the bat swiftly, the whole package of the sport I love. Even if Manny just came in to be a designated hitter, he would be getting experience at the plate that he hasn't had in 50 games. 50 GAMES!! That's a lifetime to a ball club, and especially to a player that is getting old for the game. Let's not forget Manny's old hamstrings. They were giving him trouble BEFORE he left, hopefully the break gave them a chance to get better too. That is NOT what we need. Manny to come back from suspension and go on the D.L. Although we know Pierre is thinking it....maybe. a little bit :) Does it REALLY matter what kind of numbers Manny puts up while he's back down on the farm? No, not really. But it DOES matter that he takes the time to really feel comfortable because when he graces us with his presence again....THOSE numbers...they matter.

  

   

Bones

I have a bone to pick with Joe Morgan and all the other Dodger haters with something that was said about how the Dodgers are just showing greatly because they're playing against a weak NL West. Let's clear this up Mr. Bigshot sports reporter and all you doubty moostaffahs.

Right now the West is 27-24 against the AL. The East against the AL is 25-32 and the Central is 27-32. Okay so we can't really do this tit for tat because not all AL teams are equal so we can be a little tricky and look at it this way:

The NL West is 35-29 against the East and 35-33 against the Central. Do I still hear somepeople that aren't convinced? Ok, so we know the Dodgers lead the 1st place teams (thats right people...BEST IN BASEBALL) at 22 over .500. Torre wants to see 25 over .500 and we'll get there. We want to be double digits above the rest! 2nd place SF is 6 over .500, 2nd place Milwaukee is 5 over and the 2nd place Mets are 1 over.

Do I still need to say more?? Ok then, Lets go to the 3rd place teams: The Rockies and Cubs are 3 over .500 and 3rd place Florida is one under .500.

So looking at all this information what really makes the NL west "inferior" to the other divisions? Sure, we're not putting up as many homeruns, but maybe we're just doing a throw back to the good old days when there was only ONE pitcher and you could win on single after single. Besides, isn't the point of the journey THAT you get there...not HOW you get there? Yeah, that's what I thought. I'll see you in October.

Watch out for this kid!

I like this kid. I like him a lot. and boy oh boy did he grow up a whole lot tonight. He really turned himself around from that nightmare outing he had (June 10th) that we are all now set to forget. He tossed 7 scoreless innings tonight. 7 SCORELESS INNINGS!!! Although he only turned out 5 strikeouts and he had 4 walks, he got the win. With you know what? Yep, 7 scoreless innings. Tonight was a night that fans could forget the young age that Kershaw is (21) and begin to see the making of the pitcher that he really could be. The game changing move for Kershaw, I think, came in the 5th inning. Somehow ;) we're sittin there with the bases loaded, no outs, and a pair of walks. Clayton had really gotten himself in a jam and just showed how unsettled he was with a crazy throw to centerfield. Although a part of me was really hoping that Torre would pull him out so we wouldn't blow it so soon, I understand (and agree) with his position. Really, the only time a player or person can grow is when they look at a tough situation and either figure out how to pull themselves out of it or they fall flat on their face and learn what not to do the next time.

It seemed daunting when Ausmus went out to the plate to talk to Kershaw. I would like to start a petition that the catchers/pitchers/whoever wear microphones so we can hear what the heck they're saying to eachother out there. Sometimes I think they just go out for a little fun. Who knows that they even talk baseball out there? It could be something like hey, you wanna grab dinner later? or who was that cute girl you were with last night? I just want to be a part of the ENTIRE game, you know? I guess that's the girl in me, always wanting the details! But anywho, nice work Kershaw on that double play. Flipped to Ausmus and then Ausmus got it right back to Loney. Some quick thinking on his part.

Clayton should feel very proud of his work tonight, that's 2 in a row and he (so far) has really solidified his spot in the starter rotation.

Nailbiter moment of the game was when Broxton almost let the Angels blow it wide open and score some runs. Good thing we had that umpire-viewed Loney homerun to give us a bigger barrier with runs. I'm not sure Broxton's toe inflammation or whatever it is could be giving him this much trouble. But, please let's take a night off and recoup fellas. We need our saver who is still, what, 17-0 to be in top notch come fall baseball.

Way to go guys, we're now 22 games over .500 and without Manny's bat. Hopefully the chemistry of the ball club won't change too much when he returns. Afterall, it's not like he's Jeff Kent.

Sittin on a bench, chewin my bubblegum

How in the world are they gonna bench this guy??

Like previously stated, Pierre has put on quite a show since being able to play everyday. When Manny comes back in a couple weeks, clearly they are going to play him but what, oh what, to do with Pierre? This guy is on fire and is batting 3rd in all of the National League with a batting average of .377. Come on now!! The big decision falls on Joe, and I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Ok, I would because if I were in Joe's shoes I'd be standing in the dugout each game. But I still would not want to make this decision. Regardless of the fact that I will judge his decision when he makes it ;). To be fair to Pierre, I think the best bet for him is to be traded. However, I am VERY against this. How can you trade a guy this hot? The speed, the work ethic, the bat. Joe...are you listening? Here's what I suggest.

Well, Ive got two suggestions: 1) Let Manny sink his teeth back in the game as a pinch hitter. Sure his arm is way better than Pierre's but he lacks the speed and the gumption to really chase after that ball. Besides, we want to make sure we're getting the Manny we paid for back. Not the one who left Boston. Of course with this you run the risk of pissing Mr. Ramirez off. Afterall, he is the one who wanted to come to Los Angeles to just play baseball. So, I suggest, let him play.

B) the outfield roster is deep. Since all players need to rest and Torre does a great job of giving them their off time, you could rotate Kemp or Ethier out and Pierre in. I'm sure he would give up playing left field to play at all. Both these kids are well rounded both offensively and defensively but Pierre's bat is still hot so you wouldn't be losing momentum here.

Clearly this is not an easy choice. Some naysayers might suggest that Ramirez sit on the bench and let Pierre do his thang since he deserves to play. Although I don't agree with what Manny did, he did his penance for it and should be welcomed back with open arms. Let's not forget all the other major leaguers out there doing things they shouldnt be doing and just having a finger wagged at them with nothing more severe. If you have an issue with the penance, you can take it up with the commissioner. For now, let's just play ball!

Manny being Manny

Guess who's headed back to the farm?

Manny will be starting a stint in minor league ball to be ready for his foray back into the big leagues on July 3rd. I wasn't sure if he was going to take the 10 game "get back in the saddle" preparation package but I'm glad he is. Hopefully the scheduling conflict with the California All-Star Break will still give him time to play a few games in the Inland Empire. I, for one, think its a great idea for him to get back in the swing of things. Excuse the pun. Does he need to put up the numbers? No. Would it be good for him to see a little bit of Triple A action and get acclimated? yes.

I have mixed emotions about Manny coming back. I think it was "good" for him to be gone and for this team to realize that they dont need his bat to win games. Pierre sure put on a good show. He is one of the top rated hitters in the national league. We'll forget about his lack of throwing power and remember his bat and his base running. I still surmise that they should let him run the ball in. Sometimes, I think it'd get there faster. He sure is a work horse and I think he did his part in putting himself in the spotlight for other teams to pick him up. Although he'd never play like it, I think he clearly wants to be traded to a team where he can play every day. No duh.

I think Manny is gonna hit some speed bumps once he starts playing again. It's not going to be about baseball for awhile. Not since he'll be returning to the game while the Dodgers are playing in San Diego and then turning around and heading to New York. Manny will be close to fans who are still reliving his Boston days. No, not until Manny gets back to the truest fans in baseball will it be about the game. I just hope he comes back swinging.

O brother, where art thou?

Not since 2002 has the Major Leagues seen a matchup between brothers. I'll be honest and say when the game started, I was apprehensive as to which Weaver was going to show up for the Dodgers. Clearly, Jeff. But which Jeff? The settled down low and away pitcher or the high ball pitcher giving up too many runs too early. Let's be clear, Jeff Weaver really blew his starter status years ago but found his groove somewhere in the middle as a swingman. This year has really been a rebirth or resurrection for Jeff and today was no exception. The elder brother who is now 4-1 only allows 2 runs and 6 hits in his almost 6 innings. Not too shabby and it got the job done.
Although we should credit Weaver's pitching prowess this evening, it was Torre's managing, Martin coming (hopefully) out of his slump, and some great offensive (Ethier, Blake) and defensive (hello, Kemp!) plays that turned this into a win.
On a side note, I am highly impressed with Torre's managing of my men in blue. I know I know, his 28 years of experience should really have prepared me for this awesomeness but I am still shell shocked from Grady Little and last year falling short of my hopes and dreams that I am cautious. Last year, Torre was clearly just getting to know his ball club and this year he is really taking them to a new level. It was shown even tonight when Weaver in the top of the 6th, allowed an immediate triple, Torre pulled him and put in Belisario. This is what I like to call a game changing move. It was the right one. Way to go Joe. You deserve your Bigelow Tea tonight.
Way to go Weaver brothers. You both pitched a game to be proud of. Scioscia and the Angels are a tough ball club to beat, but in true Dodger fashion, we pulled it together late in the game. Still the best team in the division, in the league, and in baseball. Oh yeah. I'm saving for October!