October 2008 Archives

Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Johnson and Mark Sweeney all filed for free agency today, joining Manny Ramirez, Greg Maddux, Joe Beimel, Derek Lowe and Casey Blake from Thursday. That leaves Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal and possibly Pablo Ozuna (option) as the only potential free agents yet to file. Forty-man roster is at 32, not counting 60-day DL guys.

There are a lot of names that will jump out at you as you read this release from the Dodgers, which I have posted below. The biggest one is Lenny Harris, who joins the organization as a hitting instructor with an emphasis on the Rookie levels and the Dominican Republic. John Shoemaker, who has been with the organization for 31 seasons as a player, coach, coordinator or manager and just finished his 18th season as a minor-league manager, will step down as skipper at Double-A Jacksonville for an opportunity to basically RUN the new Arizona facility, where he will be in charge of instilling in young players the fundamentals and the professionalism that Ned said the other day he wanted to place an emphasis on. John Valentin takes over at Double-A (now Chattanooga) after one season managing at Inland Empire. Lo Bundy returns for a third season at Triple-A (now Albuquerque), and his staff remains intact. Carlos Subero, whose contract wasn't renewed by the White Sox after he guided their Double-A Birmingham affiliate this year, takes over at Inland Empire. Former big-league catcher Damon Berryhill takes over at Ogden, and De Jon Watson tells me his value is largely based on his experience behind the plate and his ability to teach those skills. Mike Brumley, who managed at Ogden last year, moves full-time into the minor-league field coordinator's role (basically the organization's top player-development official under Watson). He replaces P.J. Carey, who is scaling back into a similar but smaller role because of health issues. Rafael Chaves, a former big-league pitching coach who had tremendous success as the Yankees' Triple-A pitching coach last year, is the new roving pitching coordinator. The other coordinator spots are unchanged. Oh, and Aaron Sele, who pitched for the Dodgers as recently as 2006 and in the big leagues as recently as last year, is added as a special-assignment pitching coach. Here is the release:

DODGERS ANNOUNCE 2009 MINOR LEAGUE COACHING STAFFS AND COORDINATORS

Former Major Leaguers Lenny Harris, Aaron Sele, and Damon Berryhill join Dodger organization

LOS ANGELES - The 2008 National League West Division Champion Los Angeles Dodgers today named their minor league coaches and coordinators for the 2009 season. Assistant General Manager, Player Development De Jon Watson made the announcement.

Three of the Dodgers' seven minor league clubs will welcome new managers. John Valentin moves to manage Double-A Chattanooga after leading the 2008 Single-A Inland Empire club. Former White Sox minor league manager Carlos Subero joins the Dodger organization as manager of Inland Empire. Former big league catcher Damon Berryhill joins the Dodger family to manage short-season Single-A Ogden.

Lenny Harris, baseball's all-time leader in pinch-hits, also joins the organization as the senior hitting coach at the team's new complex in Glendale, Arizona. Former right-hander Aaron Sele, meanwhile, will serve as a minor league pitching instructor.

The complete list of coaches and instructors:

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes

Manager - Lorenzo Bundy

Hitting Coach - John Moses

Pitching Coach - Jim Slaton

Athletic Trainer - Greg Harrel

Bundy will enter his third season as manager of the Dodgers' Triple-A club. He guided the 2008 Las Vegas team to a 74-69 record, best among Dodger minor league clubs and a seven-win improvement from his 2007 squad. Prior to his tenure with the Dodgers, the 49-year-old spent four years in the Diamondbacks' system as the hitting coach for Triple-A Tucson from 2003-06. Bundy has been a minor league manager for a combined eight seasons in the Montreal (1990-94), Florida (1997), and Los Angeles (2007-present) systems.

Moses will enter his second season as hitting coach of the Triple-A squad. The Los Angeles native last year guided the offense to a Pacific Coast League-best .301 average, while its 844 runs scored ranked second in the league behind only Colorado Springs' 855. Moses joined the Dodger organization after serving as an associate coach with Seattle's Major League club in 2007. He has six years of big league coaching experience overall, also serving as Cincinnati's bench coach in 2005 and as Seattle's first-base coach from 2000-03. In 2004, he was the Mariners' minor league outfield/baserunning instructor. Moses played 12 seasons in the Majors with Seattle (1982-87, 1992), Minnesota (1988-90), and Detroit (1991).

Slaton will go into his second season as pitching coach with the Triple-A club. Prior to joining the Dodgers, he spent the previous 11 seasons as a coach in the Mariners' organization, including three years as the big league club's bullpen coach from 2004-06. In 2008, Slaton served as the Dodgers' interim bullpen coach for three weeks leading into the All-Star break while Ken Howell was recovering from a foot injury. Slaton pitched for 16 seasons in the Majors from 1971-86 with Milwaukee (1971-77 and 1979-83), Detroit (1978 and 1986), and California (1984-85). He went 151-158 with 86 complete games, 22 shutouts, 14 saves, and a 4.03 ERA in 496 games (360 starts). He was an American League All-Star in 1977, and pitched in the 1982 World Series with the Brewers.

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts

Manager - John Valentin

Hitting Coach - Luis Salazar

Pitching Coach - Glenn Dishman

Athletic Trainer - Yosuke Nakajima

Valentin makes the jump to Chattanooga after his managerial debut in 2008 with Single-A Inland Empire, which was his first season as a coach in the Dodger organization. The 41-year-old, who played 11 Major League seasons from 1992-2002, guided Inland Empire to a 68-73 record, including a 38-34 in the season's second half to earn a California League playoff berth. Valentin, a former infielder, played in the Majors from 1992-2002. He was a career .279 hitter, and won the American League Silver Slugger Award for shortstops in 1995 after batting .298 with 27 homers and 102 RBI in 135 games with the Red Sox.

Salazar will enter his third season as the hitting coach for the Dodgers' Double-A club. Prior to this hitting coach stint, he served as the manager for the Vero Beach Dodgers of the Single-A Florida State League in 2006. Salazar joined the Dodger organization in 2002 after spending the previous seven seasons as a coach in the Milwaukee system. He had a 13-year Major League playing career from 1980-92 with the Padres (1980-84, 1987, 1989), White Sox (1985-86), Tigers (1988), and Cubs (1989-92). Salazar was mainly a third baseman, but played every position in the field except for catcher.

Dishman will return for his second season as the pitching for the Dodgers' Double-A club, his fifth overall in the Dodger organization. The former big league pitcher served in the same capacity with Single-A Great Lakes in 2007. He also served as pitching coach for Single-A Vero Beach in 2006 and Single-A Columbus in 2005.

Single-A Inland Empire 66ers

Manager - Carlos Subero

Hitting Coach - Jason Wood

Pitching Coach - Charlie Hough

Athletic Trainer - TBD

Subero joins the Dodger organization after managing the White Sox's Double-A Birmingham club in 2008 to a 74-63 record and a berth in the Southern League playoffs. The 36-year-old native of Venezuela spent the previous nine seasons in the Texas system, including seven as a manager with Single-A Bakersfield (2006-07), Single-A Clinton (2003-05), and the GCL Rangers (2001-02). He has a combined 455-494 record as a minor league manager.

Wood will enter the Dodger organization and his first year of coaching at any level since wrapping up an 18-year pro playing career in September. He played 1,890 minor league games and enjoyed parts of five big league seasons with Oakland (1998), Detroit (1998-99), and Florida (2006-08).

Hough will enter his third straight season as the pitching coach for Inland Empire. The former All-Star knuckleballer has served as a big league pitching coach for the New York Mets from 2001-02 and the Dodgers from 1998-99. His coaching career began in 1996 as the Dodgers High-A pitching coach. Hough pitched for the Dodgers for 11 seasons from 1970-80 after being selected by the club in the eighth round of the 1966 draft. He enjoyed a 25-year Major League career, going 216-216 with 107 complete games, 61 saves, and a 3.75 ERA in 858 games (440 starts). Hough pitched in three World Series with the Dodgers in 1974, 1977, and 1978, and was an American League All-Star in 1986 with Texas.

Single-A Great Lakes Loons

Manager - Juan Bustabad

Hitting Coach - Michael Boughton

Pitching Coach - Danny Darwin

Athletic Trainer - Zachary Hoffmann

Bustabad will return for his second season as manager of Great Lakes, his ninth year overall as a member of the Dodger organization. His 2008 club posted a 54-85 record, including a 25-29 mark through May. In 11 seasons as a minor league manager overall, the 47-year-old has notched a 537-446 record and seven division titles.

Boughton will make the jump to Great Lakes after serving as the hitting coach with short-season Single-A Ogden in 2008. Prior to joining the Dodger organization last year, the 33-year-old was a baseball instructor in the Dallas area from 2000-07. He owned the Rookie Baseball Academy in Dallas from 2003-06 and was the head instructor of the Dallas Baseball Academy from 2000-03. Boughton also served as an assistant coach at Northwood University from 2000-01.

Darwin will return for his second season as the pitching coach with Great Lakes, his fourth season in the Dodger organization overall. He previously served as Double-A Jacksonville's pitching coach from 2005-06. The 53-year-old enjoyed a 21-year Major League career from 1978-98.

Short-Season Single-A Ogden Raptors

Manager - Damon Berryhill

Hitting Coach - Henry Cruz

Pitching Coach - Chuck Crim

Athletic Trainer - TBD

Berryhill last year made his managerial debut with the Texas Rangers' Single-A Bakersfield club. The team went 62-78, including a 36-34 mark in the season's first half. The 44-year-old spent four seasons in the Texas system, the first three as the catching coordinator. Prior to joining the Rangers, he served as the catching coordinator in the Diamondbacks' system from 2003-04. Berryhill began his coaching career with the Angels in 2002, serving as a coach with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The Laguna Beach native enjoyed a 10-year Major League career with the Cubs (1987-91), Braves (1991-93), Red Sox (1994), Reds (1995), and Giants (1997). The former catcher appeared in three postseasons in 1992-93 with Atlanta and 1997 with San Francisco. He won the National League pennant with the Braves in 1992, and his three-run homer off Jack Morris in Game 1 of the World Series against Toronto that year gave Atlanta a 3-1 win.

Cruz will return to Ogden, where he served as the hitting coach in 2006 in his first year with the organization. The former Dodger outfielder last year was the hitting coach with Single-A Inland Empire. The 56-year-old was a coach in the Cleveland system from 1996-2005. Cruz played parts of four Major League seasons with the Dodgers (1975-76) and White Sox (1977-78).

Crim will make his coaching debut after spending the last two years as a Dodger amateur scout in the central and southern California regions. The 47-year-old is responsible for scouting and signing outfielder Andrew Lambo, who was selected by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2007 draft. Lambo enjoyed a breakout season in 2008, advancing to Double-A Jacksonville for the final week of the season after an All-Star campaign with Single-A Great Lakes.

Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers

Manager - Jeff Carter

Hitting Coach - Leo Garcia

Pitching Coach - Casey Deskins

Athletic Trainer - TBD

Carter will return for his second season as manager of the Dodgers' rookie-level squad. The 45-year-old last year guided the GCL Dodgers to a 30-26 record. Carter managed short-season Single-A Ogden in 2007, leading the Raptors to a 34-41 mark. He also managed Kansas City's Single-A High Desert club in 2006. Prior to the Royals, he worked for nine seasons as a coach in the Twins' organization. Carter was named Appalachian League Manager of the Year in 2000 after leading short-season Single-A Elizabethton to the league title.

Garcia joins the Dodger organization after spending the last nine years as a coach and coordinator in the Giants' minor league system. He most recently served as the organization's Latin America Coordinator for the last two years. He also served as the hitting coach for the Giants' rookie-level Arizona League club in Scottsdale from 2001-06. The 45-year-old managed the Giants' Dominican Summer League team in 2000.

Deskins will return for his third season as the pitching coach with the Dodgers' rookie-level club and his 13th overall in the organization. The 36-year-old spent seven years as the Major League club's video coordinator from 1999-2005 after pitching for three seasons in the Dodger chain.

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Dodgers

Manager - Pedro Mega

Hitting Coach - Tony Mota

Pitching Coach - Kremlin Martinez

Athletic Trainer - Luis Santana

Mega will return for his third season as manager of the DSL Dodgers. From 2005-06, he served as the infield coordinator at Campo Las Palmas, the Dodgers' baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. The 2009 season will mark Mega's 10th year as a Dodger manager in the DSL. He has compiled a 348-260 record in that time, including a 27-44 mark last year.

Mota will return for his third season as the hitting coach of the DSL Dodgers. The 30-year-old played 10 years of minor league baseball from 1996-2005, including his first six seasons in the Dodger chain. The former outfielder, whose father is Dodger coach and legend Manny Mota, was originally selected by Los Angeles in the 17th round of the 1995 draft.

Martinez will be back for his fourth season as the pitching coach of the DSL Dodgers. From 2004-05, he served as a part-time scout and assistant pitching coach in the Dominican Republic.

Coordinators

Field Coordinator - Mike Brumley (first season), who in 2008 managed short-season Single-A Ogden and served as Assistant Field Coordinator

Hitting Coordinator - Gene Clines (second)

Pitching Coordinator - Rafael Chaves (first)

Outfield/Baserunning Coordinator - Rodney McCray (second)

Infield Coordinator - Matt Martin (third)

Catching Coordinator - Travis Barbary (third)

Field Coordinator, Campo Las Palmas - Antonio Bautista

Catching Coordinator, Campo Las Palmas - Jose D. Martinez Hernandez

DSL Assistant - George Bautista

Senior Advisor to Player Development - P.J. Carey, who spent the last two years as the Dodgers' minor league field coordinator

Rehab Coordinator/Physical Therapist - Dave Rivera

Strength and Conditioning Coordinator - Landon Brandes

Strength and Conditioning Coach - Stephen Downey

Strength and Conditioning Coach - Yousef Zamat

Former big league right-hander Sele will serve as a minor league pitching instructor. The Minnesota native enjoyed a 15-year Major League career with the Red Sox (1993-97), Rangers (1998-99), Mariners (2000-01, 2005), Angels (2002-04), Dodgers (2006), and Mets (2007). He went 148-112 with a 4.61 ERA in 404 career games (352 starts), including an 8-6 mark with a 4.53 ERA in 28 games (15 starts) in 2006 with the Dodgers. Sele was a two-time All-Star in 1998 with Texas and in 2000 with Seattle.

The following staff members will be based at the Dodgers' complex in Glendale, Arizona

Coordinator - John Shoemaker

Pitching - George Culver

Senior Hitting Coach - Lenny Harris

Shoemaker has been a player, coach, manager, or coordinator in the Dodger organization since 1977. He spent the last four seasons as manager of Double-A Jacksonville, compiling a 313-247 record in that time. He also managed Jacksonville in 2001, when he guided the club to an 83-56 regular-season record and a Southern League co-championship.

Culver returned to the Dodger organization in 2008 as the pitching coach with the GCL Dodgers after three years away from pro ball. He also served as the pitching coach with the GCL club from 2002-05. The former right-handed pitcher enjoyed nine seasons in the Majors with Cleveland (1966-67), Cincinnati (1968-69), St. Louis (1970), Houston (1970-72), Los Angeles (1973), and Philadelphia (1973-74).

Harris spent the last season and a half as the Washington Nationals' hitting coach. The 44-year-old, who enjoyed an 18-year big league career, is baseball's all-time leader in pinch hits with 212. He also ranks fourth in baseball history with 90 pinch-RBI. Harris donned a Dodger uniform from 1989-93, and batted .279 with 116 walks and only 115 strikeouts in 578 games. He was a career .269 hitter with 37 homers, 369 RBI, and just 337 strikeouts in 1,903 games.

Manny Ramirez led a contingent that also included Joe Beimel, Casey Blake, Derek Lowe and Greg Maddux. These guys didn't waste any time, especially the Scott Boras clients. Manny, D-Lowe and Maddux all use the services of the Newport Beach-based superagent, and there is at least a decent chance that all three are headed elsewhere. Today was the first day of the free-agent filing period, which won't end until Nov. 13. After that, teams can start negotiating. Teams can negotiate with their OWN free-agent players NOW, but none of these Boras clients is going to sign before testing the market.

These showed up in my email this morning, from Grant Marek of Formula PR. His source is Betonline.com. These are the odds for winning the 2009 World Series. Don't forget, though, that the last time the Phillies won the World Series (the ONLY time until now), the Dodgers won it the next year.

Boston Red Sox 3/1

Chicago Cubs 5/1

LA Angels 5/1

Philadelphia Phillies 6/1

New York Yankees 6/1

Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10/1

Chicago White Sox 10/1

New York Mets 12/1

Milwaukee Brewers 15/1

Minnesota Twins 15/1

LA Dodgers 15/1

Toronto Blue Jays 20/1

Detroit Tigers 25/1

Florida Marlins 30/1

Houston Astros 30/1

St. Louis Cardinals 30/1

Cleveland Indians 30/1

Atlanta Braves 30/1

Arizona Diamondbacks 40/1

Colorado Rockies 40/1

Texas Rangers 50/1

Cincinnati Reds 50/1

Oakland Athletics 50/1

San Francisco Giants 80/1

KC Royals 100/1

Baltimore Orioles 100/1

Seattle Mariners 100/1

San Diego Padres 100/1

Pittsburgh Pirates 200/1

Washington Nationals 300/1

Let me know if you have any questions,

Congrats to the Phillies -- and especially to Jayson Werth, who was one of the all-time good guys during his stint with the Dodgers -- on winning the World Series. Now, would somebody please light the hot stove? Players who are eligible for free agency can start filing tomorrow. Ned Colletti said today that he still hasn't spoken with Scott Boras (the two HAVE exchanged voice mails) about ANY of his Dodgers clients, not only Manny Ramirez but also Derek Lowe, Greg Maddux, Tony Abreu and Andruw Jones (Abreu and Jones are NOT free agents). Ned said he has spoken with the agents for Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake and Nomar Garciaparra, but only in a very preliminary manner. ... Ned also said a couple of other interesting things today, the most interesting being that the club's player-development system needs to get better at, well, player development. His exact quotes will be in tomorrow's paper, as will a comment he made about Russell Martin possibly benefiting from not catching as often. ... I did receive some sad news today. The Dodgers have fired their entire Vero Beach staff, which consisted of three people. But they were three of the nicest, coolest, most professional folks you could ever work with, co-general managers Katie Siegfried and Shawn Marette and communications manager Christa McElyea. I spoke with Katie today. She said they were all hoping to be brought to Arizona and that they were all disappointed it didn't happen. But she also said all three of them were free to apply for similar jobs in Glendale, although those jobs are being filled as part of a joint venture between the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox (who apparently haven't even officially determined whether they'll be joining the Dodgers in Glendale next spring or if they'll put off their move from Tucson to 2010). ... That's about it for now. Sorry about the long posting drought, but I have been extremely busy with moving, the details of which I'll be posting here in the next day or two. Thanks for your patience. And thanks for all the great emails I have received from several of you who took the time to write over the past few days.

It's nothing major, just the removal of a spur in the back of his right elbow and a repositioning of the ulnar nerve. He has been experiencing discomfort when throwing, so I guess it's a good thing he doesn't throw that much. He is expected to being throwing (without pain) in about six weeks and be ready by the start of spring training. ... By the way, Mariano Duncan was inducted Sunday into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame, the 93rd player to be so enshrined. And if you read today's paper, where I listed the Dodgers' arbitration-eligible guys this winter, I forgot to mention Takashi Saito, so add him to the list.

Manny Ramirez was cleaning out his Dodgers locker in the clubhouse Thursday morning. But he wasn't really talking, not about his free-agent status, anyway. I caught up with him in the hallway, and asked him if he had a second. He said: ``No, I'm done talking. see you next year.''
Here in Los Angeles?
``I don't know,'' he said.
Manny was approached by a group of reporters at the elevator as he was about to leave. Questions were fired at him, but he either said nothing or said he wasn't talking again.
``I said all I've got to say yesterday,'' he said.
Manny was wearing jeans, a black T-shirt, a grey bandana on his dreadlocks and sunglasses. He was carrying CDs.
When the elevator finally arrived, he got in said ``I'll send you guys a Christmas card.''

This was a stinker from the Dodgers' standpoint: another bad (and short) outing by Billingsley, three errors by Furcal in a single inning, a wild pitch that Russell Martin made no attempt to get in front of and a throw from James Loney that went to the backstop. But given that it all came in a series the Dodgers were never going to win anyway after they lost Game 4, none of that should mar the fact that this was a spectacular season, the best around here since 1988. More importantly, it was a season this team can build on. They have a lot of veteran free agents, many of whom won't be back. But they also have a nice core of young talent that will be here for years to come. ... I will keep up this blog as much as possible this winter, but don't hold me to posting something every day (and DEFINITELY not tomorrow). I would like to say thank you to you, the readers, for all your comments and all your emails and all your hits this season, and I appreciate your patience with the occasional glitches here and there. See you soon.

Dodgers tickets for Game 5 of the NLCS were selling for as little as $8 on Wednesday afternoon. The Dodgers are down 3-1 in the NLCS and were on the verge of being eliminated at Dodger Stadium. Apparently Dodgers fans didn't put much stock in getting a win against Philly ace Cole Hamels.
Here's the story from the Associated Presss:

I might have mentioned a time or two that I am trying to move in the middle of all this playoff coverage. Last night, while in the process of doing so, I was purging a bunch of stuff from this one drawer where I keep a ton of old greeting cards, handwritten notes and correspondence from readers (yes, back in the day, I used to get actual LETTERS from readers, like that came through the U.S. mail). Anyway, I ran across a note I received while working at the Rocky Mountain News in the late 1990s. During that time, one of my baseball-season responsibilities was a regular Monday feature called Colorado Connection, in which I would pick a minor-league player from Colorado, try to get in touch with him and write a brief story about him. Well, the note I found had a return address from Ralph T. Lidge of Englewood, Colorado, and it read as follows:

Dear Tony,
I wanted to thank you for the recent article you wrote concerning Brad. We are very grateful to you and Tracy (Ringolsby) for continuing to cover him and for your effort to contact Brad and the Astros in order to present some insight regarding his activity in Kissimmee. Thank you, Tony. Please feel free to call us at any time.
Sincerely,
Ralph Lidge

Brad Lidge, a former standout at Cherry Creek High School in Denver, was an Astros prospect pitching at Single-A Kissimmee of the Florida State League that year. And now, he is someone Dodgers fans have gotten to know all too well over the past few days.

Anyway, here is tonight's lineup

Dodgers:

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

We'll find out tonight, one supposes. The Dodgers have ONE CHANCE to get this right, or ride off into the offseason. If they manage to get it done, they'll face the same dilemma in Game 6, this time on hostile turf. By the way, in the history of best-of-seven series, only three teams have fallen behind three games to one and come back to win the series without benefit of home-field advantage, the 2003 Florida Marlins being the last to do it in that year's NLCS with the Cubs.

Today, he was asked abot lifting Kuo when he did. Turns out, he went with him a little longer -- one batter longer, to be specific -- than he had originally planned.

``He was obviously electric the way he pitched in the seventh. He went out for the eighth, and I watched his first three warmup pitches, and they just looked like he had a tough time getting loose. And then, I watched him pitch to (Ryan) Howard (who singled to lead off the inning). That was why I took him out. I don't think the ball was coming out of his hand as easy, and that was why I removed him in that part of the game.''

Torre also said that if there were any physical issues with Kuo, he wasn't aware of them. Team has the day off today after Joe canceled the workout. Phillies working out now.

It's close to being over, but it isn't over. History is full of teams that came back from 3-1 deficits to win best-of-seven series, including last year's Boston Red Sox, who did it in the ALCS against Cleveland. Because the one question that everyone seems to be asking about this game is why Torre lifted Lowe when he did, and Lowe himself said after the game that he felt fine and that his final inning, the fifth, was his best inning. Well, this was Torre's postgame response, which didn't make tomorrow's paper because of deadline issues:

``First, he was on short rest. I think that was well-documented. He had to work hard every inning, even though he was in the 70s pitch count-wise. The only one-two-three innings he had was the fifth inning. I thought at that point, especially when we took the lead, it just looked like he was fighting his emotions the whole game. He said he felt fine. We were probably going to get only one more inning out of him anyway, pitch count-wise, and I just decided to make the move there.''

Not sure why. We're meeting with Joe in a few, so I'm sure one of us will ask

Furcal SS
Ethier RF
Ramirez LF
Martin C
Loney 1B
DeWitt 2B
Blake 3B
Pierre CF
Lowe RHP

This is no longer the cakewalk it was shaping up to be when we left Philly. Casey Blake said after Game 2 that the Dodgers needed to come out fighting. Well, they almost did so literally. That pitch from Kuroda that barely missed the top of Shane Victorino's helmet in the third inning did a lot of things -- among them, it elicited an official warning from the umpires -- but it mostly sent a message that the Dodgers aren't going to roll over. I feel bad for Chad Billingsley. He is a great kid and a great pitcher who has been caught in the middle of something that frankly isn't his fault, and for some reason, Fox kept showing tight shots of him in the Dodgers' dugout tonight during a game he wasn't even involved in other than as a supportive teammate. Yes, he should have retaliated in Game 2 for what happened to Martin and Manny. But no, he didn't commit some sort of affront to all that is sacred about this grand, old game. This stuff appears to be over now, and this series appears to be shaping up as one for the ages.

When it became clear he wasn't going to be activated at any point in this postseason, he decided to go ahead with a procedure he knew he was going to eventually need anyway. It will happen on Wednesday, the morning of Game 5. He will have a partial tear of his flexor tendon repaired and a bone spur shaved of the back of the elbow. He is expected to be ready for spring training. He is four-plus arbitration-eligible who avoided a hearing last winter by agreeing at $1.115 million. He had a 6.05 ERA in 38 2/3 innings spanning 41 appearances during the regular season.

Nomar is in at first base, as expected. The other part of the equation is that the bottom of the order was shaken up, with Blake moving to sixth, Kemp dropping to seventh and DeWitt now hitting eighth. Nomar's career postseason stats are fairly impressive. He is batting .318 (34 for 107) with a .380 on-base percentage, a .598 slugging percentage, seven HRs and 23 RBI.

Phillies:

Rollins. SS
Victorino. CF
Utley. 2B
Howard. 1B
Burrell. LF
Werth. RF
Feliz. 3B
Ruiz. C
Moyer. LHP

Dodgers:

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

He'll get the ball on Monday night on three days' rest. If there is a Game 7 back in Philly, he would be going on normal rest for that one. Joe Torre said earlier that he personally hasn't had much success as a manager going with starting pitchers on three days' rest, but as a sinkerballer who doesn't rely heavily on velocity, Lowe would seem to be the one type of pitcher who shouldn't be affected much by it. A side benefit to this, Torre said, is that Chad Billingsley, who is probably itching to get back on the mound after that disaster in Game 2, will get to do so sooner. He'll go in Game 5 on Wednesday night on regular rest after the off-day Tuesday. ... In other news, Nomar will start tomorrow night against Jamie Moyer, whom he hits extremely well, and it SOUNDS like it probably will be at first base, because that position will be easier on Nomar's body and because it will allow Torre to rest James Loney against the lefty. Also, Takashi Saito will NOT go to the Arizona Instructional League to pitch in a game. He will stay here throughout this series and pitch in a simulated game, at a date yet to be determined, so Rick Honeycytt can watch him closely.

Much like last night, there was a ball that would have gone out of just about any other part of the ballpark, this one a drive by Casey Blake in the seventh that would have gone for a three-run, game-tying homer, but it came down at that distant part of the wall in left-center, and Shane Victorino made a leaping catch. Chad Billingsley was awful in the second after striking out the first two batters and then giving up a bouncing single up the middle to Greg Dobbs. Phils went on to score four in that inning and four in the next one, too, chasing Billingsley after 2 1/3 innings. Yes, the Dodgers are going home for the next three. Yes, Joe Torre's Yankees blew a 3-0 lead in the 2004 American League Championship Series. But that's all secondary to the fact this team is down 2-0 and absolutely MUST win Game 3 in the twilight on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. It could be worse. But it couldn't be much worse.

Still no starter for Game 4. Torre says Lowe is still a possibility, but my money's on Kershaw. ... Charlie Manuel will manage today, but after that, it remains up in the air. June Manuel was 87 and still lived, according to Phillies PR chief Greg Casterioto, in the same house where Charlie and his nine siblings grew up. She had gone into the hospital earlier this week and passed this morning. ... The shadows are already almost all the way across the infield, so they shouldn't be much of a factor come game time, which is still about an hour away. It is an absolutely gorgeous autumn day here, and the game time temp is going to be well into the 70s.

Earlier this week, you might have read a story I wrote for the paper about Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino and how the Dodgers let him get away TWICE via the Rule 5 draft and how they turned down a chance to get him back the second time when the Phillies offered him back midway through the 2005 season. Well, there was one factual error in the story, and out of that factual error, there was a glaring misconception. As it turns out, the Dodgers had a very sound reason for not taking him back. First, the error: I wrote that Victorino had never been on the Dodgers' 40-man roster, which turned out to be not true. The fact is, he HAD been on the 40-man once previously and had been outrighted OFF the 40-man. In light of that, the Dodgers' reasoning for not taking him back: teams who make Rule 5 draft selections pay $50,000 for them, and if they don't keep that player on their 25-man roster for all of the following season, they must offer him back to his original team for $25,000. But when the Phillies offered Victorino back to the Dodgers, the Dodgers were NOT going to put him on their 25-man OR their 40-man roster. Therefore, they would have to outright him to the minors. Well, any player who is outrighted more than once has the right to decline outright assignments, beginning with his second one, and become a free agent. As I understand it, the Dodgers were fairly certain at the time -- 99.99 percent, as it was told to me -- that Victorino was going to decline the assignment and opt for free agency. In that case, the Dodgers would have been throwing away $25,000. Granted, that seems like chump change in the grand scheme of a major-league payroll. But throwing away 25 grand is still throwing away 25 grand. Hope that clears things up.

Also, we just received word that Charlie Manuel's mother passed away this morning, so thoughts and prayers go out to him. He is one of the truly good guys in this game. I'm told he IS expected to manage today's game for the Phillies.

Here are today's lineups:

Dodgers:

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

Phillies:

Rollins. SS
Victorino. CF
Utley. 2B
Howard. 1B
Burrell. LF
Werth. RF
Dobbs. 3B
Ruiz. C
Myers. RHP

This is the big-time, and in a big-time hitter's ballpark. That ultimately was what did in the Dodgers tonight. The ball Manny Ramirez hit in the first inning -- the one that DIDN'T go out because it hit the very top of the wall not only at its deepest point, but also its highest point, and also hit about a foot to the left of the yellow stripe -- went way farther than EITHER of the home runs hit by Chase Utley and Pat Burrell in that decisive sixth inning. But it's not even close to panic time yet. The Dodgers blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning against the New York Mets in Game 1 of the 1988 NLCS -- the last one of these that they actually were in -- and came back to win that series in seven, then blew out Oakland in five in the World Series. Long way to go, folks. ... The good thing about tonight was that Hong-Chih Kuo had a good inning, retiring the Phillies in order in the eighth. Appears to be back to normal. ... Tomorrow's game at 4:35 Philly time, which means weird shadows and maybe some weird developments. See ya then.

Torre said Saito took the news that he wasn't on the LCS roster like a true professional. He'll stay with the team for now and throw bullpens -- the equivalent of the rehab assignment he never had is the way Torre put it -- but might go to Peoria to make one appearance in the Instructional League if this series goes long and it looks like he might have a shot at a potential World Series roster. ... By the way, Hong-Chih Kuo will be limited to warming up one time per game, pitching one inning per appearance and no back-to-back days.

Dodgers:

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

Phillies:

Rollins. SS
Victorino. CF
Utley. 2B
Howard. 1B
Burrell. LF
Werth. RF
Feliz. 3B
Ruiz. C
Hamels. LHP

At least for Game 1. Spent the day doing touristy stuff in Philly with Daily News columnist Steve Dilbeck and Al Balderas of the OC Register. We took the Independence Hall tour, which was interesting, but what I found more interesting was a tour of Congress Hall, which is adjacent to Independence Hall. This was where the first House and Senate chambers were, and we visited both as part of the tour. The House chamber was allegedly where George Washington announced that he wouldn't seek a third term as President, and where John Adams was elected to succeed him (apparently, these things were done a little differently in 1796). Then we ate lunch at City Tavern, this old building where the wait staff dresses in Colonial period attire. It was all so fascinating that I kept forgetting we actually had a baseball game -- and a pretty big one at that -- to cover tonight. But we're all here now, and Citizens Bank Park is all dressed up in the requisite red-white-and-blue bunting. Not a perfect day, just a tinge of smog in the air, and it's expected to be a little cool tonight. But these are the playoffs. It's supposed to be crisp. ... By the way, as predicted here yesterday, Takashi Saito was left off the roster for this series to clear a spot for Hong-Chih Kuo. Broxton is now the unquestioned closer for this club. Makes you wonder whether Saito will even be around next year, giving that he will be 39 and is arbitration-eligible for the first time.

In fact, it looks like he isn't going to make the cut for this round. After the workout, after most of the team had boarded buses back to the downtown Westin, Saito went to the visiting bullpen with Torre and Honeycutt and had a side session to try to work out a mechanical problem that has plagued him since he returned from the DL. The problem is with his balance pitching out of the windup, and the solution for now is that he has scrapped pitching out of the windup and will go exclusively out of the stretch, but that's if he goes at all. Saito said the decision rests with others, but he seemed to offer a cryptic hint that he won't be on the roster when he said this, with Kenji Nimura translating:

``I'm never going to say I'm (off) the roster, because that isn't for me to decide. It's up to oe and the coaching staff, and they might want me to give it some time and work on my mechanics so I can be ready for the World Series.''

It's an absolutely gorgeous day here in the birthplace of America. From the press box at Citizens Bank Park, you can see ol' William Penn quite clearly, all 37 feet of him standing atop the City Hall spire off in the distance. Phillies are working out on the field right now. Dodgers' charter should be taking off from LAX right about now, and the team is expected to arrive around 8 tonight. There will be a more formal, MLB-mandated workout for both teams tomorrow. Phillies' media availability was well-attended by the media, but not by the players. Only a handful of them came into the locker area of the clubhouse while reporters (dozens of them) were allowed in. Fortunately, one of them was the guy I was looking for, center fielder Shane Victorino. In case you don't remember, he's the guy the Dodgers let get away TWICE via the Rule 5 draft, and his grand slam in Game 2 was arguably the biggest hit of the Phillies' four-game division series win over the Brewers. Victorino's story, how he went from an overlooked prospect with the Dodgers to the everyday CF for the Phillies, can be found in tomorrow's paper. That's about all I have for today. Hasta manana.

Your favorite correspondent skipped the workout today to deal with some medical issues. Nothing major, and I won't bore you with any of the details, but if you see my beautiful mug in the background of any on-camera interviews in the next few days, I'll be wearing glasses because I can't wear my contacts for three or four weeks, allegedly (we'll see about that). Anyway, I'm told by my colleague Steve Dilbeck, who was kind enough to cover for me today, that there was no major news. It does appear that the Dodgers' Game 4 starter will depend largely on whether Hong-Chih Kuo is healthy enough to be on the roster for this series. If he is, he'll be the second lefty in the pen and Clayton Kershaw probably will be the fourth starter. If Kuo isn't a go, Kershaw will likely have to be the second lefty in the pen, so Greg Maddux would get the nod in Game 4. Lefty relievers are vital in this series because the Phillies have so many dangerous lefties in their lineup, beginning and ending with N.L. MVP candidate Ryan Howard, who had a monster September. ... By the way, the schedule for the entire series has been set. Basically, all the games except for Game 2 start at 8 Eastern. That means all three games at Dodger Stadium (3, 4 and 5) will start at 5 Los Angeles time, while three of the four games at Citizens Bank Park, including Games 6 and 7, will start at 8 p.m. Philly time. ... That's all I got for now. Like Elton John's Daniel, I'm traveling tonight on a plane. I'll be the guy on the redeye with the red eye.

Game 1 will be at 8 p.m. Philly time on Thursday night (that's 5 here)
Game 2 will be at 4 p.m. Philly time on Friday (that's 1 here)
Game 3 will be at 5 p.m. Los Angeles time on Sunday

Below, you will find the schedule for the upcoming NLCS, which begins on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park. This will mark the fourth time the Dodgers and Phillies have met in an NLCS, the second-most frequent NLCS matchup of all-time behind Cincinnati-Pittsburgh. The Reds and Pirates have met in the NLCS five times (1970, 1972, 1975, 1979, 1990), while the Dodgers and Phillies will have met four times (1977, 1978, 1983, 2008). No other matchup has occurred more than twice. The NLCS didn't begin until 1969. This will be the FIRST time the Dodgers have met the Phillies in a best-of-seven NLCS. The three previous meetings were all best-of-five, and each of the three went four games. Dodgers won in '77 and '78, Phillies won in '83. The only other four-time LCS matchup in either league is New York-Kansas City in the American League. The Yankees and Royals have met four times (1976, 1977, 1978 and 1980) in the ALCS.

Game Matchup Day Date Time ET TV
Gm 1 LAD @ PHI Thu Oct. 9 TBD FOX
Gm 2 LAD @ PHI Fri Oct. 10 TBD FOX
Gm 3 PHI @ LAD Sun Oct. 12 TBD FOX
Gm 4 PHI @ LAD Mon Oct. 13 TBD FOX
Gm 5* PHI @ LAD Wed Oct. 15 TBD FOX
Gm 6* LAD @ PHI Fri Oct. 17 TBD FOX
Gm 7* LAD @ PHI Sat Oct. 18 TBD FOX

Several of us were packing up to leave the press box at about 10 after 1 this morning when we happened to notice a large skunk walking along the front row of the Dugout Club seats down below. The gate in the centerfield wall was wide open, so we're guessing that was how he/she/it had entered the now completely-empty stadium. But the skunk was clearly scavenging for whatever it could find to eat/drink, and if you have ever been in a stadium two hours after a game, you know there are a lot of leftover concessions items tossed aside between rows of seats. Well, apparently, some of the ballpark patrons hadn't finished their beers, because after a few minutes, this skunk made its way onto the field and headed in the general direction of the open gate. Then, he stopped and started just generally walking around in circles, and his gait seemed to slow down gradually. By the time we got bored and left, he/she/it was in short right field, near the line, and didn't seem to be moving much at all. For all I know, he/she/it was still there, passed out, when the grounds crew arrived this morning. Sure wouldn't want to be the person who has to romove him/her/it. ... Phillies are pounding the Brewers 5-0 in the sixth inning. Looks like there is a cheesesteak or two (or 10) in my very near future.

And with that, the Dodgers complete a three-game sweep no one could have predicted -- except, perhaps, for the most fatalistic of Cubs fans. The most curious thing that happened tonight was that Torre left Broxton in to pitch the ninth inning after he blew away Mark DeRosa -- and that he DIDN'T bring Broxton in to start the eighth, when Cory Wade went back out after finishing off the seventh. What that means for Takashi Saito, who got knocked around in Game 2, isn't immediately clear. But this is what Joe had to say after the game:

``We decided to send (Wade) out because, again, Saito the other day when he came in just looked like he was feeling for it. And I was trying to keep as many people late as I could. I was hoping that Cory could get us through the eighth. That way, I would have both of those guys (Broxton and Saito) for the ninth inning. (But) I brought Broxton in for the eighth and just watched him throw strikes. He had trouble in Chicago there the last game, and a lot of it was based on the fact he was getting behind the hitters. When he started throwing strikes -- I looked up at one point and he had thrown 12 of 13 pitches for strikes -- that is one of the reasons I sent him back out in the ninth.''

Meanwhile, Rick Honeycutt told our Jill Painter that he feels like ``we have two closers.''

If Saito is worried about Broxton taking his job, it didn't show in the clubhouse. Saito walked up behind Broxton as Broxton was talking to several reporters and doused him with two bottles of beer.

On to the next round. If the Brewers can somehow complete a comeback from a 2-0 deficit against the Phillies -- they cut it to 2-1 today -- the Dodgers would open the NLCS at home on Thursday. If the Phillies win, that series will open at Citizens Bank Park.

Torre going with the same set every night, as it should be this time of year.

Soriano. LF
Fontenot. 2B
Lee. 1B
Ramirez. 3B
Soto. C
Edmonds. CF
DeRosa. RF
Theriot. SS
Harden. RHP

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

It's gray and gloomy here at Dodger Stadium today, and it figures to get pretty cold after the sun goes down. The Cubs should feel right at home. But the field looks GREAT, credit to Eric Hansen and his crew. They always do a great job, but they really outdid themselves this time. The grass is lush and green and the NLDS logos along the first- and third-base lines are perfect. Press box is a tad crowded, but that's part of the territory with the postseason. All in all, the old yard looks pretty good for its big night on the big stage. Three and a half hours to game time.

This glamorous life of a baseball writer included walking out of Wrigley Field at 2 a.m. this morning, driving to a Shell station on Addison to fill up the rental car, driving back to my hotel near O'Hare, walking into my room at a quarter to three, packing, watching the last 30 minutes of some horrendous movie called Little Athens on Showtime (there was no sense sleeping for half an hour), catching a 7:05 a.m. flight, arriving in Los Angeles at 1 and driving straight to the ballpark. ... No real news today other than Lou Piniella basically saying Carlos Zambrano would be his Game 5 starter if there is a Game 5 because Ryan Dempster, who walked seven guys in the opener, is in the bullpen for the rest of the series. Cubs seemed really tight in the first two games, and the once-fiery Piniella, who is rumored to have mellowed over the years, has seemed as tight as any of them whenever he has come into the interview room. That said, though, if the Dodgers don't win Game 3, the Cubs will suddenly have new life, and I'm not sure that is something the Dodgers can afford to let happen. Zambrano actually said the pressure is now on the Dodgers. Even more amazing: Joe Torre said he agrees. Barring any breaking news, that's it for me on this blog until tomorrow. If you happen to be at Gladstones around 8:30 tonight, I'll be there with a couple of Cubs beat writers.

In case you were wondering, only one team in the history of baseball has dropped the first two games of a best-of-five series AT HOME and come back to win the series -- Joe Torre's 2001 Yankees, who did it against Oakland. Still, the Cubs aren't dead yet. But they are at least on life support. And they are playing like a team that BELIEVES it is cursed. The Dodgers, meanwhile, continue to play loose and brash and to take advantage of whatever opportunities the Cubs give them -- and the Cubs gave them a bunch of them tonight, committing four errors that led to five unearned runs. ... The legion of Japanese reporters covering this series probably won't get to see Kosuke Fukudome face Hiroki Kuroda in Game 3 on Saturday night. This Lou Piniella after the game when he was asked about Fukudome, who is 0 for 8 with four strikeouts in the first two games: ``From now on, I don't want to hear about Fukudome anymore as far as whether he is going to play or not. I'm going to play (Mike) Fontenot and Reed Johnson or somebody else, and that's the end of the story. The kid is struggling, and there is no sense sending him out there anymore.''

It's 7:25 Pacific. Of course, the Dodgers' goal at this point is to make it so there ISN'T a game on Sunday. Whatever happened to the days when all West Coast postseason games started in the 5 o'clock hour for prime time TV?

The Cubs consulted a sleep doctor -- yes, a sleep doctor -- before booking their team charter flight to Los Angeles. On that doctor's advice, they will fly to Los Angeles TOMORROW, not tonight after the game.\
This is Lou Piniella:
``He said we should stay overnight tonight instead of travel after the ballgame ... so that everybody can get their full balance of sleep as opposed to sleeping all day tomorrow and not being able to sleep the night after. We'll see if he is right or not after the third game.''
The Dodgers, who presumably did NOT consult a sleep doctor, will fly home immediately after tonight's game. Joe Torre said it's because the team is going home, and that if the Dodgers had opened at home and were now flying to Chicago, they might consider doing what the Cubs are doing.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he won't name a Game 4 starter -- possibly Derek Lowe, possibly Greg Maddux, still a remote possibility of Clayton Kershaw -- until he is sure there will be a Game 4. In other words, if there is a possibility the Dodgers can sweep the series, thus eliminating the need for a Game 4, Joe doesn't want to jinx them out of it.
Torre, who is in his 27th season as a manager and his 14th postseason, actually admitted that his reticence is based largely on superstition.
``I think it's the same thing as waiting until you're in the playoffs before you make decisions (pertaining to the playoffs). We have (Game 4) options, obviously.''
What Torre did admit was that pitching coach Rick Honeycutt had addressed the subject with Lowe of coming back on three days' rest and that Lowe had said he was fine with it.

Dodgers:

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

Cubs:

Soriano. LF
Theriot. SS
Lee. 1B
Ramirez. 3B
DeRosa. 2B
Edmonds. CF
Soto. C
Fukudome. RF
Zambrano. RHP

The Dodgers hadn't won a postseason series opener since Kirk Gibson's HR in the 1988 World Series. Shoot, they had only won one postseason GAME since that '88 Series. At least THAT monkey is off their backs. But for all the giddiness that tonight is sure to bring, the one thing that can't be forgotten is that the Dodgers are still facing a very formidable opponent (and a heavily favored one, at that). This series is a long, long way from being over. But simply by winning the first game on the road, the Dodgers have dramatically changed the complexion of the whole thing. The pressure is now on the Cubs, who almost HAVE to win tonight before heading to Los Angeles. If the Dodgers come home with a 2-0 lead, well, we could be in for a long postseason ride here. ... Wrigley Field was especially beautiful tonight, which it always is at night. They painted the tops of the dugouts, which are usually this dull white, a perfect shade of Cubs blue, which really makes them pop (I'm in the process of buying a home, so I'm learning terms like ``making it pop.'').. ... By the way, there was no shortage of second-guessing of Lou Piniella for sticking with Dempster long enough to give up that grand slam to Loney, which turned the game in the fifth inning. Dempster had walked seven batters to that point and had already thrown 102 pitches before Loney stepped in. Here was Lou's answer: ``He hadn't given up a run. He pitched himself out of trouble an inning or two before. We were concerned about his pitch count, but no, we were going to let him get himself out of trouble. Invariably, when you keep putting people on, they're going to score at times. They scored there quickly with that grand slam.'' ... By the way II, if the Dodgers win this series, it will mark the third time Joe Torre has beaten Lou Piniella in a playoff series, and I BELIEVE Piniella's team has been favored in all three. The previous times were the 2000 and 2001 ALCS. The second one was the year Piniella's Mariners won 116 regular-season games.

... is that Troncoso was never really on the roster to begin with. And to be fair to Torre, he never told Ramon that he was on the roster. He only told US that he was. Torre did tell McDonald yesterday that he was NOT on the roster, then called him back in five minutes later and told him that it was still undecided. They ultimately decided they liked what McDonald showed them in September enough that they were willing to live with the fact that as a season-long starter in the minors, he can only be brought in at the start of an inning, where Troncoso could have been brought in at any time and, unlike McDonald, could warm up more than once a game. McDonald has made four big-league appearances and pitched six innings and still hasn't given up a run in the majors. ... With the wind blowing in, Piniella went for defense, starting DeRosa at 2B and Fukudome in RF. ... Ran into Steve Garvey downstairs. He didn't make the roster, but he still looks like he could have.

The Dodgers made a last-minute change to their first-round roster. Not sure of the reason other than McDonald has been starting all year and can go longer if needed. Will find out when we meet with Joe. ... Beautiful day at Wrigley, but really cold. Wind appears to be blowing IN.