September 2008 Archives

I want to be careful about reading too much into this. I certainly don't think D-Lowe was trying to rip his old skipper. But it does suggest that Derek's brief stint as a rookie with the Seattle Mariners in 1997 weren't the happiest days of his career.

``My name was `son' in Seattle. That's all he ever called me. You know, I have heard him speak over the years. I think he has changed a little bit. He was extremely tough, I think, on young guys. I was no different. He demanded a lot, and at that part of my career, I couldn't really give what he was demanding.
``I think he is great for veterans. He kind of lets you do your thing. But he is a tremendous manager. You look at what he has done here in the two years, I believe, that he has been here, and ... I think he knows how to push people's buttons. He knows how to get the best out of everybody.
``I wasn't there long enough in Seattle for him to get the best out of me, and ultimately, he traded me. But he is a great manager.''

Both Ned and Joe indicated that they are still working through some things with the roster, and Joe specifically mentioned pitching. It's probably that last spot that initially went to Troncoso. My guess is they might be reconsidering that and thinking of giving it to Proctor or McDonald. The starting lineup for Game 1 is set. It's as follows:

SS Furcal
C Martin
LF Ramirez
RF Ethier
1B Loney
RF Kemp
2B DeWitt
3B Blake
RH Lowe

Joe said the DeWitt-hitting-in-front-of-Blake has more to do with staggering lefty-righty-lefty-righty all the way down from five through eight.

First, here it is. Then, some comments below. Keep in mind, this IS subject to change until tomorrow morning.

PITCHERS
Beimel
Billingsley
Broxton
Kershaw
Kuroda
Park
Lowe
Saito
Troncoso
Maddux
Wade

CATCHERS
Danny Ardoin
Russell Martin

INFIELDERS
Angel Berroa
Casey Blake
Blake DeWitt
Rafael Furcal
Nomar Garciaparra
Jeff Kent
James Loney
Pablo Ozuna

OUTFIELDERS
Andre Ethier
Matt Kemp
Juan Pierre
Manny Ramirez

Scott Proctor lost out to Ramon Troncoso because Joe Torre needed a guy who would warm up, not come in, warm up again and then come in if necessary. Proctor, because of health issues he has had this year, isn't able to do that right now. ... Furcal is the starter at SS for now, unless he has more problems with his back or leg, and Berroa is the backup. But DeWitt will continue to start at 2B with Kent on the bench. ... Juan Pierre is the only LH bat off the bench with Sweeney not making the roster, but Joe reiterated that Nomar and Kent are good enough hitters against right-handers that it shouldn't matter. ... All of this is subject to change for the second round if the Dodgers get there.

Spent a good portion of the day turned sideways in my seat so that I could stick my legs into the aisle, because they simply didn't fit in the tiny little space between my seat and the seat in front of me. And I was one of the lucky ones who HAD an aisle seat. Poor guy next to me, the one stuck in the middle, must have thought I was the most anti-social jerk he had ever seen because I spent the whole flight with my back turned toward him. And that was AFTER the day began with a minor, predawn confrontation at SFO with one of those oh-so-charming TSA agents, some punk kid on a power trip who couldn't have been more than about 22. But hey, after a long, frustrating day, here I am in the Windy City, ready to cover the Dodgers in the playoffs for the third time in the past five years. Weather is nice, but it's supposed to be COLD for tomorrow's workout and both games. Apparently no news of any kind yet, as I haven't received an email from Rawitch. But I'm sure there will be plenty tomorrow, when the Dodgers probably will finalize their roster. I'm staying at O'Hare for this trip, so as I sit here looking out my window at a parking lot and a couple of other airport hotels across the way, I could be in just about any city in America. But I'm heading into the Loop (that's what the locals call downtown) in a few minutes to have dinner with a buddy. The real work begins tomorrow.

These are all EASTERN, so subtract THREE HOURS for Los Angeles time and ONE HOUR for Chicago time. All of this round is on TBS.

Tue. Sept. 30

7:37 pm MIN @ CWS - Tie-Breaker

Wed. Oct. 1

3:07 pm MIL @ PHI (1)
6:37 pm LAD @ CHI (1)
10:07 pm BOS @ LAA (1)

Thur. Oct. 2

2:37 pm AL-C @ TB (1)
6:07 pm MIL @ PHI (2)
9:37 pm LAD @ CHI (2)

Fri. Oct. 3

6:07 pm AL-C @ TB (2)
9:37 pm BOS @ LAA (2)

Sat. Oct. 4

6:37 pm PHI @ MIL (3)
10:07 pm CHI @ LAD (3)

Ned Colletti, who grew up in Chicago and used to take the El to Cubs games at Wrigley, just told us this great story about his Uncle Frank, whom he'll be taking to the games this week. When the Cubs were last in a World Series in 1945 (they lost to Detroit), Ned's dad, who was the seventh of eight kids and was 14 at the time, was about to catch a bus to the nearest El stop the night before the first Series game at Wrigley, along with two of his older brothers and a friend. Their plan was to camp out overnight and buy their tickets the next morning, as soon as the window opened. At the last minute, their youngest brother, Ned's Uncle Frank, came running up the street yelling, ``Wait, I want to go with you guys.'' Frank, who Ned estimates was 10 or 11 at the time, was told that he was too young to tag along. ``They told him, `Frank we promise you that the next time the Cubs are in a World Series, we'll take you with us.'' Sixty-three years later, Uncle Frank is still waiting (although Ned, then the Giants' assistant GM, did take him to some of the 2002 World Series games against the Angels). But Frank is definitely rooting for the Dodgers in this opening-round series with the Cubs. ``Unless (Cubs GM) Jim Hendry is getting him some tickets,'' Ned said. ... Dodgers finish the regular season 84-78 and win the division by two games over the Snakes.

He didn't put himself in it, but he did say he won't be afraid to send either himself or his bench coach, Mark Sweeney, up to pinch hit. Tim Lincecum pitching for the Giants today and trying to cement his Cy Young credentials, so the boys will have their work cut out for them.

Pierre, LF
Ethier, RF
Kemp, CF
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Dewitt, 2B
Berroan, SS
Ellis, C
Kuroda, P

Hong-Chih Kuo was sent for tests after the game, further muddling his chances for making the playoff roster. Joe Torre had intended to bring in Kuo for the ninth inning to test his balky left elbow, but Kuo couldn't get loose in the bullpen, so he was scratched. He then threw in the indoor batting cage and felt better, but the tests are a precaution. Should know more in the morning.
``He just couldn't get a feel for the ball,'' Torre said.
Billy Sadler, the Giants' rookie reliever, just can't stop pumping his fist after striking out Dodgers hitters. You may recall he angered the Dodgers in their previous trip here when he got a little too celebratory after striking out Manny in a key situation. Tonight, he got a little too celebratory after striking out Casey Blake to end the eighth inning with Matt Kemp on third. The result was that both Blake and Kemp said something to him, and Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti reacted to that by running onto the field in the general direction of Kemp, and that caused both benches to momentarily empty. But as is almost always the case when both benches empty, nothing happened and order was quickly restored.
Dodgers go to 84-77 and stay three games ahead of the Snakes, ensuring themselves of winning this truly awful division by at least two games. It occurred to me after the game that these Dodgers, who are division champs, have to win tomorrow in order to finish with the same record as the 2000 Cincinnati Reds, who finished 10 games behind the Cardinals in the Central. The only reason that occurred to me was that was my first year with the first team I covered as a full-fledged beat guy. Also, that was the last time the Reds DIDN'T have a losing season.

This will be in tomorrow's paper, but in case you miss it:

The Dodgers will host a postseason rally for fans on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. Admission is free, but there is a $2 charge for all Dodger Dogs, sodas, nachos and peanuts. No alcholic beverages will be available. Merchandise commemorating the team's division title and 50th anniversary in Los Angeles also will be for sale.
The event begins at 6 p.m., with the main gate opening at 5 p.m. The entire affair is expected to conclude with the team bus pulling into the parking lot, carrying players back from the airport after the team arrives in Los Angeles.

As we already knew, Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley will pitch the first two games. As we suspected, Hiroki Kuroda will pitch Game 3. Joe was non-committal on Game 4, but it sounds like Lowe will come back on three days' rest. There would be an off-day before Game 5, so that likely would be Billingsley on regular rest. If Lowe isn't the Game 4 starter, it likely would be Maddux, as Joe confirmed that Kershaw will come out of the bullpen for long relief. ... By the way, Kuo isn't out of the mix yet. He's going to try to pitch an inning tonight, after which a more definitive evaluation will be made. Going to have trouble getting enough innings for everyone tonight. Maddux will start and I'm sure be given the requisite five innings to qualify for the win if he's ahead. Billingsley expected to two innings.

Furcal, SS
DeWitt, 2B
Ramirez, LF
Kent, 1B
Ethier, RF
Martin, C
Kemp, CF
Blake, 3B
Maddux, P

Clinching the division was great and all, but today, the Dodgers announced their all-time Los Angeles team. Here it is, lifted straight from the PR release.

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been celebrating their 50th anniversary all season long, unveiled the results of a season-long voting process on dodgers.com that yielded the fans' choice for the All-Time L.A. Dodger team. Voting to find the Los Angeles Dodgers' all-time team began back in September 2007 and concluded nearly a year later, resulting in a team of 15 players, deemed the greatest in the storied history of the franchise since moving west in 1958. The team was revealed to fans in attendance at Thursday night's regular season home finale.

The All-Time Los Angeles' Dodgers team:

FIRST BASEMAN: Steve Garvey appeared in a then-National League record 1,207 games played from 1975-81. Garvey also set the Los Angeles Dodger record for games played at first base (1,672) and won four consecutive Gold Gloves at the position (1974-77) while going a Major League record 193 consecutive games without an error. In 1974, the 10-time NL All-Star won the MVP, hitting .312 with 21 homers and 111 RBI. Garvey had 200 or more hits in six seasons and batted .393 in All-Star Games, while winning the MVP of the Midsummer Classic in 1974 and '78. The current member of the front office won the 1978 NLCS MVP and batted .338 with 11 home runs in 11 career postseason series.

SECOND BASEMAN: Davey Lopes played for the Dodgers from 1972-81. He was a converted center fielder who became part of the Dodgers' record-setting infield for eight and a half seasons along with first baseman Steve Garvey, shortstop Bill Russell and third baseman Ron Cey. Lopes stole 418 bases with Los Angeles, including a career-high 77 in 1975. He won a Gold Glove in 1978 and was a four-time All-Star (1977-81). Lopes hit 98 home runs as a second baseman, which is the most in Dodger franchise history.

SHORTSTOP: Maury Wills began his first tenure with the Dodgers in 1959 and proceeded to make the All-Star team five times over the next eight seasons while taking home the 1962 National League MVP Award. The two-time Gold Glove winner was traded after the 1966 season, but returned to Los Angeles in 1969 and retired a Dodger after the 1972 campaign. Wills stole a then-Major League record 104 bases in '62 and ended up swiping a Dodger record 490 bases, leading the NL for six straight seasons (1960-65). Wills was a member of four National League pennant winners in Los Angeles, including three World Championship teams ('59, '63, and '65) and hit .367 with three stolen bases in the 1965 World Series against Minnesota.

THIRD BASE: Ron Cey started at the hot corner for the Dodgers from 1973-82, finishing sixth in the Rookie of Year Voting in '73. From 1971-85, Cey played in 1,468 games a third base, which is the most in franchise history. Beginning in 1974, Cey made six straight All-Star teams and started the Midsummer Classic in '74, '75 and '77. "The Penguin" led the Dodgers in home runs four times and had career highs of 30 homers and 110 RBI in 1977, finishing eighth in the MVP voting and leading Los Angeles to the NL pennant. In the 1981 World Series, Cey batted .350 with a homer and six RBI, including a key three-run blast at Dodger Stadium in the first inning of Game 3, which jump-started the Dodgers to four straight wins over New York. For his efforts, Cey was named the 1981 World Series Tri-MVP along with Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager.

CATCHER: Mike Piazza was drafted by Los Angeles in the 62nd round of the 1988 First-Year Player Draft, but took the league by storm in his rookie season of 1993. The Pennsylvania native hit .318 with 35 homers and 112 RBI (both Dodger rookie records), made the All-Star team, and was unanimously selected as the NL Rookie of the Year. Piazza also won the Silver Slugger Award, an accolade he would win every full season he finished in a Dodger uniform (1993-97). Viewed by many as the greatest hitting catcher of all-time, Piazza finished second in the MVP vote after the 1996 and '97 seasons and was named the 1996 All-Star Game MVP in his hometown of Philadelphia. In the five full seasons Piazza played for the Dodgers, he averaged 33 home runs and 105 RBI while batting .337. Piazza also set the Los Angeles Dodger single-season mark with a .362 batting average in 1997 and remains the only Dodger to hit a home run completely out of Dodger Stadium during a game.

OUTFIELDER: Rick Monday, a former Arizona State University star and current Dodger broadcaster, played for the Dodgers from 1977-84. His most memorable hit was the ninth-inning home run in Game 5 of the 1981 National League Championship Series at Montreal, which propelled the Dodgers into the World Series. Yet his most memorable moment might have been saving the American flag from being burned by two fans on the field at Dodger Stadium in 1976 when he was an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs.

OUTFIELDER: Reggie Smith, who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in June 1976, joined teammates Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, and Dusty Baker in 1977 as baseball's first 30-home run quartet. The switch-hitter finished with 314 career home runs, spanning from 1966-82. He was a key member of the 1977 and '78 pennant-winning Dodger teams and the 1981 World Series championship team. Smith was a three-time All-Star in L.A. and finished fourth in the NL MVP voting in both 1977 and 1978.

OUTFIELDER: Duke Snider, inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1980, hit 389 home runs with Brooklyn and Los Angeles between 1947 and '62. He compiled a .300 batting average in 1,923 lifetime games with the Dodgers. Snider also collected the first Dodger hits in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Dodger Stadium. His uniform No. 4 was retired by Los Angeles on July 6, 1980.

STARTING PITCHER: Orel Hershiser, whom manager Tommy Lasorda dubbed "Bulldog," may best be remembered for his 1988 season, when he won the National League Cy Young Award and helped his Dodgers to the World Series championship, going 23-8 with eight shutouts and a 2.26 ERA. That same year, Hershiser spun 59.0 consecutive scoreless innings to break Don Drysdale's Major League record of 58.2 innings. The right-hander burst onto the scene in 1984, when he went 11-8 with eight complete games and a 2.66 ERA to finish third in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting. He followed that up with a solid sophomore season in 1985, going 19-3 with a 2.03 ERA. Hershiser was an NL All-Star from 1987-89, getting the start against the American League in both of the first two years. He finished in the Top 3 in ERA in the NL five times (1984-85, 1987-89), and led the NL in innings pitched three years in a row from 1987-89.

STARTING PITCHER: Sandy Koufax, one of the most dominating pitchers in baseball history, won 165 games and compiled 2,396 strikeouts in 2,324.1 innings during his 12 seasons with the Dodgers from 1955-66. He won the Major League Cy Young Award in 1963, 1965, and 1966, and also earned National League Most Valuable Player honors in 1963. The Brooklyn native led the NL in ERA for five straight seasons from 1962-66, including three seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA. He pitched in four World Series, going a combined 3-1 with a 0.95 ERA in eight games while taking home the championship in 1959, 1963, and 1965. Koufax, a seven-time All-Star, was named World Series MVP in 1963 and 1965. The left-hander tossed four no-hitters during his career, including a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs on September 9, 1965. From 1965-66, his final two years in baseball, Koufax went 53-17 with 54 complete games and 1.89 ERA in 84 games. His No. 32 was retired by the Dodgers in 1972, and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame that same year.

STARTING PITCHER: Johnny Podres will always be known as the baby-faced kid who defeated the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series, giving the Brooklyn Dodgers their only World Championship. Podres did, however, pitch eight-plus seasons in Los Angeles as well, helping them win two more World Series titles (1959 and 1963). Podres' best season in Los Angeles came in 1961, the Dodgers' last year playing at the Los Angeles Coliseum, when he won a career-high 18 games. In 1963, Podres pitched Game 2 of the World Series against the Yankees, defeating them 4-1 and helping the Dodgers sweep New York in the Fall Classic. The left-hander was selected to four All-Star Games, all in a Dodger uniform, and he got the start in the second of two 1960 Mid-Summer Classics. Podres also led the NL in 1957 with six shutouts.

STARTING PITCHER: Don Sutton spent 16 of his 23 Major League seasons with the Dodgers, and is atop the franchise's all-time leader board with 233 wins, 550 games, 3,814.0 innings, 2,696 strikeouts, and 52 shutouts. Sutton was a 20-game winner just once in his career, going 21-10 for the Dodgers in 1976, but he did win in double digits for Los Angeles in 15 of his 16 seasons with the team. He would also average close to 230 innings pitched per season while with the Dodgers. He also tossed 156 complete games in a Dodger uniform. Sutton was a member of five pennant-winning Dodger teams in 1966, 1974, 1977, 1978, and 1988. He was a four-time All-Star for the Dodgers, and he pitched in three World Series in Dodger Blue (1974, 1977, 1978). Sutton also led the National League with a 2.20 ERA in 1980, and he had an NL-best nine shutouts in 1972. His No 20 was retired by the Dodgers in August 1998, just one month after he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

STARTING PITCHER: Fernando Valenzuela exploded onto the scene with his rookie campaign in 1981, becoming the first pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards in the same season. He also started for the National League in the All-Star Game that year. Fernandomania swept the country during that strike-shortened season of 1981, as the 20-year-old from Sonora, Mexico, went 13-7 with eight shutouts and 11 complete games to help the Dodgers to a World Series championship. Valenzuela spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Dodgers, earning All-Star honors for six years in a row from 1981-86 and winning a career-high 21 games in '86. On June 29, 1990, the current Dodger broadcaster tossed a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals.

RELIEF PITCHER: Eric Gagné was the most dominating relief pitcher in baseball over three seasons, saving 52, 55 and 45 games in 158 chances (96.2 %) from 2002-04. Gagné won the 2003 National League Cy Young Award with an amazing 1.20 ERA while going a perfect 55-for-55 in save opportunities. Most impressively, his consecutive saves streak of 84 games, which lasted from Aug. 14, 2002 until July 3, 2004, set a Major League record that may not ever be broken. Gagné also spawned a ninth-inning Dodger Stadium phenomenon, as the Dodger faithful couldn't wait until the first few guitar licks from "Welcome to the Jungle" were played so they could stand up and scream while the Canadian closer charged in from the bullpen to electronic signs that proclaimed "Game Over." Gagné's 161 saves as a Dodger are first in franchise history.

The 2008 season marks the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers' move to Los Angeles. All year long, the club has celebrated their golden anniversary with fans around the world through a series of historical, cultural and promotional events that are unique to Los Angeles and honor the legacy of the franchise and its players and the loyalty of Dodger fans.

It's extremely late. I'm extremely tired. And this game meant extremely nothing. I promise to blog more tomorrow. If you care, Dodgers fall to 83-77, their first two-game losing streak since their eight-game losing streak. Snakes won, so they pull within ... oh, forget it.

Furcal, SS
Dewitt, 3B
Ramirez, LF
Kent, 2B
Ethier, LF
Loney, 1B
Pierre, CF
Ardoin, C
Lowe, P

Furcal, SS
DeWitt, 3B
Ramirez, LF
Ethier, RF
Loney, 1B
Pierre, CF
Ozuna, 2B
Ardoin, C
Lowe, P

Actually, it's pretty well in full swing already. By the time I got to the clubhouse, the smell of champagne already permeated everything. Joe Beimel just told Patrick O'Neal, in an interview broadcast on the DodgerVision board, that the Dodgers ``can definitely win it all.'' The revelry has now spilled from the clubhouse onto the field, giving a chance for the fans who stuck around to join in. Manny Ramirez and Pablo Ozuna just emptied the contents of whatever they could find in the clubhouse -- boxes of sunflower seeds, tubs of bubble gum, whatever -- onto the folks in the front row. Frank McCourt, who earlier today stressed the importance of the Dodgers actually taking this thing a step farther this year than they did in 2004 and 2006, is now on the big board getting doused by Matt Kemp and Pablo Ozuna. Frank just said, ``It's great to have a guy like Ned with the temperament that he has.'' Read into that whatever you will. If you care, Dodgers fall to 83-76 and still lead the newly eliminated Snakes by four games.

... have yet to be finalized, or at least if they have been finalized, no one is talking. Greg Maddux was scratched tonight in favor of Eric Stults, and you're smarter than I am if you can figure out what any of this means: Maddux is now starting Saturday, with Billingsley coming in behind him, and Kuroda is pitching Sunday. It is clear that D-Lowe and Billingsley are the starters for Games 1 and 2, respectively. It would SEEM that Kuroda is now the starter for Game 3. Torre said he might go with three starters because there is a second off-day on Oct. 6, which is between Games 3 and 4. But even then, Lowe would have to start Game 4 on three days' rest, so they might end up going with Maddux in Game 4. Also, don't forget Kershaw. Joe SAID that he hasn't ruled out Clayton as a starter, and Ned Colletti said he is comfortable with Kershaw pitching throughout the playoffs.

That would be your Dodgers. The clincher wasn't that exciting, no walkoff grand slam by Steve Finley or anything like that. It happened just now, when the Diamondbacks lost to the Cardinals. Dodgers won't even take the field for almost five hours. It will be interesting to see what kind of lineup Joe sends up against Jake Peavy tonight. But it really doesn't matter how the Dodgers did it. The fact is, they did it, for the first time in four years and for the 10th time since the inception of divisional play in 1969, and it can be argued that none of the previous nine were as tough as this one. It was less than a month ago, after all, that the Dodgers were all but written off. They had lost eight in a row, including the first game of a critical, three-game series at Arizona, and they were 65-70 and going nowhere. And now, here they are, ready to douse each other with champagne after tonight's game, win or lose. Joe Torre has now won 12 of these things as a manager (10 with the Yankees, one with the Braves and one here), and I can't imagine any of the previous 11 were as challenging or as gratifying as this one will be. It's anyone's guess at this point how long the Dodgers will last in the playoffs. At this point, it's anyone's guess, who they'll play in the first round. But considering where they came from, the simple fact that they have gotten here makes this a season no one will forget anytime soon.

NOW are you starting to smell it? I'm just wondering about that sellout crowd that is coming to (they hope) watch the boys clinch tomorrow night. What happens if the boys clinch before the gates even open? The Snakes play at 11:15 our time. That game will be over around two-ish, which is FIVE HOURS before the Dodgers even take the field. Talk about anticlimax. What we learned after the game is that there will be NO team watch party at the stadium. Everybody will just arrive at the usual time. If the Snakes lose, thus clinching the title for the Dodgers, the Dodgers will save their celebration for AFTER their game with the Pods. Except that I'm guessing (Torre didn't say this, I'm just guessing) that if the Snakes lose, the Dodgers will throw something akin to a spring-training split-squad lineup out there against Jake Peavy, which means there is a good chance the Dodgers will lose. And then, after losing, they will go to the clubhouse and douse themselves with champagne. Talk about double anticlimax. What I DID learn after the game is that division title or no, the annual rookie hazing will go on as scheduled for tomorrow night's flight to San Francisco. I'm sworn to secrecy on what the costumes are going to be, but let's just say it's an eclectic mix. The veterans found a costume rental place in South Pas that was going out of business, so they loaded up. ... Dodgers go to 83-75 and, if you care, now lead the Snakes by four games with four to go. Tonight will NOT be the Dodgers' last home game of the year. The only way they can blow this now is to lose out while the Diamondbacks win out, then lose to Arizona in a one-game playoff on Monday night at Chavez Ravine, hence at least one more home game.

This clears a 40-man spot for Furcal. Not a huge surprise, as Penny wasn't expected to pitch again anyway, even in the playoffs. Torre said he'll ease Furcal in, probably finding an innocuous situation for him the first time plays (think the late innings of last night's game, when the Dodgers had a nine-run lead). Asked him whether Furcal could start a game and play nine innings, and Joe was non-committal. Said he would have to see how things went.

Nothing has been announced yet, but his name appears as a reserve on the lineup card posted in the Dodgers' clubhouse. He is coming off the 60-day disabled list, which means a corresponding 40-man roster move will have to be made. When he gets into a game, it will be the first time since May 5. He was scratched from the lineup just before game on May 6 with lower-back tightness that eventually required surgery. He was hitting .366 at the time. ... By the way, James Loney has won this year's Roy Campanella Award as the Dodgers' ``most inspirational'' player.

Loney sitting against the lefty for the second game in a row

Kemp. CF
Martin. C
Ramirez. LF
Ethier. RF
Garciaparra. 1B
Blake. 3B
DeWitt. 2B
Berroa. SS
Kershaw. LHP

Torre's lineup switcheroo obviously worked. Matt Kemp, the new leadoff guy, drew a walk, had two hits and scored a run. Russell Martin, the new No. 2 guy, had two hits, one of them a double, drew two walks and scored a run. Manny Ramirez, who was supposed to benefit from having Andre Ethier hitting behind him, apparently did, doubling in two runs in the first. Nomar and Blake DeWitt each hit three-run HRs. Oh, and the Snakes lost. Let the handwringing come to crashing halt. The Dodgers are 82-75, their lead is a safe three games and their magic number is three, with five to go. Are you starting to smell it yet?

The owner showed up for batting practice today. Not sure why. Didn't get a chance to ask him, because I knew he had to run for a conference call about two minutes after I got him, and there were more important questions I wanted to ask him. The big one, of course, was the one I knew he wouldn't answer: Given the way the team has surged into first place, can you say definitively that you plan to bring back all of your key personnel next season? I didn't specify anyone by name, but Frank knew I was talking about Ned Colletti. Anyway, here is his (non) answer
``It would be such a distraction to everybody and everything if I were to engage in any conversation about that right now. That totally misses the point. Right now, the focus is on playing baseball games and winning.''
Read into that whatever you will. And comment as you wish.

Oh, btw, the lineup switcheroo had more to do with protecting Manny because Loney has been struggling hitting behind him, so Joe wanted to put Ethier there. Joe gave us some convoluted answer as to why he dropped Martin to No. 2, saying he is a good leadoff hitter because he draws a lot of walks, which is true, and then saying that batting second won't be that different. My guess is the REAL reason is by putting Kemp in the leadoff spot, with Martin, Manny and Ethier behind him, it might mean Kemp gets better pitches to hit and thus won't strike out as much by chasing pitches out of the zone. Kemp is one strikeout shy of tying the club record, and that's for Brooklyn AND Los Angeles.

Russ is 1 for 11, but with a bunch of walks mixed in there. Matt Kemp is 1 for 9 over his past two games, but the one hit was a home run. Not sure what Joe's thinking is here, but I'm sure one of us will ask him. Loney is 0 for 3 against Wade LeBlanc, small sample size, so he's probably just sitting because LeBlanc is a lefty. Ethier drops to cleanup, so we'll see if Ramirez helps Martin as much as he helped Ethier.

Kemp. CF
Martin. C
Ramirez. LF
Ethier. RF
Garciaparra 1B
Blake. 3B
DeWitt. 2B
Berroa. SS
Billingsley. P

Yes, the momentum has dramatically shifted in the N.L. West. Yes, the Diamondbacks have won seven of their past eight games. Yes, they have gained 2 1/2 games on the Dodgers in the past six days. But no, the Dodgers are not on the verge of blowing this. That isn't to say they couldn't still blow it. They definitely could. But the sky isn't falling just yet. The fact is, the Dodgers still have a two-game lead with six to go, which means they remain firmly in command of this race. If the Dodgers simply play .500 baseball the rest of the way, which means going 3-3, the Diamondbacks will have to go 6-0 to win the division by Sunday or 5-1 and then win a one-game playoff on Monday at Dodger Stadium (where the Snakes have lost six of nine this year). The Dodgers do have to face Jake Peavy and Tim Lincecum. But it's still going to take one of the biggest collapses of all-time for this to get away.

This thing is a long, long way from being over. The Snakes have won six of seven, including today, when they pounded the Rockies. The Dodgers have lost three of five. The Snakes went 19 consecutive days without gaining ground in the standings. Now, they have gained two games on the Dodgers in the past five days. This is going to be a race, after all, and if the Dodgers end up blowing it, they'll remember today's first inning, when they loaded the bases with nobody out and couldn't score, for a long time. Dodgers didn't have a baseruner over the final five innings of this 11-inning game. Dodgers fall to 81-75, their lead over the Snakes slips to 2 1/2 games, and their magic number stays at five. Dodgers off tomorrow, Snakes begin a four-game set at St. Louis. That will even out the number of games played between the two clubs and eliminate that annoying fraction at the end of the margin.

This is the what I like to see, the same eight guys batting in the same order every day. Of course, this isn't every day. It's just two days in a row. And in this day and age, that's about as close as you're going to get.

Martin. C
Ethier. RF
Ramirez. LF
Loney. 1B
Blake. 3B
Kemp. CF
DeWitt. 2B
Berroa. SS
Lowe. RHP

After today, your favorite ballyard up at the top of Chavez Ravine will be the third-oldest park in Major League Baseball. There will be Fenway Park, which opened in 1912. There will be Wrigley Field, which opened in 1914. And there will be Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962. No one comes here and talks about ghosts or history or legends or wonders what would happen if ``these walls could talk.'' It isn't especially intimidating or awe-inspiring. But in a subtle, classy, understated way (the only way Walter O'Malley would have wanted it, presumably), this place has become a classic. Other than a few tweaks here and there, it really hasn't changed much since it opened -- although it figures to change plenty over the next couple of winters, when Frank McCourt plans to radically overhaul the look of the backdrop beyond the bleachers. But no one in Los Angeles is screaming for a new yard, and to Frank's credit, he isn't whining that the place is hopelessly outdated (even if, in many ways, it is). Here's hoping for another 20 or 30 years (at least). Maybe by then, the place will have a few ghosts.

Glad I wasn't covering tonight. This was four hours and three minutes of non-stop fun. But if you looked closely enough, hidden somewhere behind the 15 walks (including four with the bases loaded, two by each team) and the 22 runners left on base, there were two HRs and five RBI by Manny Ramirez and a two-run HR by Matt Kemp. Ugly as it was, it's a W for the boys, and a big one at that. First of all, it clinches at least a .500 season, and in this division this year, that's no small accomplishment. Second of all, it keeps their lead over the Snakes at 3 1/2 (Arizona won at Colorado) and shaves the magic number to five. Meanwhile, the Phillies leapfrogged the Mets into first place in the N.L. East. Unless something changes dramatically, whoever wins that division will play the Dodgers in the first round.

The Dodgers officially activated Jeff Kent. Torre says he will be a pinch hitter and that Blake DeWitt will remain the everyday 2B. Dodgers get the best of both worlds that way, with DeWitt's superior range in the middle of the infield and Kent's bat a dangerous weapon off the bench. Joe said if Kent reaches base, there will be a pinch runner inserted for him. ... Torre also said Brad Penny is now ``out of the mix.'' After getting that cortisone shot in his AC joint yesterday, Brad tried to throw today and felt discomfort. Torre also said it would be ``tough'' to add Penny to the postseason roster if, in fact, there is one. Too early to tell how all of this will affect the club's decision whether to exercise Penny's contract option ($9.25 million).

Torre going with the basic eight guys tonight, along with Kuroda. Rich Hammond covering tonight, not Doug Padilla as I reported here yesterday.

Dodgers:

Martin. C
Ethier. RF
Ramirez. LF
Loney. 1B
Blake. 3B
Kemp. CF
DeWitt. 2B
Berroa. SS
Kuroda. RHP

Not much point in rehashing what took place other than the fact that Greg Maddux lost to the Giants for the first time since May 9, 2003. Since then, he had been 7-0 in 13 starts against them. The Dodgers fell to 80-74, but they maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over the Snakes, who lost at Colorado, and the Dodgers' magic number shrank to six. ... By the way, if you were here tonight, you were probably handed, as you walked into the park, this ridiculous little piece of useless garbage that was a full-color flip-photo book (54 pages) of Kirk Gibson's HR, because as we all know, that thing isn't celebrated nearly enough around here. The booklet was supposed to serve as a reminder to vote in this year's election and to promote the fact you can register here at the stadium. The promotion was sponsored by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. If you look inside the front cover, you see it printed in plain English: Paid for with Federal Help America Vote Act Funds. Yep, your tax dollars at work. There was a crowd of 55,589 here tonight, so I'm guessing if you walked through the now-empty stands at Dodger Stadium, you would find approx. 55,562 of these things laying in the aisles. Wonder how much each one of them cost to print. Oh, and don't forget, the guy hitting that home run that everybody around here still fawns over 20 years later is now the bench coach for the team that is trying to catch the Dodgers in the N.L. West.

He might be slightly banged up from yesterday's football-style collision at the plate with Nyjer Morgan, the same guy who was giving him a ride back to the team hotel two nights earlier. He is taking BP as I write this, so he'll probably be back in there tomorrow. BTW, Padilla covering the next two games, so probably light blogging. After that, you're stuck with me every night for the rest of the season, however long that turns out to be.

Kemp. CF
Ethier. RF
Ramirez. LF
Blake. 3B
Loney. 1B
DeWitt. 2B
Berroa. SS
Ardoin. C
Maddux. RHP

Got an email from the Dodgers within the past hour stating that tonight's game and tomorrow's game are sold out and that fewer than 5,000 tix are left for Sunday, which is Fan Appreciation Day. Just an FYI.

Craig Hansen, one of the guys the Buccos got from the Red Sox in the Manny trade, faced four batters in the 12th and walked three of them (the second one was intentional). He then handed it off to T.J. Beam, who inherited a no-win situation with the bases loaded and one out. He got two strikes on James Loney, and Loney took a perfect two-strike swing, lining an opposite-field single to put the Dodgers in front. Jonathan Broxton walked a couple in the bottom of the inning, too (also one intentional), but stranded the tying run on third when he got Jason Michaels to pop up, ending a 7-3 homestand for the boys. Play of the game came in the bottom of the 10th. With runners on first and second and one out, Michaels hit a shot off Chan Ho Park's glove. Park recovered quickly and would have had a play at second if anyone was there, which no one was. But Park threw it anyway, and a heads-up play by Blake DeWitt -- who later said he should have been covering the bag because Chin-lung Hu had gone to his right to field the carom -- made a diving stop behind the bag. Seeing Nyjer Morgan rounding third, DeWitt then got up and threw him out at the plate, catcher Russell Martin making a nice pick of the short-hop throw and withstanding a thunderous collision with the charging Morgan to make the tag. ... Dodgers go to 80-73. Snakes play late tonight, but at the very least, the magic number goes to seven. Snakes going for the four-game sweep of the Giants, but they have to face Tim Lincecum.

Here's the official release, just sent out by the club, on what was reported here yesterday.

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced their seven minor league affiliates for the 2009 season, which will include the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts and the Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers. The announcement was made by Dodger Assistant General Manager, Player Development De Jon Watson.
The Triple-A farm club of the Dodgers makes a return to Albuquerque, where their top minor league affiliate was previously housed from 1972-2000, producing such talent as Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, Orel Hershiser, Davey Lopes, Mike Marshall, Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza, and Bill Russell. The club's Double-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Dodgers, played there from 1963-71 before becoming the Dukes and moving to the Pacific Coast League.
The Dukes won eight PCL championships under such well-known managers as Tommy Lasorda (1972), Del Crandall (1980-82), Terry Collins (1987), Kevin Kennedy (1990), and Rick Dempsey (1994), while the Albuquerque Dodgers won Texas League titles under Roy Hartsfield (1965), Duke Snider (1967) and Crandall (1970).
Since the Dodgers were last affiliated with Albuquerque, the Isotopes have built a new stadium, Isotopes Park, which is one of the finest facilities in minor league baseball, and saw a franchise record 593,606 fans visit in 2008.
"We're very excited to be returning to Albuquerque," said Watson. "Their top-notch facility will undoubtedly help us develop future Dodgers and their fans have been following this franchise for many years."
The Dodgers' new Double-A home will be in Chattanooga, TN following eight seasons in Jacksonville, FL. The Lookouts, who play their home games at AT&T Field, had previously been affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds.
"Our move to Chattanooga will continue to help bring all of our affiliates closer to home," said Watson. "We look forward to making an impact throughout the city as our minor league players continue to hone their skills en route to the big leagues."
Single-A Inland Empire and Single-A Great Lakes return for their third seasons, respectively, as Dodger affiliates while the Rookie-level Ogden Raptors remain in the fold for their seventh consecutive season.
The Dodgers' entry in the Gulf Coast League will move to the Arizona Rookie League and be named the Arizona League Dodgers. The franchise will continue to field a team in the Dominican Summer League based in Santo Domingo.
All field personnel at the minor league level in 2009 will be announced at a later date.

Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Blake, 3B
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
DeWitt, 2B
Berroa, SS
Kershaw, P

Because I know many of you are going to ask, we (I) did ask Joe Torre about removing Scott Proctor in the seventh inning. For those who weren't watching, Proctor had retired all five batters he had faced in what was now a 7-7 game, and Torre brought in rookie lefty Scott Elbert, who came on with two outs and nobody on, walked the first batter he faced and wound up allowing four runs without recording an out.

Here is what Joe said:

``The guy comng up (Nate McLouth) had hit 26 home runs, 23 of them against right-handers. I felt pretty good about that situation. We thought we were set up for that line of hitters, but it just didn't work out. (Elbert) just tried to overthrow the ball.''

Nomar's knee isn't as bad as it originally looked, but he'll miss at least a day or two. He said he fully expects it to feel a lot worse tomorrow. But he also said he thinks the injury is limited to the MCL, the same injury that resulted in the most recent of his DL stints this season. He wouldn't guess as to how long it will keep him out, but given that the Dodgers aren't expected to try to re-sign him this winter, I supposed it's possible he has played his last game for them. But again, he didn't sound like a guy whose season just ended, so we'll see. ... Dodgers fall to 79-73. Snakes are leading the Giants 7-3. If they win, it will be the first time they have gained ground on the Dodgers in the standings since Aug. 29, the day they handed the Dodgers their eighth consecutive defeat in the opener of a three-game series at Chase Field.

He ``reinjured'' his left knee when he rounded third base, tried to stop and fell to the ground, writhing, in the fifth inning. He was down for a long time, but he wound up walking off the field under his own power. He definitely won't have to be DL'd for what would have been the fourth time this season because this is the expanded-roster period. But that doesn't mean he'll play again anytime soon. I'll try to get more details after the game.

Every once in a while, while blogging, I still fall back into writing-for-the-newspaper mode, which means tomorrow is today. So, to clarify, those minor-league affiliations are expected to be announced TOMORROW, not today.

Three Dodgers players -- catcher Russell Martin, reliever Joe Beimel and outfielder Delwyn Young -- were briefly detained by Pittsburgh Police officers around midnight following Tuesday night's win over the Pirates, along with Pirates outfielder Nyjer Morgan. The four left a restaurant-bar across the street from the ballpark with the intention of Morgan giving the Dodgers trio a ride back to the team hotel. No sooner had Morgan driven his SUV out of an adjacent parking lot when he was pulled over, the probable cause being that his window tinting allegedly was too dark to conform with code. All four players were ordered out of the vehicle and told to set on a curb while the officers searched the vehicle, which also had temporary license plates because Morgan had recently purchased it. After several minutes, and after Morgan showed police the required paperwork to go with his temporary plates, the matter was cleared up and the four were allowed to leave. All four players said today that the matter was no big deal. Morgan, who is black, and Martin, who is biracial, both hinted at possible racial profiling. But when asked directly if they believed such profiling had taken place, both players said no. Morgan and Young have known each other since they met in Major League Baseball's offseason Rookie Development Program in Washington a few years ago. Martin was with Morgan and Young. Beimel was in the restaurant having dinner with his parents but had caught a ride back to the hotel with the other three.

The Dodgers are expected to annonce today that they have signed two-year player-development agreements with two new minor-league affiliates. At the Triple-A level, the club is switching its affiliation from Las Vegas, where it has been for the past eight seasons, back to Albuquerque, N.M., where it was continuously from 1972-2000. At the Double-A level, the Dodgers are moving from Jacksonville, Fla,, to another unnamed Southern League market, believed to be Chattanooga, Tenn., which has been affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds for the past 21 seasons. Most of the Dodgers' other minor-league affiliations -- high Single-A Inland Empire (San Bernardino) of the California League, low Single-A Great Lakes (Midland, Mich.) of the Midwest League and Rookie-level Odgen, Utah, of the Pioneer League -- are expected to stay the same. Because they are moving their spring-training operations from Vero Beach, Fla., to Glendale, Ariz., the Dodgers' other Rookie-level affiliate will be moved from the Gulf Coast League to the Arizona League

Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Ramirez, LF
Blake, 3B
Garciaparra, 1B
Kemp, CF
Ozuna, 2B
Berroa, SS
Billingsley, P

It's tentative, so I wouldn't go booking any family vacations around this. One thing has already changed since we started digging for this info a few weeks ago. That season-opening series at San Diego is now a three-gamer, not a four-gamer. I don't know about you, but I CAN'T WAIT for that two-game exhibition series with the Brewers just before opening day. Man, Dodger Stadium is going to be ROCKIN' those days.

Date Day Opp. First Pitch

March 21 Saturday WBC Semifinals TBA
March 22 Sunday WBC Semifinals TBA
March 23 Monday WBC Final TBA

April 2 Thursday LAA (exh.) 7:10 p.m.
April 3 Friday MIL (exh.) 7:10 p.m.
April 4 Saturday MIL (exh.) 7:10 p.m.
April 5 Sunday @ SF (exh.) 1:10 p.m.
April 6 Monday @ SD 4:05 p.m.
April 8 Wednesday @ SD 7:05 p.m.
April 9 Thursday @ SD 12:35 p.m.
April 10 Friday @ ARI 5:40 p.m.
April 11 Saturday @ ARI 4:10 p.m.
April 12 Sunday @ ARI 12:10 p.m.
April 13 Monday SF 1:10 p.m.
April 15 Wednesday SF 7:10 p.m.
April 16 Thursday SF 7:10 p.m.
April 17 Friday COL 7:10 p.m.
April 18 Saturday COL TBA
April 19 Sunday COL TBA
April 21 Tuesday @ HOU 5:05 p.m.
April 22 Wednesday @ HOU 5:05 p.m.
April 23 Thursday @ HOU 5:05 p.m.
April 24 Friday @ COL 6:05 p.m.
April 25 Saturday @ COL 5:05 p.m.
April 26 Sunday @ COL 12:05 p.m.
April 27 Monday @ SF 7:15 p.m.
April 28 Tuesday @ SF 7:15 p.m.
April 29 Wednesday @ SF 7:15 p.m.
April 30 Thursday SD 7:10 p.m.

May 1 Friday SD 7:10 p.m.
May 2 Saturday SD TBA
May 3 Sunday SD TBA
May 4 Monday ARI 7:10 p.m.
May 5 Tuesday ARI 7:10 p.m.
May 6 Wednesday WSH 7:10 p.m.
May 7 Thursday WSH 7:10 p.m.
May 8 Friday SF 7:10 p.m.
May 9 Saturday SF TBA
May 10 Sunday SF TBA
May 12 Tuesday @ PHI 4:05 p.m.
May 13 Wednesday @ PHI 4:05 p.m.
May 14 Thursday @ PHI 10:05 a.m.
May 15 Friday @ FLA 4:10 p.m.
May 16 Saturday @ FLA 3:10 p.m.
May 17 Sunday @ FLA 10:10 a.m.
May 18 Monday NYM 7:10 p.m.
May 19 Tuesday NYM 7:10 p.m.
May 20 Wednesday NYM 7:10 p.m.
May 22 Friday LAA 7:10 p.m.
May 23 Saturday LAA TBA
May 24 Sunday LAA TBA
May 25 Monday @ COL 12:05 p.m.
May 26 Tuesday @ COL 5:35 p.m.
May 27 Wednesday @ COL 12:05 p.m.
May 28 Thursday @ CHC 5:05 p.m.
May 29 Friday @ CHC 11:20 a.m.
May 30 Saturday @ CHC TBA
May 31 Sunday @ CHC 11:20 a.m.

June 1 Monday ARI 7:10 p.m.
June 2 Tuesday ARI 7:10 p.m.
June 3 Wednesday ARI 7:10 p.m.
June 4 Thursday PHI 7:10 p.m.
June 5 Friday PHI 7:10 p.m.
June 6 Saturday PHI TBA
June 7 Sunday PHI TBA
June 9 Tuesday SD 7:10 p.m.
June 10 Wednesday SD 7:10 p.m.
June 12 Friday @ TEX 5:05 p.m.
June 13 Saturday @ TEX 5:05 p.m.
June 14 Sunday @ TEX 12:05 p.m.
June 16 Tuesday OAK 7:10 p.m.
June 17 Wednesday OAK 7:10 p.m.
June 18 Thursday OAK 7:10 p.m.
June 19 Friday @ LAA 7:05 p.m.
June 20 Saturday @ LAA 6:05 p.m.
June 21 Sunday @ LAA 12:35 p.m.
June 23 Tuesday @ CWS 5:11 p.m.
June 24 Wednesday @ CWS 5:11 p.m.
June 25 Thursday @ CWS 11:05 a.m.
June 26 Friday SEA 7:10 p.m.
June 27 Saturday SEA TBA
June 28 Sunday SEA TBA
June 29 Monday COL 7:10 p.m.
June 30 Tuesday COL 7:10 p.m.
July 1 Wednesday COL 12:10 p.m.
July 3 Friday @ SD 7:05 p.m.
July 4 Saturday @ SD 4:05 p.m.
July 5 Sunday @ SD 1:05 p.m.
July 7 Tuesday @ NYM 4:10 p.m.
July 8 Wednesday @ NYM 4:10 p.m.
July 9 Thursday @ NYM 4:10 p.m.
July 10 Friday @ MIL 5:05 p.m.
July 11 Saturday @ MIL 4:05 p.m.
July 12 Sunday @ MIL 11:05 a.m.
July 13 Monday ALL-STAR BREAK
July 14 Tuesday ALL-STAR GAME @ STL
July 15 Wednesday ALL-STAR BREAK
July 16 Thursday HOU 7:10 p.m.
July 17 Friday HOU 7:10 p.m.
July 18 Saturday HOU TBA
July 19 Sunday HOU TBA
July 20 Monday CIN 7:10 p.m.
July 21 Tuesday CIN 7:10 p.m.
July 22 Wednesday CIN 7:10 p.m.
July 24 Friday FLA 7:10 p.m.
July 25 Saturday FLA TBA
July 26 Sunday FLA TBA
July 27 Monday @ STL 5:15 p.m.
July 28 Tuesday @ STL 5:15 p.m.
July 29 Wednesday @ STL 5:15 p.m.
July 30 Thursday @ STL 5:15 p.m.
July 31 Friday @ ATL 4:35 p.m.

August 1 Saturday @ ATL 4:10 p.m.
August 2 Sunday @ ATL 10:35 a.m.
August 3 Monday MIL 7:10 p.m.
August 4 Tuesday MIL 7:10 p.m.
August 5 Wednesday MIL 7:10 p.m.
August 6 Thursday ATL 7:10 p.m.
August 7 Friday ATL 7:10 p.m.
August 8 Saturday ATL TBA
August 9 Sunday ATL TBA
August 10 Monday @ SF 7:15 p.m.
August 11 Tuesday @ SF 7:15 p.m.
August 12 Wednesday @ SF 12:45 p.m.
August 14 Friday @ ARI 5:40 p.m.
August 15 Saturday @ ARI 4:10 p.m.
August 16 Sunday @ ARI 12:10 p.m.
August 17 Monday STL 7:10 p.m.
August 18 Tuesday STL 7:10 p.m.
August 19 Wednesday STL 7:10 p.m.
August 20 Thursday CHC 7:10 p.m.
August 21 Friday CHC 7:10 p.m.
August 22 Saturday CHC TBA
August 23 Sunday CHC TBA
August 25 Tuesd