Remember, the grades reflect the performance of the player compared to what reasonably could have been expected of them at the beginning of the year. Less than 10 IP gets you an "incomplete".

Starters
Chad Billingsley (9-8, 3.25) (A)
Ace. Not "going to be an ace". Not "potential to be an ace." Ace. I mean, he's third in all of baseball in strikeouts behind only two other certified aces, C.C. Sabathia and Tim Lincecum, despite having 21 and 13 fewer IP, respectively. His 3.25 ERA is 11th in the NL, and that's even though he had a 5.20 ERA in April due to his being jerked around in his first three appearances around rain delays and relief stints. (Relive that terror here.) He still needs to work on keeping the pitch count down and getting deeper into games, but just in case you forgot: he's 23 years old and he's already one of the best pitchers in baseball. Enjoy watching this kid for the next ten years.

Derek Lowe (7-8, 3.45) (B+)
Death, taxes, and Derek Lowe, right? Look at Lowe's WHIPs in his 4 years in LA: 1.252, 1.266, 1.269, 1.226. Look at his ERAs: 3.61, 3.63, 3.88, 3.85. The man has become a model of consistency - although thanks to the Dodgers' lousy offensive attack, he's on pace for this third losing season out of four. This year, though, Lowe actually made it interesting, sandwiching excellent months of April (2.88) and June (2.81) around a brutal May (6.11). Yet he still ends up almost exactly where he's always been. Say what you will about Paul DePodesta, but the deal he signed Lowe to ended up being an absolute steal.

Hiroki Kuroda (5-6, 3.42) (A)
It's appropriate that Kuroda comes after Lowe, because while Kuroda's been surprisingly good, he's also been amazingly inconsistent. I think we're all thrilled with the 128 ERA+ from a unknown Japanese import, but who'd have imagined how he'd come by it? In just his last 6 outings, he's had two complete game shutouts (first by a Dodger since Lowe in 2005) plus another 7 shutout inning effort - but also two 6-run games in which he couldn't get out of the 3rd inning. On the plus side, both of those stinkers came before his short stint on the DL, and he's been nails ever since.

This man needs a better nickname. I've seen "Rusty" and "Hero" floating around, but I'm not sure how I feel about either.

Brad Penny (5-9, 5.88) (F)
Ugh. The supposed "ace" coming into the season - he did start the All-Star Game last year - has been on the DL since June 17, and he was probably hurt for quite a while before that. On June 1, I put forth the idea that Penny had a very good April and a lousy May, so it wasn't time to panic based on one bad month. Of course, it only got worse and then he went on the DL. Fortunately, the starting depth has been excellent, because there's not too many teams who can weather the loss of their opening day starter and improve, but it does sort of muddy his future. He's still got that team option for $8.75 next year which I still feel you simply have to pick up (as long as he can return and show any sort of effectiveness), but it's hardly a given anymore.

Clayton Kershaw (0-2, 4.42) (B-)
A really hard grade to assign for the kid. In a vacuum, he was only a pretty average major league pitcher (99 ERA+). On the other hand, he's just 20 years old, so to achieve even that was pretty impressive. Basically, Kershaw came out and did exactly what you'd expect he would have: obvious flashes of brilliance, a little wildness and inconsistency, and difficulty working deep into games due to high pitch counts. Still, I hope the experience did him well; he probably was able to learn a lot about what it takes to succeed in the bigs, and when he returns - as he almost certainly will later this season - hopefully he'll have taken a step forward. That said, it was the right decision to send him down.

Eric Stults (2-2, 2.67) (A+)
2006: 1-0, 5.60 ERA in 6 games (2 starts)
2007: 1-4, 5.82 ERA in 12 games (5 starts)

MSTI on Stults, March 5, 2008:

Eric Stults, I guess? Actually, I haven’t heard word one about him being in the mix this spring at all, so I’m not even sure if he’s being considered. Even so, his career MLB record of 2 wins and a 5.75 ERA is hardly the stuff legends, or even league-average pitchers, are made of.

Well, let the legend begin. Seriously, if someone told you the "Dodgers will have 3 complete game shutouts at the break" and you guessed "Two by Kuroda and one by Stults" you'd be in a psychiatric hospital right now. And it's not just been that one dominating game against the ChiSox; even in his last start, after giving up 3 runs in the first inning to the Marlins, he completely shut them down for the next 5 innings. I have no illusions that Stults has stumbled upon the secret grave of Cy Young, but he's been more than effective and one of the most pleasant surprises of the season. Keep it up, Stultsy.

Swingmen
Chan Ho Park (4-2, 2.63) (A+)
MSTI, March 5, 2008, discussing starting rotation depth:

Chan Ho Park, that’s right, the Chan Ho Park. How’d his 2007 go? Not bad, just a brutal 6-14, 5.99 ERA campaign. In the minor leagues. I’m not even brave enough to do the calculations to see what that would have equated to in the bigs.

Oh well. At least I can take comfort in the fact that there's no one on the planet - come on, not even Mrs. Park - who saw this coming. Chan Ho Park hasn't had an ERA under 4.81 or an ERA+ within sniffing distance of league average since... wait for it.. 2001, his last season in LA. In the intervening six seasons, he ranged from bad (3 seasons in Texas with ERA's over 5) to hurt (just 7 games in 2003) to completely irrelevant (just one game in the bigs last year, for the Mets, in which he gave up 7 runs in 4 innings). Yet back in LA, where he was above league average in 5 of his 6 full seasons.. he's been amazing. A 166 ERA+? A 2.16 ERA in 5 starts? This isn't just a rebirth for Park. This might be the best season of his career. You just can't make this stuff up.

Hong-Chih Kuo (3-1, 1.69) (A+)
Previously known for 4 elbow surgeries, a curious affinity for beating up on the Mets, and flipping his bat after hitting a homer against said Mets, Hong-Chih Kuo has become what no one expected he ever could be: a reliable, effective major league pitcher. Forget "effective". He's been dominating at times, with a 1.69 ERA, and he's been absolute murder on lefthanded batters, who strike out against him nearly half of the time. But for some bizarre reason, Torre insists on bringing him in when the Dodgers are behind; a majority of his batters faced have been in "low leverage" situations. Because when you've got a guy who's mowing people down, you definitely want him to come in for mop-up situations. Of course.

Esteban Loiaza (1-2, 5.63) (F)
Although I suppose, he really should have gotten a "DFA" as a grade. But hey, at least for the $8 million or so the Dodgers paid him, he gave them 2 wins in 8 starts over the last two seasons before being unceremoniously kicked to the curb. Did he really pitch 24 innings for the Dodgers this year? I mean, I know he did, but doesn't that seem like it was about 40 years ago?

Bullpen
Takashi Saito (3-3, 2.18, 17 of 20 saves) (A-)
I write this review with a lot of trepidation, as the results of Saito's right elbow MRI are still unknown. But when a 38-year-old pitcher says that his throwing arm hurts too much to brush his teeth with it, that's not exactly what's known around the industry as a "good sign". I hate to say it, but there's a part of me that's afraid we've seen the last of him.

As for this year, there's been some sentiment around the Internets that he's lost it, and I for the life of me just can't see why. He's really had two lousy games all season, and his ERA+ is still a fantastic 201. Is it because he's not as dominating as last year, when he had a better season than future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera has ever had? Sure, he hasn't, but he's still been a pretty damned effective closer, and if he's DL'd or worse, there's no question this team's in trouble without him.

Jonathan Broxton (2-2, 3.40) (B-)
Amazing that Broxton's still only 24, isn't it? Seems like he's been here forever, and this is his 4th season in the bigs. It's been a weird season for the Bull; he's still been effective, but not as good as he's been over the last two years. He's also had a few disaster games (6 runs in 1/3 IP to lose vs. Houston, and 3 runs in 1/3 IP to blow a game in New York).

I guess we're going to find out a lot more about him pretty quickly, though; with Saito likely hitting the DL, we're going to get our first look at Jonathan Broxton, Dodgers Closer.

Joe Beimel (3-0, 1.61) (A)
You know what they say about middle relievers; they're so up-and-down from year to year that it's a mistake to ever depend on them. Except for the third year in a row, Joe Beimel's been incredibly reliable out of the Dodgers bullpen. His ERA is a little deceiving; while he's clearly doing a good job of not letting guys score, his WHIP is from 1.29 to 1.42 this year. Still, 5 earned runs at the All-Star break is pretty impressive.

Besides, how many middle relievers get their own crazy dedicated fans?

Scott Proctor (1-0, 6.82) (F)
Booooooooooooooooooo. Booooooooooooooooo! He was terrible, I mean, truly awful, before going down with a bum arm, which sort of makes me think this post I made after Torre was hired (RIP Scott Proctor, 1977-2008) was pretty accurate. Maybe all those years of abuse from Torre in New York finally caught up to him?

Cory Wade (0-1, 2.56) (A+)
Along with Park, Kuo, and Stults, the Dodgers have been the lucky recipient of several massive pitching surprises this year, and Wade certainly fits the bill. I mean, really: Cory Wade? This is what is so simultaneously great and frustrating about baseball - you can never predict things like this. Wade got called up from AA Jacksonville to be the last man out of the pen and has been so good that he's become a pretty important piece. A 171 ERA+ and a 1.009 WHIP will do that for you. But still. Cory Wade. Good for him.

Ramon Troncoso (0-1, 4.91) (C-)
Snooze. I have to say, I nearly forgot Troncoso was even on the roster. I mean really, what can you say about Ramon Troncoso? He's only gotten into 13 games, and he's been predictably mediocre. In fact, he's only gotten into two games this month, so it seems like Joe Torre may have forgotten he existed too. Oddly enough, for a right-handed pitcher, he's way more effective against lefties (.451 OPS) than righties (.917 OPS).

Brian Falkenborg (1-2, 6.43) (incomplete)
It's amazing how much discussion we've had around here for a guy who's only pitched seven innings. Of course, when you're a career quad-A pitcher who racked up 2 losses in those 7 innings because Joe Torre insists on putting you into high-pressure situations, you're going to get some things written about you, and they're not going to be all that good. Look, for all the vitriol about him, I don't really have a problem with Falkenborg's existence so much as I do Joe Torre's usage of him, and that's really something that Falkenborg has no control over. So Joe, if you want to use him, that's fine, but can't you just give him the Hong-Chih Kuo Memorial "Pitcher Who Only Comes In When the Dodgers Are Losing" scholarship?

Yhency Brazoban (0-0, 6.00) (incomplete)
Remember when we actually called this guy "Ghame Over"? What a year for Yhency. Actually, what a career. This is somehow the fifth straight season in which he's been on the Dodgers, except that he's only made it into 11 games between 2006-08. After coming back from arm surgery, he showed up to camp, well, let's just say, "hefty." He was pretty good in the minors and made it back up to the bigs on May 9th, but in the 16 days he was up, he only got into two games, giving up two runs in three innings. Now back in the minors, he's once again been hurt and is carrying a 12.37 ERA in 8 games at Vegas. I still can't believe this guy was once our closer and the heir to the Gagne Throne.

- Mike Scioscia's tragic illness

Esteban Loaiza prácticamente está diciendo adiós al beisbol de las Grandes Ligas. Sus números, sus lesiones, su falta de consistencia, provocaron que los Dodgers de Los Ángeles lo pusieran en libertad, para que con muchas probabilidades tengamos otro mexicano menos en el mejor beisbol del mundo. Ni modo, es duro, pero es real. Una posibilidad para el diestro tijuanense puede ser que intente su regreso a través de compilar buenos números en la Liga Mexicana, pero lo preocupante para él debe ser que ni Elmer Dessens ni Ricardo Rincón han sido lanzadores fuera de liga en su reciente regreso a los Diablos Rojos del México. Es decir, el retorno al circuito azteca de supuesto nivel Triple A no garantiza nada para algún pelotero con aspiraciones de regreso. Baste observar cuántos peloteros han logrado ese llamado a las mayores desde Liga Mexicana en los últimos diez años.

Súmele que Jorge de la Rosa nomás no la levanta con los Rockies y ahora, para colmo, en sucursales del mismo equipo han suspendido 50 juegos a Humberto Cota (sustancias prohibidas), pues podemos decir que la caballada está flaca al momento. No lo decimos al azar: es probable que Cerveceros de Milwaukee diga “ni loco” para prestar a Yovani Gallardo. Mismo caso de Nacionales de Washington con Luis Ignacio Ayala, por la lesión que tuvo en la misma competencia en 2006. Viendo lo que vale Joakim Soria para Reales de Kansas City, a ver si no se ponen sus moños también.

Quizás sea momento de hacer algo más que pensar en la posibilidad de peloteros mexicoamericanos —vulgarmente llamados pochos—, para delirio de los directivos del Pacífico, pues tenemos por ahí a un Carlos Quentin, de padres mexicanos, a un Dan Haren de madre yucateca, a un Eric Chávez con origen azteca, y un largo etcétera si le sumamos a las sucursales.

Parece que es hora de dejar nacionalismos absurdos, porque la llave de México en la primera ronda del Clásico Mundial de Beisbol 2009 no está nada sencilla ante Cuba y Australia y lo que muestran los pocos mexicanos que van quedando en la Gran Carpa no es para presumir, excepto por lo que hace El Titán Édgar González, a quien seguramente nombrarán capitán para apostar por su liderazgo y condescendencia que ya tiene con sus compatriotas.

Baja California estará de plácemes este fin de semana con el Juego de Estrellas a celebrarse en el Estadio Calimax este domingo, que se transmitirá en vivo por radio y por un canal deportivo mexicano de TV por cable, para el gran público aficionado a la pelota caliente. La entidad del noroeste en mención aprovechará para presentar a los medios la Serie del Caribe Mexicali 2009 y también presumir que podrían tener cuatro equipos (Ensenada, Mexicali, Rosarito y Tecate) en la Liga Norte de Sonora para ese mismo año.

Otro latino cae por las políticas antidopaje... en Japón. Luis González, ex Rockie de Colorado, ha sido suspendido por el organismo rector del beisbol profesional nipón al dar positivo con tres sustancias prohibidas. De inmediato, los Gigantes de Yomiuri le dieron “su libertad”. Ya no es sorpresa: el venezolano negó consumir todo eso, al igual que Humberto Cota.

In the 2003 aftermath, the Yankees traded for the hot name of the day Javier Vazquez, relinquishing reliever Randy Choate as well as underrated players Nick Johnson and Juan Rivera. He seemed like a sure bet, coming off a stellar 13-12 3.24 ERA season, prompting the Yanks to shower the then 27-year old with a four-year $45 million contract. But, Vazquez failed to live up to expectations, enduring a startlingly mediocre 14-10, 4.91 ERA, 1.29 WHIP season. After just one season he was traded to Arizona.

During the same off-season, New York added Kevin Brown, and the remainder of his seven-year $105 million contract, though the Dodgers kicked in for his private plane expenditures. Brown battled numerous injuries, but rebounded in 2003 for a 14-9 2.39 ERA season (now suspected to be steroid aided). Though injury prone once again, Brown had a mediocre 10-6, 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP showing, before faltering for good in 2005 going 4-7 with a 6.50 ERA.

Mid-season Cashman traded then-failed Cuban defector Jose Contreras for Chicago White Sox starter Esteban Loaiza. The defending AL Cy Young had just finished a fluky 21-win 2003 season. He lasted just six starts before sidling down to the bullpen with an 8.50 ERA and a 2.06 WHIP.

The Yankees tried to plug the pitching holes again after the 2004 collapse in the ALCS. They brought in the inexplicably under-punned Randy Johnson, whose nickname is the Big Unit. Randy had just completed a turn back the clock 16-14 2.60 ERA 290K season, which should have seen him earn a Cy Young. Johnson did live up to his reputation in New York, of being a big prick (He accosted a cameraman immediately upon entering the city). His first year was fine (17-8, 3.79 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), but he faltered in 2006 (17-11, 5.01 ERA, 1.24 WHIP). He returned to Arizona after the season in an off-season trade.

New York also targeted free agent Carl Pavano that winter, signing him to a four-year $39.95 million contract, the extra .05 million being a deal breaker. Pavano was disappointing in 2005 going 4.77 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP before a shoulder injury ended his season. He missed the 2006 season entirely, beginning the year on the DL, with a bruised buttocks, and breaking two ribs in a car accident shortly before a scheduled return start in August. He returned for two starts in 2007 before suffering an “elbow strain” that required Tommy John surgery, which still leaves him on the DL for 2008. At the current rate of return, the Steinbrenners will have paid Pavano $8 million per win with the team.

To cement the rotation still further that off-season, Cashman resuscitated free agent Jaret Wright to a three-year $21 million contract. Wright had been a highly touted Indians prospect and a rookie hero during their 1997 playoff run. After two bad years as a starter, followed by five injury plagued ones. Wright revived his career in Atlanta going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Wright, not surprisingly, replicated his consistent career form, not very good and injury prone, in a Yankee uniform. He went just 5-5 with a 6.08 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP in 13 starts in 2005, followed by 11-,7, 4.49ERA, 1.52 WHIP in 2006. The Yankees traded him to the Orioles the following Winter.

Mid-season 2005 saw signings up the wazoo. Al Leiter permanently lost his mojo with a 4-5 5.49 ERA, 1.67 WHIP stretch that cast him into the bullpen. The Yanks brought in Shawn Chacon who was stunningly magnificent in the second half of 2005 (7-3, 2.85 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), but fell back down to earth (5-3 7.00 ERA, 1.79 WHIP) the next season before being traded to Pittsburgh.

Unknown journeyman Aaron Small came up huge in 2005 going 10-0, 3.20 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, before being hugely disappointing the following year (0-3, 8.46 ERA, 1.95 WHIP).

The Yankees added Corey Lidle as part of the Bobby Abreu trade at mid-season in 2006. He was not particularly brilliant (4-3 5.16 ERA 1.50 WHIP) in the second half. He died tragically in a New York City plane crash, just days after the season ended.

Cashman bolstered the rotation again in 2007, bringing back both McNamee men Pettitte and Clemens from the Astros. Pettitte, paid a sweet $16 million per year, pitched competently (15-9, 4.05 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) but not spectacularly. Roger, relishing in the highest single season contract in baseball history, plodded meekly to a 6-6 record, 4.18 ERA and 1.31 WHIP.

Cashman also maneuvered for the syphilitic homeless man’s Dice-K, Kei Igawa. The $46 million investment netted them a 2-3, 6.25 ERA, 1.67 WHIP performance, with surely more excitement to come in 2008.

2008 has also seen the two bonus babes, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy make their “big” debut. Phil Hughes went 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA and a 2.14 WHIP before hitting the Disabled List. Ian Kennedy went 0-2 8.37ERA 2.03 WHIP before being sent to the minors. Yankee fans are wondering what exactly was so special about these kids that it was worth passing on Johan Santana.

The lone bright spot on this resume has been Chien-Ming Wang who quietly, if that is possible in New York, has become one of the better pitchers in the American League in his four major league seasons with a 52-18 record, a career 3.69 ERA and a career 1.28 WHIP. Importantly for New York, he has only gotten better.

As George Steinbrenner resigned into senility, the Yankees were supposed to become better run under Brian Cashman. In the past four seasons, the Yankees have acquired one reliable starter, and that was through their farm system. Brian Cashman brought in nine starting pitchers who made $7 million or more over that period, none of whom were beyond mediocre. Of those players, only Randy Johnson (3.79 in 2005) amassed an ERA under 4.00 for even one season.

Brian Cashman has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on pitchers with virtually no return. In each signing there is a persistent pattern of buying high and after career years. There seems to be little thought or analysis of a player’s career progression. And, this doesn’t even go into Giambi-gate, problems with the bullpen, or classlessly pitching Joe Torre out on his tuchus. When does one hold accountable?

In what world is Brian Cashman considered a competent general manager? Presumably the same one where over bidding yourself by $100 million for A-Rod to only give him $300 million is considered teaching him a lesson and pulling one over on him.

2008 MLB leaders in MLV (Runs contributed by a batter beyond what an average player at the same position would produce in a team of otherwise league-average hitters.) [From Baseball Prospectus]
1. Rafael Furcal SS LAD 9.6
2. Pat Burrell OF PHI 9.5
3. Hanley Ramirez SS FLO 9.3
4. Albert Pujols 1B STL 8.5

Here's the bad news: just about everything else. To start with, Andruw Jones. MLV, as described above, has 503 qualified players in 2008. Where's Jonesy rank? At a robust 498th. Basically, while Furcal has gained us 9.6 runs already over what an average SS would do (remember, the Dodgers have only played 10 games. Furcal is gaining us 1 run every game so far), Jones has cost the Dodgers 5.8 runs to this point. That said, two of the only five players who are worse off than Jones so far? David Ortiz and Robinson Cano. And this is why small sample sizes are fun!

Also, for the fourth time in six games, Matt Kemp was on the bench last night - and one of the two he started can almost be seen as a fluke, because he replaced Jones in center while Juan Pierre still got to play. Now, Pierre has hardly been the biggest problem of this young season, but how exactly is a young talent like Kemp supposed to get into a groove when he barely gets to play? In the two games he did get to play, he was 4 for 9 with a triple.

Kemp said,

"I believe I hit righties pretty good," Kemp said. "I don't have an answer to the question (of why I don't play), I really don't, but I wish I could get in there against those guys.

Let's put that to the test. It's hardly a rarity that a young player has some big left/right splits - one needs look no further than Detroit's otherwise exemplary Curtis Granderson to see that. What about Kemp? Well, his career numbers vs. righties are a pretty respectable .299/.328/.497. His OPS vs lefties is a little better (.868 vs .825), but still - he's hardly a liability vs. the right-handed pitcher. Plus, as we very recently pointed out, considering his age? That's a pretty good track record. Can we just let the kid play? Please? I mean, it's not like the Dodgers are having widespread offensive apathy right now.

In other news, Hong-Chih Kuo gets moved up to be the 5th starter while Esteban Loaiza gets pushed to the pen, and Rotoworld is pissed:

That's a pretty disgusting way to treat a veteran, and it's especially surprising coming from Joe Torre. Loaiza had a solid enough spring, and the day after he allowed four runs over four innings in his first start of the year, Torre said he'd stick with him as a fifth starter. Now he's reversing course. It's a long shot that this will work out, as Kuo has never been able to stay healthy as a starter. Odds are that Loaiza will be right back in the rotation in two weeks, except he'll be a worse bet than ever because his arm strength will have deteriorated that much more.

"A pretty disgusting way to treat a veteran"? Really? I'm not exactly sure what him being a veteran has to do with anything - besides, while Kuo has obviously not been able to stick in the bigs, he's hardly a rookie; it's now his fourth season in which he's appeared in the bigs, including starting Game 2 of the 2006 NLDS. And are we really that attached to Loaiza? He's given up 5 earned runs in 6.2 innings so far. Sure, he probably deserved another start or two. But we all know the 3 headed, 2 hyphened 5th starter beast of Estehong-Ho Parkuoaiza (ugh. best I could do) is just keeping the seat warm for Clayton Kershaw anyway, so I really can't get all that worked up about this. Kuo has consistently said that he's more comfortable as a starter anyway, and having also pitched 6.2 innings this year, he's given up 0 runs and struck out 8. Sorry, Esteban. I'm not sure why Rotoworld has your back so much, but you're out of luck on this one.

Anyway, Chris Young and the Padres are back for another game tonight. Maybe, just maybe Matt Kemp will get a start? Ken Gurnick and dodgers.com, please give me some hope? Please?

Juan Pierre, who was batting .067 two games ago, is up to .273 after going 3-for-4 and could return to the lineup for a third consecutive game Saturday night against Chris Young.

One outfielder who figures to be in the lineup is Andre Ethier, who drove in two runs Friday night and is 6-for-16 with three homers lifetime against Young.

Oh. Fantastic.

- Mike Scioscia's tragic illness

By Bryan Jeon

Saturday night's exhibition game between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers was held at the L.A. Coliseum in commemoration of the Dodgers' 50th year anniversary since their move from Brooklyn. All 115,300 seats were sold, breaking the previous record of about 114,000 during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. (Vin Scully, who was calling the game, advised the viewers that there was an Olympic event at the stadium right after the baseball game and that fans poured in early, setting the then-record attendance in the later innings. Scully moved with the Dodgers from Brooklyn in 1958.)

The Coliseum, which was built for track and football and not baseball, vastly changed the dynamics of the game. In 1958, the left-field foul pole was 251 feet with a 42-foot screen while for this game, it was set at just 201 feet with a 60-foot screen. (In comparison, the Green Monster at Fenway Park is about 310 feet from home with a 37-foot wall.) Meanwhile, right field was the exact opposite, standing almost 500 feet from home plate. This had Andruw Jones, the Dodgers' center fielder, standing just behind second base to provide them with a fifth infielder and Jason Varitek before the start of the game to joke, "Dodgers 85, Red Sox 81."

The Red Sox won 7-4 with each team hitting two home runs. They jumped out to a 7-1 lead after Tim Wakefield outpitched Esteban Loaiza and to show some ethnic but unbiased loyalty, I will say that Chan Ho Park, who is fighting to be on the 25-man roster for the Dodgers, showed mostly great control in the 2 and 2/3 innings pitched in relief of Loaiza, striking out four despite giving up 2 runs. I personally feel that he should be on as the fifth starter over Loaiza, who had a 5.79 ERA in 7 starts last year, or as a reliever over Jon Meloan, if Meloan makes the roster. Last year, Meloan had an 11.05 ERA in 5 games pitched.

But back to the game, it was just an amazing view to see a sea of people and the awkwardness of the field length. And to think, the Dodgers played their home games at the Coliseum for four years before moving to Dodger Stadium in 1962.

Originally Aired: March 18th 2008 at 8:00p.m.

___
Topics Discussed:

- March Madness Preview and Predictions

- MLB Season Predictions

- Stanley Cup Predictions

--------------

Fun Facts:

• The costume Jordan wore, "Ariel 2", was originally put together for Chabad's Purim Carnival (an event sponsored by Box Seat Central).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weekly Credits Clip:

ESPN College Gameday's Digger Phelps gets in the March Madness mood with a KU cheerleader: ----------

---------------

Back to Season Two

Tier D - The Almost Aces (The guys who would make an OK #2 or a Very Good #3 on your staff)

20. Fausto Carmona- One of the biggest surprises of 2007. Downside is that he doesn't strike a lot of guys out (although many seem to think that will come, but you should limit your expectations to no more than 150) and it's going to be very difficult to win 19 games again.

21. Roy Halladay- Now this may come as a shock to some of you, but Roy Halladay is good, but no different really than Carmona at this point in his career. He is a much better pitcher in "real baseball" than he is in fantasy. He has not struck out 200 batters since 2003 (which can somewhat be attributed to injury). The last 2 seasons, in which he has pitched at least 220 innings, he has 132 and 139 K's respectively. His ERA and WHIP got worse. He'll win about 16 games, but you can't really expect anything more than a 3.50 ERA, a 1.200 WHIP, and 135 K's.

22. Brett Myers- I was very high on him last year, and was upset I was not able to draft him in any league. Then he became a closer, and adjusted so well to the role that he was disappointed to go back to the rotation when the Phillies acquired Lidge. What can't be disputed is that Myers is an excellent pitcher. What we don't know is he'll respond to being a starter again. I think he'll be real good, but as the great Mike Siano and Cory Schwartz of MLB Radio's Fantasy 411 say "Strength Loves Certainty, Weakness Loves Risk." Can't yet be counted on to carry your rotation. There's also always the chance Lidge either sucks or gets hurt, and Myers goes back to closing.

23. Francisco Liriano- An extreme injury risk after missing all of 2007, BUT, you must remember what he did in 2006. In case you forgot, in 16 starts, he went 11-3, with a 1.190 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 112 K's in 98.2 innings. If he can regain his form, he'll be a steal for whoever gets him after the 6^th round.

24. Tim Lincecum- FBB's top rookie hurler from 2007. On a bad team, but in a good park, expect some inconsistency, but his ability to get the strikeout makes him a high-reward player.

25. Kelvim Escobar- A preseason sleeper favorite for years, Escobar FINALLY delivered the goods in 2007, winnings 18 games, striking out 160, with a 3.404 ERA and a 1.268 WHIP. He did battle some minor injuries, and has not cracked the 200 inning barrier since 2004, but he should be a solid middle-of-the-fantasy-rotation-starter in 2008.

26. James Shields- Another 2007 deep sleeper pick and eventual breakout. Just a flash in the pan, or can he do it again? (I'm a poet and I didn't even know it) On a pretty crappy team, so may not win more than a dozen games, but he'll have a solid ERA and WHIP and post excellent strikeout numbers, per his minor and major league ratio of about 7.7 K's per 9 innings.

27. Ian Snell- On a terrible team, so he probably won't win more the 12 games either, but should give decent ERA and WHIP to go with excellent strikeout numbers. Pretty similar to Shields (age, situation, stats). I take Shields because I like his team a little better.

28. Javier Vazquez- This is probably a case of me holding a grudge to an extent, but let me explain. In 2004, coming to the Yankees off a season where he struck out 241 batters, I thought he was gonna be amazing. To put it plainly, he sucked. He then went to Chicago, and while posting very good strikeout totals, he had dreadful ERA and WHIP for two years. Last year, he struck out 214 guys, while posting a 3.739 ERA and excellent 1.140 WHIP. He was amazing last year, but I despise him. I think we'll probably see the 2005-2006 version in 2008.

29. Rich Hill- He was good in 2007. Very inconsistent, but overall good. People think he's younger than he is. He'll actually be 28 on Opening Day, so I don't think there is too much upside here.

30. Curt Schilling- Much like Halladay, he's a much better "real baseball" pitcher than he is a "fantasy baseball" pitcher. He's getting older (41) he cannot be counted on to stay healthy, and unlike Roger Clemens, he doesn't take steroids. He's still good, but no stud.

31. Jeremy Bonderman- Coming off 4 years in a row, where Bonderman showed improvement in just about every statistical category we FBB Addict's care about, a lot of people, myself included, thought this guy was gonna explode in 2007. He responded with the worst season since his rookie campaign of 2003. What's amazing is that even with 5 season's under his belt, Bonderman is still only 25 years old. A prime candidate for a really nice bounce back, but it's hard to forget what he did last year.

32. Andy Pettitte- He's not going to put up amazing numbers by any means, but he's a very solid and consistent option. Should be a good source of wins, ERA, WHIP, and not hurt you too much in K's (think 150).

33. Jeff Francis- When was the last time you saw a Colorado Rockie starting pitcher in the top 35? When was the last time Colorado had a pitcher as good as Jeff Francis? Because of his home park, it's gonna be difficult for him to put up anything but an OK ERA and WHIP, but he should post nice win and strikeout numbers.

34. Joba Chamberlain- Obviously if he ends up in the bullpen, he's not ranked this high, but he showed us all that he was something special last year. Until a swarm of midges kept him from shutting down the Indians in the ALDS, Joba was untouchable, perhaps the most dominant pitcher in the league the last two months of the season. The Yanks are gonna be very careful with their prized phenom, and he's young, so expect some inconsistency, but he has the potential to become of the most dominant pitchers in the game, perhaps as early as this year.

35. Chien Ming Wang- I've spoken about it already in this space, but it warrants saying again that he's very limited as a fantasy starter, because he doesn't strike anyone out. Nevertheless, he pitches deep into games, will win close to 20 (19 the last 2 seasons) and provide good ERA and WHIP.

36. Adam Wainwright- One of my big sleepers last year, Wainwright overcame a terrible April and May, and quietly delivered the goods, posting a 2.71 ERA and a 7 K/9 after the All-Star break. I think he's primed for a big breakout this year. Could win 16 and strike out 170.

37. Brad Penny- He's been relatively healthy the last couple of year and has developed into a nice pitcher in LA. Should win around 15 games and strike out 145 with a mid-3's ERA, but a terrible WHIP (1.3ish)

38. Tim Hudson- After a dreadful 2006, Hudson turned back the clock to his Oakland heyday in 2007, and was a very good pitcher again. Much like others in this tier, he relies a lot on the defense behind him and does not get a lot of K's, but he should win a nice amount of games while providing a mid 3's ERA and 1.2ish WHIP.

Tier E- The Rotation Fillers (some injury risks, a few sleepers, some underrated, and some overrated.  None of these guys should be one of your top 2, and are best suited as 4's and 5's.)

39. Rich Harden - If he wasn't always hurt, he'd be top 10, but he's always hurt. The very definition of the High Risk- High Reward player.

40. Ben Sheets - ditto

41. Yovani Gallardo- Another top rookie hurler from 2007, expect inconsistency, but the talent is legit. He can get the strikeout, and I dig the strikeout.

42. John Maine- I like his demeanor on the mound. I've seen him dominate and get lit up. Always the same look. He may surprise a lot of people this year.

43. Joe Blanton- Third Year starter. 27 years old. Significant improvement across the board in 2007. All signs point to a breakout in 2008.

44. AJ Burnett- See Harden, Rich and Sheets, Ben.

45. Jered Weaver- After he exploded on the scene in 2006, he had a solid, yet injury affected 2007. His funky mechanics make him an injury risk moving forward as well, but we should see improvement in 2008.

46. Dustin McGowan- Had an excellent 2^nd half in 2007. Could be on the cusp of a breakthrough in 2008.

47. Ted Lilly- Had an excellent year in 2007, clearly benefiting from the move to the NL. Still, I'm not betting on the 31 year old to replicate his career year in 2008. He'll probably regress across the board, but he's still a nice end of rotation type.

48. Phil Hughes- Right now, I rank him as if he is still a Yankee, but if he's traded for Santana, he drops down a little due to the downgrade in team (translation-wins).

49. Dontrelle Willis- Another case of a pitcher who is much better in "real baseball" than in fantasy. He's coming off 2 really bad years in a row and moving to the AL. I think he's gonna get lit up. Someone will overpay for him, but don't let it be you.

50. Randy Johnson- When he was healthy, he was actually quite effective in 2007. Problem is, he was rarely healthy. At 44, and coming off 2 back-surgeries in the span of a year, he cannot be counted on.

51. Chris Carpenter- He's probably not going to be ready till August, but he was the best pitcher in the NL before getting hurt on Opening Day last year. He'll have a lot of time to heal, and if you have the patience to see him sit on your DL all year, he could be factor down the stretch.

52. Bronson Arroyo- I was really high on him in 2007, and he started off great, hit a big rough patch in the middle of the year, and then finished really strong. His bullpen also hurt him a lot. Assuming they give him a little more support in 2008, he could return to his 2006 form.

53. Mark Buerhle - Rebounded nicely in 2007, but that was a contract year. Doesn't get the K's but a nice option for the end of your rotation.

Tier F- The Matchup Guys (Unless they explode, should only be used in favorable matchups.  Shouldn't be fixures, regardless of opponent.  Also, they are getting shorter blurbs J)

54. John Garland- Chien Ming Wang-lite

55. Ervin Santana- Terribly inconsistent, but loads of talent.

56. Randy Wolf- Injury Risk, but favorable situation in San Diego.

57. Chris Capuano- Never really built of his 2005 breakout.

58. Pedro Martinez- Intriguing, but I think he's done.

59. Jeremy Gurthrie- One of my big sleepers for 2008.

60. Barry Zito- Note: It is no longer 2002

61. Gil Meche- He's better than his rank as far as talent goes, but he's on KC, which is never a good thing.

62. Noah Lowry- Consistently mediocre.

63. Chad Billingsley- Inconsistent, but tremendous upside

64. Daniel Cabrera- They very definition of inconsistency. He'll frustrate you to no end.

Tier G- The Rest

65. Boof Bonser

66. Tom Gorzellany

67. Mike Mussina

68. Orlando Hernandez

69. Kenny Rogers

70. Clay Buchholz

71. Adam Miller

72. Dave Bush

73. Homer Bailey

74. Mark Prior

75. Shawn Marcum

76. Ubaldo Jimenez

77. John Lester

78. Scott Baker

79. Oliver Perez

80. Derek Lowe

81. Andrew Miller

82. Greg Maddux

83. Jason Schmidt

84. Zack Grienke

85. Taylor Buchholz

86. Bartolo Colon

87. Matt Garza

88. Scott Olsen

89. Freddy Garcia

90. Cliff Lee

91. John Patterson

92. Jose Contreras

93. Livan Hernandez

94. Jeremy Sowers

95. Zach Duke

96. Nate Robertson

97. Josh Johnson

98. Jason Jennings

99. Anibal Sanchez

100. Anthony Reyes

101. Tom Glavine

102. Chuck James

103. Mike Pelfrey

104. Doug Davis

105. Brandon McCarthy

106. Jeff Suppan

107. Kevin Millwood

108. Jorge Sosa

109. Mark Mulder

110. Carlos Silva

111. Horacio Ramirez

112. Esteban Loaiza

113. Paul Byrd

114. Jon Leiber

115. Matt Morris

116. Gustavo Chacin

117. Jake Westbrook

118. Tim Wakefield

119. Adam Eaton

120. Odalis Perez

121. Jason Marquis

122. David Wells

123. Jeff Weaver

No, what I'm on about today is an in-game decision he made last night - in a contest that could be described as, you know, a big game. 2.5 games out of the wild card going into a series against the team in the lead? This is not the time to screw around, ladies. This is not the time to massage veteran egos. This is the time to win.

Last night, Esteban Loaiza on the hill for the Blue against RoboPeavy. I think it's fair to say that Loaiza just didn't have "it" last night. (One might say that "it" was actually "an umpire who would actually call a strike now and then" - and they wouldn't be wrong.)

First inning, he walks the bases loaded and gives up two runs. 2-0 Padres.

Second inning, he gives up a single to Josh Bard, and then a 2-run dinger to Brian Giles, swinging away on a 3-0 count. 4-0 Padres. Loaiza's thrown 50 pitches by this point.

So far, this is not Griddle's fault. Being down 4-0 is a consequence of Loaiza being ineffective combined with the postage-stamp sized strike zone behind the plate.

However.. the bottom of the 2nd. The Dodgers show some life against Cy Peavy. Kent singles. Gonzo walks. Turtle grounds out to move the runners to 2nd and 3rd. After Ethier strikes out, Nomar is intentionally walked to load the bases for Loaiza.

Who hits for himself. And inevitably, strikes out.

Grady. GRADY! Are you awake? You're down 4-0 in a game you must win. You somehow managed to load the bases against the best pitcher in the league. Thanks to the expanded rosters, you've got half the state of California sitting on your bench. Just look at the sidebar here - this team is carrying fifteen pitchers. Plus, Loazia isn't getting the job done. Look, it's one thing if you've got Penny or Lowe or Billingsley in there mowing people down. You don't take those guys out in the 2nd inning; you suck it up and hope to keep it close enough to get another offensive opportunity later. Tell me why you couldn't have let Mark Sweeney (one of the best pinch-hitters to ever play the game) take a pop at a bases-loaded situation and throw Hull or Houlton out there for a few innings? Isn't that why Sweeney is on this team? Isn't that why we have 9282 pitchers? Personally, I hate the expanded rosters, but if there is ever a time to take advantage of it, this was it. Because honestly, what are we waiting for? There's 20 games left in the season, and this team needs to win at least 3 more than the Padres do. Get on it.

But hey, at least we get the benefit of keeping Loaiza in the game, right? Because he.. bang, Khalil Greene homer. Oh, well at least.. bang, Kevin Kouzmanoff dinger. 6-0 Padres. Houlton and Hull, of course, later combined to pitch 3 and 2/3 scoreless innings.

Hey, maybe Sweeney (or whomever would have pinch hit) strikes out. Maybe it doesn't matter. But maybe he gets a blooper to right field that plates two. And then Houlton and Hull don't give up those two dingers that Loaiza did. We'll never know. Thanks, Grady.

- Mike Scioscia's tragic illness

Wednesday, the Dodgers picked up Esteban Loaiza from Oakland off waivers. The Dodgers are responsible for the remainder of Loaiza's salary, including $7 million next year. But there's no prospects going to Oakland, no players or anything. It's a waiver move, not a trade.

Loaiza has only made two starts this year coming off of an injury, so he's very unproven. But the Dodgers aren't exactly giving up anything, other than money, which Dodger owner Frank McCourt probably has tons of. They probably figure he can't be worse than their current back end of the rotation, so why not take a gamble? Dodger fans should hope that this doesn't mean the team is already penciling Loaiza into his 2008 starting rotation -- who knows how well Loaiza might hold up over a full season. But this is a good move for them trying to win this year.

The A's look very cheap by not getting anything back. But given their small-market, low-payroll needs, this might be exactly what they needed. Loaiza is cheaper than a lot of league-average starters have gone for lately, but maybe the A's really need that money for other, better players.

Has there ever been a win, win waiver claim?

On to the more exciting news.. what a win! I'm sorry to say that I did not get to watch just about all of it, only getting home for the 12th inning. But what a roller-coaster. Brad Penny giving up 6 runs on 8 hits in 5 innings to Washington? Ugh. Mark Hendrickson following to give up 2 more runs? Thanks for showing up, Lurch.

But heroes abound. How about James Loney with 4 RBI? How about Matt Kemp with a game-tying homer after Seanez and Beimel gave up the go-ahead run? How about Jeff Kent hustling face first with the winning run? (shown at right) How about Scott Proctor with three shutout innings to get the win? Finally, how about.. Shea Hillenbrand (?!) with 3 RBI of his own, including a 2 run homer in the 6th inning comeback and the game-winning sac fly.

What a comeback, and what a win. Could amount to nothing, but just saying.. this could be one of those wins you look back upon and say, "that was a season changer." Blue are 3 out of the wild card and 4 out of the division, with San Diego and Arizona playing again tonight. Makes this upcoming series vs. the Padres a little more exciting, no?

- Mike Scioscia's tragic illness

Let's break this down. First of all, there's really not all that much to go on here: Shea literally only says that "the Dodgers have genuine interest in Loaiza, according to a National League source." Nowhere else is LA mentioned. So this isn't exactly the Zapruder film of trade rumors. But it's fun to conjecture anyway.

Loaiza's 36 on New Year's Eve, and he's due for $8 million next year in the final year of his deal. Which, let's face it - is not unreasonable for even a league-average pitcher anymore. I don't think there's any question the Blue could use another starter for the stretch run this year - while Wells looked good in his debut, he's hardly a sure thing, and Stults is still unproven. As for next year, well it might seem like the rotation depth will be a strength, with Schmidt returning and prospects like James McDonald and Justin Orenduff nearly ready.. but don't forget the heady days of March, 2007, when we all wondered what we could get in trade for Hendrickson and Tomko because the rotation was "incredibly deep." And then they ended up being 40% of the rotation for a good part of the year, which in itself was probably enough to embolden the terrorists.

Of course, the possibility of picking up Loaiza only matters if he's any good. Looking up his stats, I was surprised at how effective he's actually been over the years (his monster, insane, inexplicable, 21-9, 2.90 ERA, 2nd in the Cy Young 2003 season aside). Over his career, he's been almost exactly league-average: 99 ERA+. After being Tomko-esque in 2004 (5.70 ERA between the White Sox and Yankees), he put up two relatively decent seasons in '05 and '06: 12 wins and a 3.77 ERA for an awful 2005 Nationals squad, and 11 wins with a 4.89 ERA for Oakland last year. Of course, his best statistic last year was clearly 120; miles per hour while drunk, that is.

This year, he's been out with a torn meniscus in his knee which required surgery. But in his two starts since returning, he's been really good: 3 hits and 1 ER over 7 2/3 IP  on 8/22, and 2 ER over 7 IP on 8/27 - each against Toronto. Can a guy like that help the back end of the Dodger rotation? I think so, especially considering a switch back to the NL is never bad for a pitcher. Plus, he'd be good depth for next year in case Schmidt isn't all the way back; or Wolf isn't resigned; or no other outside help is coming, which is likely considering how insane the price for pitching will be.

It depends, of course, on what it'd take to get him. Personally, I'd rather just eat more money and give a lesser prospect. None of the names that came up in the Blanton talks should even be considered here.

Oh, hey - I just heard Mike Mussina's losing his spot in the Yankees' rotation due to gross ineffectiveness. He was 17-8 in 2003... smells like Dodger material to me.

- Mike Scioscia's tragic illness

Probably the most fun I’ve had in drafting a blog post was in April when I looked at the team that could be formed using just recently departed, still active former Texas Rangers.

The point of that series of posts was to show clearly how bad the Rangers have bled talent out of their organization. To me, doing so is a clear indicator of Hicks’ terrible ownership and lack of commitment to winning.

It’s really almost magical the way Hicks and his front offices have run the Texas Rangers into the ground over the years.

Consider this magical disappearing act: Hicks managed to turn ARod into Soriano and then turn Soriano into Wilkerson (while still paying $7 million a year to the richest team in sports for ARod’s contract). That takes some real talent to in effect turn probably the most productive hitter into one of the worst!

Anyway, I thought I’d look back at the team of former Rangers I composed back in April and see how they’re doing (keep in mind that you have to grant me some dramatic license here as the salary of this team would be very unrealistic, but that’s not the point).

Lineup (with stats to date for this season: OBP/SLG/AVG):

1.  Esteban German          3B/INF   R    (.372/.399/.284;   3hr;   29rbi;   36r; 8sb)
2.  Gary Matthews, Jr.     CF          S   (.338/.448/.275; 14hr; 65rbi; 67r, 12sb)
3.  Alfonso Soriano          LF           R    (.336/.511/.297; 18hr; 42rbi; 74r; 18sb)
4.  Alex Rodriguez           SS/3B     R    (.407/.633/.300; 39hr; 114rbi; 107r; 14sb)
5.  Travis Hafner              DH/1B    L    (.380/.438/.254; 18hr; 70rbi; 58r)
6.  Carlos Lee                  RF          R    (.356/.536/.302; 24hr; 95rbi; 68r)
7.  Adrian Gonzalez          1B/DH    L    (.339/.477/.265; 19hr; 68rbi; 64r)
8.  Ivan Rodriguez            C            R    (.289/.426/.279; 9hr; 50rbi; 39r)
9.  Mark DeRosa             2B/U       R    (.363/.418/.288; 7hr; 54rbi; 40r) 

Bench
Rod Barajas                    C            R    (.343/.376/.214; 4hr; 9rbi; 15r)
Mike Lamb                     INF         L    (.375/.478/.296; 11hr; 34rbi; 40r)
David Dellucci                 OF          L    (.301/.389/.234; 4hr; 20rbi; 25r)

Starting Rotation
Kenny Rodgers            L          (3-2; 5.23era; 17k; 12bb; 32.2ip)
Chris Young                 R          (9-4; 2.02era; 119k; 44bb; 124.2ip)
Estaban Loaiza             R          Injured all season
Doug Davis                  L          (9-10; 3.81era; 101k; 76bb; 146.1ip)
Adam Eaton                 R          (9-8; 6.36era; 82k; 57bb; 133ip)

Bullpen

CL:  Francisco Cordero            R          (36sv; 0-4; 3.14era; 66k; 17bb; 48.2ip)
SU Bryan Corey                       R          Did not make an MLB roster
LR Chan Ho Park                    R          (0-1; 15.75era; 1GS)
MR Fabio Castro                     L          (12.27era; 5G; 3.2ip)
MR Darren Oliver                    L          (4.39era; 43G; 41ip; 31k; 15bb)
MR Brian Shouse                     L          (1-1; 2.60era; 52G; 34.2ip; 20k; 11bb)           
MR Aaron Sele                        R          (3-1; 4.12era; 25G; 43.2ip; 26k; 18bb)
MR Dan Kolb                          R          (9.00era; 3G; 3ip) 

As with any team, I would have needed to make some early season adjustments.

Loaiza’s injury would have forced me to call on Danks (LHP; 6-10; 5.22era; 22GS; 122.1ip; 96k; 46bb) to fill his spot. Doug Davis’ surprising performance would be a plus. And with the offense and defense on this team, it’s safe to assume that each pitcher (maybe even Danks) would have several more wins based on their era’s. For the post-season, Young, Rogers and Davis would likely be more than enough to get the team through. 

The bullpen would have needed some major retooling, but there aren’t as many former Rangers out there to choose from for the bullpen as you might think. Nick Masset is one guy who probably would have been added to the ‘pen. Still, with Cordero closing, and Oliver, Shouse and Sele contributing, there’s a solid core to build around. 

The lineup would have been shuffled. Lamb and German would be platooning at 3B. Hafner, Lee and Gonzalez might have been shuffled around the order, and Dellucci would likely have been demoted and replaced.   

But still, wouldn’t this be some team!  

Now imagine adding in Teixeira, Gagne, Lofton and Mahay at the trade deadline!  

How many games do you think this team wins for the season?