Dodgers vs Giants- September 11, 2009

Live in-game tweeting Dodgers versus Giants.

Top 1st-

7:18 Andre Ethier hits a single off of Matt Cain. Career average for Ethier against Cain is .567.

7:19 Cain strikes out Manny. Ramirez's timing is completely off. In April, a pitcher falling behind 3-1 to Manny Ramirez usually turns out devastating for the pitcher. As of late, this hasn't been the case.

7:23 Kemp singles to left center field. He has one of the prettier swings in baseball

7:25 James Loney doubles into center field to score Ethier and Kemp. Loney has a better hitting average (over .300) on the road than at home (.270). He has 11 HRs on the road and none at home.

7:28 Matt Cain has thrown 30 pitches so far this first inning.

...where all are welcome.

This was taken on May 23, 2009, when Jared and I decided on a whim to drive to Los Angeles and catch the Dodgers play the Angels. We drove back to Sacramento that night. 6 hours, each way, just to catch a silly little game of ball.

It was my first trip to Chavez Ravine this year, and I remember the excitement as we drove through the parking lot and saw the ever famous "THINK BLUE" sign. I felt like a child, nervous and anxious to be in the presence of my team.

I hope posting this picture reminds me of that hope I felt :) As of late that hasn't been the case...

Love is Blind

I don't care what all you naysayers think.

THE DODGERS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES THIS YEAR.

Yeah, I might be talking out of my ass right now, and yeah, there's a BIG part of me that thinks what I just wrote is bullshit but damn it, I've invested so much of my year loving this team, and there's no way I'm going to let a 2 game lead get me down.

In July I had butterflies whenever Casey Blake or Juan Pierre walked to the plate. I wore my team colors with pride and found any reason to wear my LA baseball hat. I remember jumping up and down when Andre Ethier hit back to back walk off hits against the mighty Phillies back in May. I remember sitting in Dodger Stadium a few months back, looking around, getting chills thinking, wow, this could really happen in the Fall.

The Colorado Rockies are the hottest team in baseball, working their way to the top of the NL West when at one point they were at the bottom. And the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were the hottest team in baseball, have gotten worse since the All-Star Break and are now fighting to keep their 2 game lead in the division. The Rockies have all the numbers in their favor. The statistics are there.

But when you're at a point where it's plain to see the stats aren't in your favor, it's when you turn away from numbers and just rely on blind faith.

Mid-Summer Doldrums

August is the hardest month for a baseball fan. Either your team is doing a stand-up job, and you're just bursting with excitement but dying of boredom waiting for the post-season. Or your team is in a heated battle for the penant race and suffering the fatigue of a long season in the heat of the August summer.

As for me? I'm consoling myself by being a drama queen.

The Dodgers suffered yet another loss Monday night, making them 3 games below .500 since the All-Star Break. When Casey Blake was 5 feet away from a homerun in the ninth inning which would have tied the game, in dramatic fashion I collapsed on my living room floor and mumbled to the carpet, "That's it. Let the Rockies have it. It's theirs to take."

Before going to bed I remember asking myself, why have I spent the last four months distressingly obsessed with a game that covers the entire emotional spectrum? Why have I allowed myself to become horribly enveloped with a team that was so exciting and wonderful to watch in April, May, and June, and is now breaking my heart in August?

With the buzz of football around the corner, it made me realize that it's almost September, which means post-season for the MLB is not too far away. And then comes the holidays, which means no baseball at all- only talks of trade rumors and contract deals. At that point, I thought, I'd rather go through the rigorous highs and lows of baseball, rather than to have no baseball at all. I'd rather watch a Giants game on television because I live in the San Francisco media market, rather than to watch no baseball at all. I'd rather fall in love and have my team break my heart time and time again, than to have never felt the harmonious dichotomy of quiet peace and unrelenting hunger while sitting in a baseball park.

August is the hardest month for a baseball fan. But come the end of October, the celebrating will begin for the team that took it to the end. And for the ones that didn't? Spring is only five months away.

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. ~A. Bartlett Giamatti, "The Green Fields of the Mind," Yale Alumni Magazine, November 1977

Letter to Ned Colletti

Dear Ned Colletti,

I've been curious about the front office's lack of movement in trying to build our pitching staff. It's not that I don't have faith in our current roster...it's just well...

Let me take a step back.

We don't have a Chris Carpenter. We don't have a Roy Halladay. We don't have a Tim Lincecum, Cliff Lee, or Josh Beckett. We don't have an ace.

That isn't a bad thing. We have a compelation of talent that is collectively effective. We have Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw, young guns who are still finding their groove. When they're on, they're on. We have Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf, who will consistently keep the team in the game. We have Ramon Troncoso, James MacDonald, Guillermo Mota, Ronald Bellisario, Brent Leach and Hong Chi Kuo- a great but overused bullpen we can rely on. We have George Sherrill and Jonathan Broxton, lights-out closers who we use in our final innings.

But Kuroda will miss his next start due to a line drive to the head. Who knows what he’ll give us when he goes back out on the mound? Billingsley’s been out because of his hamstring, and how sure are we he’ll be back at 100%? Kershaw is young. I think fans forget this kid is only 21 years old, and this is his first full season as a starter. Sure he’s on when he’s on, but he’s still young and figuring out his arm.

Where does that leave us? Randy Wolf? He’s been pitching very consistently lately, but he’s a 6-7 innings guy. And we haven’t had a fifth starter since the beginning of the season! Because of this, our bullpen is overworked and overused, increasing their collective ERA from around 2.5 in June to over 4 now in August. And our closer, Jonathan Broxton, has eight wins. A closer shouldn’t have that many wins, and that was 8 in the beginning of July. Broxton’s been slumping lately, and he’s still working through it.

Mr. Coletti, the last time I checked, we’re here for a pennant race. We’ve been to the NLDS. We’ve been to the NLCS. We’ve tasted victory and went home with defeat. The last time the Dodgers held a World Series title was in 1988. It’s been 21 years, and if there’s a year where the players and fans could see it, this is the year.

But we need pitching. Our offense can only take us so far.

Ok, so you didn’t jump after Roy Halladay. That’s ok, no one else did, and he’s still in Toronto. I still think that was a mistake, seeing as the Blue Jays were ok with not trading for Billingsley and Kershaw. Yeah, we would have had to give up our top prospects, but we would’ve gotten Halladay for two years, and when he’s a free agent, we would have gotten top draft picks. Ok, so you didn’t jump after Cliff Lee, the Phillies did. That’s not ok. He’s 3-0 as a Philly with a 1.13 ERA. To get to the World Series we have to get through the Phillies. Sure, we took the season series against them, but that was without Lee, without a hot J.A. Happ, and with a slumping Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins.

The Red Sox just released John Smoltz. I know the Dodgers are considering him, but are worried about his shoulder. Here’s my take: just sign him. The Red Sox are required to pay the rest of his contract, it would only cost LA $500,000 to sign him right away. It wouldn’t cost us anything, seeing as we saved money from Manny Ramirez’s suspension.

The Dodgers can afford to be patient with Smoltz. The Red Sox couldn’t. The Sox are involved in a very heated Wild Card race, and had no room to let an old dog rest his arm. The Dodgers, on the other hand, just need help to maintain the lead in the NL West until our pitching staff regains its composure. Throw Smoltz in the bullpen. What’s the worse that could happen?

Ok, so our starting rotation can only give us 6 innings. Throw Smoltz in the 7th, Sherril in the 8th, and then Broxton if you need to in the 9th. What do you have to lose right now? Give Kuo, Troncoso and the guys some rest. Smoltz is a veteran player, so even if he doesn’t throw lights out, he can teach the young guys a thing or two about how it’s like in the post season.

And we can’t forget the human element.

John Smoltz will have something to prove. He’s said he’s not ready to retire. He’s said he’s not done throwing. Sign him, and see what he can do.

Until then, Mr. Coletti, whether you decide to move or not, I and countless other Dodger fans are crossing our fingers and holding our breath until October.

-Jamie

Ramblings, Baseball, Etc.

What I'm looking forward to this week:

-Dodgers v.s. Cardinals. I should be worried, but I'm not. As long as we don't get swept, I'll be happy. With 44 games left in the season, we need to play .500 ball in order to get to 90 wins. If we get to 90, we'll be ok.

Tonight, it'll be Chris Carpenter against Charlie Haeger, whose debut with the Dodgers will be...tonight. He was promoted from the Isotopes last week. He's 11-6 with a 3.55 ERA and has pitched four complete games. Hopefully he'll be able to keep us in the game today, and that our offense has enough punch to get us the W. Tomorrow Billingsley starts after being on the DL with his hammie, and Kershaw gets Wednesday's start against Adam Wainwright. I think it'll be a true test for the Dodgers if they can handle a first place team like the Cards who have been playing very good baseball lately.

-Giants v.s. Rockies. I love watching wildcard rivalries because they're the only games around August where teams play like it's October. The Giants and Rockies have been sharing the first place spot for the wildcard, so it'll be interesting to watch these two teams go head to head. They'll be playing 4 games against each other in Colorado. With the Rockie's explosive offense (especially in Coors Field) and the Giant's shutout pitching, who knows what to expect from this series. One thing is for sure, I am going to be rooting for both teams to split.

Many people are saying the NL Wildcard is going to come from the West. Although it's safe to say it's too soon, it looks likely. The Marlins have been struggling, so have the Brewers and Cubs. The Marlins are the closest behind the Giants and Rockies by 5 games. Unless the Central or East comes up with a string of wins in September, there's no way any of the teams can get through the Giants or Rockies.

Needless to say, as a Dodger fan, I'm hoping this tug of war for Wildcard continues with SF and COL. The last thing the Dodgers want is to have to contend for the division because SF or Colorado picked up momentum from a sweep in this series.

Re-cap of Weekend; Mid-Summer Classic

Today marks a great day for me. It’s the first time I’m going to watch an MLB All-Star Game. I know, it sounds silly, being ridiculously excited to watch a game on television that’s more for show than anything else. But to me, it’s a day in my baseball-loving history. Whatever happens tonight, I’ll take with me through the years to come when I watch future All-Star Games.

Leading up to this day has been a very eventful weekend. Last Friday night, the San Francisco Giant’s Jonathan Sanchez pitched the team’s first no-hitter since 1976. Watching him put his hands up in triumph after the last strikeout was amazing. Watching him hug his father immediately afterwards was incredibly touching. Yes, I am a true-Blue Dodger fan, but ultimately I am a true Baseball fan, and watching history unfold in front of my eyes is something I’ll always keep close to heart.

Also over the weekend, the Angels were able to sweep the red hot New York Yankees, quietly showing the world that the Halos are going to make the entire AL fight for October.

I saw that a 38 year old, 3 time Cy Young Award winner and an 8 time selected All Star Game player who quietly exited the world of baseball in 2008 was not ready to leave it for good. Although analysts and scouts understand that this is not the same Pedro Martinez who consistently threw high-90 fastballs who won the AL Triple Crown in 1999, there’s still something in this old dog that even the defending World Champions need.

I watched the Dodgers continue to lead the league in wins. They’ve consistently struggled with pitching and manufacturing runs, but they’ve consistently compensated. After fighting through inter-league play and losing back to back series against the White Sox and Mariners, I said that the Dodgers had to win in July to prove they can make it to October. In July they were to face the red hot Rockies, the Mets who were behind the Phillies in the NL East, the Brewers who were right behind the Cards in the NL Central. So far, they’ve taken 2 out of 3 of each series they’ve faced.

It was great to see the Dodgers win over the Brewers, who have been playing very well and are playing tug-of-war with the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central. Clayton Kershaw got his groove in the rubber match, going scoreless until the 7th. Brad Ausmus, the back up catcher, in the same game going yard to help with the win. Orlando Hudson, slumping in the month of June and into July with a less than stellar batting average, hitting the ball out of the park twice.

Another great highlight of the weekend was Matt Kemp’s grand slam in the 10th inning against the Brewers to take the W in extra innings. Equally impressive was Pablo Sandoval’s 3-run homerun against the Padres (the same night Sanchez got the nono). Both plays were on the same day Jayson Werth was chosen to replace Carlos Beltran in the All-Star Game, when both players were rumored to take Beltran’s place. I wasn’t upset about it, as my brothers were (who are big fans of Panda). I knew that sometime in the future, both Matt Kemp and Pablo Sandoval would make it to an All-Star Game on their own merits, not as substitutions. Both are so young (Kemp, 24 and Sandoval, 22) and if they stay healthy, will undoubtedly make it on their own.

So the talk all of yesterday was the Home Run Derby. I was at the gym catching some of the highlights in between sets. I thought it was amazing how it definitely was Pujol’s stadium. Everyone wearing a Cardinals shirt was there for him. My favorite quote of the night:

“And Albert Pujols hits it into the St. Louis night.”

Moments like that are the reason I’m in love with baseball. It’s more than a hobby, it’s more than obsession, it’s love. I still tear up when I’m listening to XM Radio and they have a clip of Harry Kalas calling the World Series. It’s got to be love, I’m a Dodger fan willing to root for Tim Lincecum, killer of Dodgers (next to Cole Hamels) so that the NL (who ever it may be) secures home field advantage because since 1997, they just haven’t been able to do it.

And so it’s 2 hours until my first All Star Game. I’m as giddy as a little kid waiting for their favorite afternoon television show. So here’s the end of my rant, I apologize for the lack of any kind of structure in this entry. But that’s the nice thing about blogs, it’s whatever you want it to be.

catch

Yesterday, we stopped by my parent’s place on our way back from LA. I took my usual place on the couch with my dog. My dad and brother opened up some beers, and we all watched the second half of the Dodgers vs. Cubs game on ESPN while my mom made dinner.

James Loney stepped up to bat. I asked Jared and Jay why a left-handed batter has a disadvantage with a left-handed pitcher. They started to explain, but stopped when they noticed the glazed over look in my eyes.

Jared picked up a baseball. (There is always a baseball to pick up at my parent’s house.) He motioned for Jay to get up. Jay took a batting stance. Jared showed me that left handed batters hitting against a left handed pitcher has a disadvantage of a fraction of a second.

Made sense. I focused my attention back to the game. Millie, my dog, who was watching the baseball Jared in his hand, dug her head back in my lap when it occurred to her it wasn’t one of her chew toys.

James got out of his room, as if sensing Jay and Jared were playing catch. He put his mitt on, and encouraged them to do the same. All three boys escaped to the backyard. Millie trailed behind them.

My dad and I were left on the couch. We discussed everything from the All-Star Game and how Manny shouldn’t play even if he’s voted in, to how we’re both rooting for Randy Johnson and his 300th win. My mom yelled at me to help her with dinner. My dad yelled back that he was discussing important matters with his daughter.

As we watched Brad Ausmus get hit by a pitch, we heard a loud THUD from the backyard. Not skipping a beat, my dad yelled through the window.

“Don’t let me hammer in another piece of the fence,” my dad said in Tagalog. He told me how much he hated patching up the pieces of the wood fence in the back that my brothers destroyed while paying catch.

Jay ran through the living room. I started laughing as he made his way through the door.

“What did you guys do?” I asked, much to my father’s dismay.

“Nothing,” said Jay, out of breath. “Jared just threw a ball over the fence.”

My dad let out an exasperated breath.

James snuck in the living room, trying his best to avoid my dad’s glare. He disappeared in the room for a while. Jay came back with the retrieved baseball. My dad and I went back to the game. No one was really paying attention, though. Not even the announcers. It was the bottom of the 7th and the Dodgers were up 8-2.

James walked out of his room, trying to conceal the baseball bat behind him.

“What are you doing?” my dad asked.

James held up the bat proudly.

“No, no,” said my dad. “Don’t use that thing in the backyard.”

James dropped his shoulders and stuck out his upper lip. Something he’d perfected being the youngest child. “I’m not going to use it, Dad. I’m just going to stand there.”

My dad just looked at him blankly.

“Jay is throwing balls and strikes. I’m just going to stand there with the bat so he knows where to throw.”

Reluctantly, my dad allowed it.

But secretly, I think my dad enjoys it. All of it.

Another THUD from the backyard. The game evolved from ‘James Just Standing While Jay Throws Balls and Strikes’ quickly evolved into ‘Let’s Teach James How to Bunt.’

I laughed to myself, and watched the last part of the game.

top of the first

At lunch with my husband today, I learned that the reason why James Loney plays first base and Casey Blake plays third base. They are considered power hitters, so you’d want them in a position where they wouldn’t have to move around a lot. You put someone like Rafael Furcal as shortstop because he’s fast, and that’s why your leadoff guys are usually shortstops or second basemen.

I haven’t been a fan of baseball for very long. I started following baseball last August. So I’m a rookie. But I’m learning.

I can’t go through the Dodger lineup and tell you where all the players came from, and what their batting average is. But I can tell you who’s playing in the lineup tonight. I can’t recall every single time the Dodgers went to the World Series. But I can recall the first time I stepped foot on Dodger Stadium—last October, in the third game of the NLDS where they swept the Cubs.

And I’m also doing pretty well managing my Fantasy team!

I remember when it happened, when I fell in love with baseball. My family was watching a game between the Dodgers and Giants. My husband and my brothers were following the game intently, because at this point LA and SF were in contention to win the division. I was always indifferent about baseball. No, I take that back. I hated baseball. I thought it was ridiculous that it didn’t have time limits, and that a game could last up to five hours. It was slow, tedious, and boring. I mean really, how hard is it to hit a ball with a stick?

(I quickly learned the answer to this question: Tim Lincecum. Also, Cole Hamels.)

I was trying to take a nap on the couch, but every time something happened, the boys in the living room would wake me up. Lethargic and lazy on a late August afternoon, I didn’t want to leave the comfort of the couch. Napping was out of the option, so I figured I’d see what the fuss was about.

“Who’s that guy with the funny dreads?”

“Manny Ramirez,” my youngest brother answered, rolling his eyes.

I remember just leaning a little more towards the television. With every pitch, with every out, I asked another question. My dad thought it was cute. My brothers thought it was annoying. Jared tried his best to answer while paying attention to the game.

What’s an ERA?
Why isn’t he swinging at that pitch?
When can you steal a base?
Wait, the catcher calls the game?
Is there like, instant replay? That was a BAD call!

Why I favored the Dodgers over the Giants when watching the game, I couldn’t tell you. People joke that the only reason why I’m a Dodger fan is because my husband is one. I disagree. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why, on that day I found myself rooting for the guys in blue. But I can tell you that it had to do with how Russell Martin walked up to the mound when Clayton Kershaw couldn’t find his pitch. It was the lullaby sound of Vin Scully’s voice in the microphone.
It had something to do with Manny Ramirez’s calm in taking a 0-2 pitch like it was 0-0. It had something to do with how Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and James Loney—all my age—were trying to figure out their swing.

The Dodgers made it to the National League Championship Series, only to be beaten by the Philadelphia Phillies. I remember my heartbreak. I remember how badly I wanted to see them dive over home plate in celebration, hugging and screaming and crying. But it wouldn’t happen.

I remember telling myself, this was all too much. To be so emotionally invested, to have your heart broken when your team doesn’t go all the way. Can I keep doing this to myself? Year, after year, after year? I wondered how Jared, who was a fan since he was 5, kept his hope alive and stuck with them through the years.

But that’s what love is, isn’t it? A risk, a leap of faith.

And so here I am, here we are, nine months later, and my love for the Dodgers has only grown. One could say I’m obsessed, one could say I’m a devoted fan. To be a fan of a baseball team, means you have to be a fan of baseball. And ultimately, that’s where we all are, right? Whether you’re a Giants fan, Mets, Rays, Phillies, Yankees, or Mariners fan, we can all remember that moment when we fell in love with baseball. Whether it’s 9 months, 20 years, or since you’ve been born, that’s all that matters.

And so that’s how it began, for me.

And so this is how it begins, for us.

Welcome to my blog. Welcome, to my world.