Not All Giants For Dodgers Trades Are Bad

Aloha, everybody,

Current Dodgers front office suit and previous GM, Ned Colletti, came over to the Dodgers from the San Francisco Giants. 

As Dodgers GM, Colletti had a bad habit of acquiring former Giants. Those deals often stank. They stank enough to make a lot of Dodger fans wonder whether Colletti was in reality a spy from SF sent here to undermine the team from the inside. 

On the other hand, I often cite Jeff Kent as a good Giant to travel down the coast to join LA. Juan Uribe, once beloved in SF, even carved out a niche of his own here in LA. Thus, transactions between Nor Cal and So Cal can certainly work out well. Such was the case after I recently showed off a set of metal Willie Mays cards as trade bait. Of course, a Giants fan came a callin'. 

Arpsmith from Arpsmith's Sportscard Obsession put in a claim, and soon enough, another Dodgers-Giants trade was on. The Say Hey Kid was on his way to the bay and some good ol' Dodgers were headed down to LA. 

Leading off the loot that came from Arpsmith are a couple of 2013 schedules featuring the former 1-2 punch of the Dodgers pitching rotation...

"Hay un nuevo blue" translates to "There's a new blue". Prophetic, as the new blue rotation for 2016 will be all Kershaw and no Grienke.

Here come some new blue additions for my collection, from Pinnacle...

Arpsmith knows I like me some vintage, so these Dodgers were the meat of the deal...

I already had a 1958 Demeter, but this one is a considerable upgrade. 

Notable: Demeter's photo always looked to me like one of those creepy ventriloquist mannequins. 

The Harris card below is primo vintage - and it chips one off of my 1960 Dodgers team wanted list...

 It's a very clean card, with sharp corners and a good amount of surface gloss. Nope, nothing chewy about these cards. 

Finally, the trade capper. A triple-autographed Heritage Dodger Stadium tribute card featuring Claude Osteen, Manny Mota, and the guy who's auto sealed the deal for me...Mr. Maury Wills...

 I recognize Mota's auto as I have a couple of other IP autos from him, and these are my first Osteen and Wills sigs. I love that Wills added his number "30". 

I was initially disappointed that Wills signed low, in the shadow of the light standards, but it turns out I was looking at things all wrong. I was looking at the card as three separate autographs.   

I think Wills may have signed low in order to not cover up the action on the baseball diamond. Now I see and appreciate the entirety of the card as one whole piece. This new perspective makes the it look even better to me.

THANKS for this great batch of cards, Arpsmith. It's another trade between west coast rivals that benefited all.

Aloha!

Is It Too Soon To Declare A "Dan Haren Curse"?

 Dodgers G.M. (Ha!) Ned Colletti felt good with the Dodgers as a team. He felt no need to make a trade while other teams improved their pitching staffs. Apparently he thought the Dodgers were good enough to ride into the World Series as is. 

Corporate writers and commentators of various sorts fell for this (I suppose) and began telling the tale of the Dodgers being "perfect" as they are presently constituted.  

Well, it seems everybody forgot about the train wreck that is the Dan Haren Express. 

 If you want to know statistically how bad Haren's been this season, check out any of the stat-head blogs for all the relevant numbers.  Believe me, this is one time that numbers spell out "Train Wreck". 

The Dodgers were starting to feel pretty good about themselves. They had just won 6 in a row, swept two teams back to back, and were comfortably settling into First Place. They probably arrived at Chavez Ravine for Saturday night's game with a special swagger and a smile that would naturally appear following a Kershaw complete-game victory.  

Heck, the night's opponents were the lowly Chicago Cubs. It was looking like the Dodgers were going to buzzsaw through this sub .500 team and their rookie, unknown pitcher with no problem at all. 

Nobody has to payola me (but payola gladly accepted here also) to say nice things about the Cubbies or Chi-town, as I absolutely love Chicago Dogs and "The Chicago Way"...

 ...but even Cubbie fans would have to agree it's difficult to find many good things to say about this season.

None of that mattered though, because good ol' Dan Haren can top the Cubs' brand of bad. 

Do you know why the Dodgers had a six-game winning streak, swept two series in a row and captured First Place? It's because Manager Damn Mattingly skipped Haren's turn in the rotation. He wanted Haren nowhere near a baseball with first place on the line. 

Now I'm sure Haren's mom probably feels we're all being a bit harsh on her sonny boy, so let's forget all that past. Let's forget his 9+ ERA too.  

 
That said, Haren still brought some bad, bad mojo to the mound Saturday night. 

He managed to hold the Cubs to not homering until the SECOND inning, and then the wheels fell off and the flames shot skyward for the rest of the night. 

It was ugly out there. In one crazy night the Dodgers...
lost the ability to block wild pitches or tag runners out,
lost the mindset of how a First Place team should crush a last place team,
lost that post-Kershaw splendor and swagger, and
lost three players. Crucial players.

Yasiel Puig, Jaguar Gonzalez and pitcher Paul Maholm (<-- perhaps not so crucial) all had to leave the game with injuries sustained in awkward, freaky plays.

When the smoke cleared, the Dodgers had lost the game, lost momentum, and lost a full game in the standings to the Giants.  

If I'm Ned Colletti, I'm calling up one of those young arms from the farm right about now. The Haren Curse must be stopped.














 

Question Answered - Loud And Clear !

Greetings readers and trade partners,

Away back on  June 22nd I wrote a post that essentially called out my team, and laid forth this 239 million dollar question...

At the time, my beloved Dodgers and the 2013 season were pretty much absolute failures.  The Boys had a record of 30-42, were sitting in last place, the homer announcers on the Dodger TV broadcast were all out of excuses and were finally calling it as they saw it ("Abysmal"),  and even die hard Dodger fans were admitting defeat.

I wrote that June post as a challenge...a call to arms if you will...a plea to my team to WAKE UP!  and get their collective shite together!  I'm very happy to report that I did my part to contribute to the success of the Dodger's 2013 campaign, and it seems my humble little post worked.

Since that writing the Dodgers have won 20 of their last 25, and are looking every bit like the bad-ass juggernaut that all those payroll millions were supposed to deliver.  Hallelujah, I say!

I'm not here to analyze what caused that turnaround.  The beat writers and stat bloggers can write all about that - and they have.  Let's simply take a look at who I called out as a bum in that past post and see what's happened since.

STILL A BUM

Brandon "I Only Pitch In Blow Outs Or If Absolutely, Positively Everyone Else has Already Pitched, And The Umps Won't Let Coach Rick Honnecut Pitch" League

 Mattingly finally had to admit this guy has as much business on a mound as Korean pop star Jessica Jung.  League's been relegated to the absolute back of the line for pitching eligibility.  In yesterday's extra-inning, nail biting, close game with the Nationals, Mattingly used every single bullpen pitcher available, except for League.  You could almost feel the ache in the Skip's stomach as he hoped closer Kenley Jansen would not lose the lead, forcing him to bring in this bum.

At least he wasn't traded away like this guy...

STILL A BUM

Matt Guerrier was traded away to the Cubs.  I heard Ned "Bum To Be Mentioned Later" Colletti quoted a scene from the classic film "On The Waterfront" when he sent Matt packing to the Windy City.  It comes near the end when the gangsters have left Marlon Brando beaten to a pulp behind their headquarters.  The mob boss spits out his words full of venom and spite - as Colletti probably did to the Cubs - "You wantum?  You can haveum!!"

SEEMINGLY SNAPPED OUT OF BUMDOM

With Man Monster Puig tearing up shite in RF, Ethier found himself patrolling Center.  He's got his mind right, has been playing well enough in the field, and has started hitting the ball again.  As an extra bonus, he's actually starting to get his power groove on as well.  In the Dodger's first game back after the All Star break, Ethier blasted a 9th inning HR to lead the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory over the Nats.

STILL A BUM 

Some of the writers have been fooled out there by the Dodger's big turnaround, and are actually saying things like Mattingly was making genius moves all along; it was simply the players that weren't executing.  Hogwash!

While it's true many of the players finally got healthy and began doing well, this guy is still making stupid field management decisions.

Case in point: Bison's first game back from the disabled list.  He was absolutely Thee Bison, going 3 for 4, with a homer and 3 RBIs.  It was the 9th inning, in a 9-3 blowout against the Nats. 

All Mattingly had to do was let us all bask in the glory of Kemp's awesome return, and pull him off the bases after his last at-bat in the 9th.  The INJURY PRONE Kemp, in his FIRST GAME OFF THE DL, could have come off the field a hero, to celebratory high fives from all in the dugout.

Nope, after Kemp's 9th inning walk, Damn Mattingly, "Super Genius", left him in to run the bases and stupidly twist his ankle at home plate.  Injured, yet again!  Pulling an injury-prone player, in the 9th, in a blowout, is what smart managers do.  Ya haven't fooled me, Skipper.

RECENT VICTORIES, STILL A BUM

Speaking of guys that have had their careers reignited by the vapors of the surging Dodgers, Slick Nick here dropped some of the dead wood that he previously signed, and did make a couple of decent pick ups (see Ricky Nolasco) to buy some time with the new Dodger ownership.

It's my prediction that at the end of the season, if push comes to shove, Ned will throw Damn Mattingly under the team bus, and roll on as our god-awful G.M.

STILL, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, HONORABLE MENTION BUM 

The less I'm reminded this guy is "leadership" on my team, the better.

On the surface, this may appear to be a negative vibe post, since so many of the bums I mentioned in the original post, still are.

However, on the EXTREMELY POSITIVE side, the 25-man roster, the guys between the chalk lines, my beloved Dodgers, have shaken off those days of bumtacity, and have become the team I don't want to miss a single inning of - nay - I don't want to miss a single pitch, because the Boys are back in town.

The 239 Million Dollar Question

After a 25-year absence from the World Series, it might well be easy from time to time for a casual Dodger fan to declare the team to be terrible and simply walk away, but I'm no casual Dodger fan.

I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium.  I've lived my entire life in the Los Angeles area, and I've been a down home, never-say-die, bleedin' Dodger Blue fan ever since I can remember.  If I could have managed it, I would have been born wearing a Dodgers cap.

My life philosophy has been to always live within easy driving distance of Dodger Stadium, and my family knows that when I go, my final wish is to have my ashes strewn over the green, rolling Elysian Park hills that overlook the stadium beyond the outfield walls, so that every summer I'll have the best seat in the house to watch my beloved Boys in Blue.

I've seen my share of bad Dodger teams, and I have 2 sons, the oldest 21, who have only seen their favorite team play in the World Series through videotape.  The Dodgers in the Fall Classic is only a legend to them.  That said, year in and year out, I've never really given up on a team or a season.  I've always supported the Boys and felt, like that brave and wonderful 5th grade Dodger fan in giants country, Casey Johnstone, that win or lose, they're my team, dang it, and "Let's Go, Dodgers!"

But this season - this awful, appalling and horrific season is really something special.

There were Dodger teams in the past that we sort of expected to be bad, and there were teams with the assorted bum sprinkled within.  But this 2013 squad, this $239 million team that was supposed to make a serious run at winning it all, is the definition of dreadful.  They have truly made it painful to watch their games.  Half the guys seem to be sleepwalking, and the other half are just incapable of bringing forth talent they clearly don't possess.  Far too often it seems they themselves don't believe they can win.  I don't think I've ever felt quite like this before. 

WHO'S A BUM? 

This guy, that's who.  He's so bumtastic that he gets shown twice.  Can the Dodgers please stop signing pitchers with  these ridiculous tattoo arm sleeves?  Ronaldo Belisario has sleeve tattoos as well. I'm starting to see a disturbing pattern. 

Here comes another bullpen bum...

No tattoos...but there's plenty of bumtacity running up and down this guy's pitching arm.  And take off Bulldog Hershiser's number, ya bum!

This team's bummitis runs deep.  It's not just on the pitchers, we've got guys that stink at the plate as well....

BUM

While almost everyone around him has been injured, Dre here has had no such excuse.  After signing a huge contract, and being the last man standing of the Dodger veterans, Ethier had a chance to step up and show us all what he's made of.  Apparently, he's made of bummerite.  I showed him without a bat, since he really hasn't had one all season long.

 TOP BUM

I managed to resist the urge to openly call for Damn Mattingly's head most of this season, but he leaves me no choice!  This guy is a bumalicious field manager.

Just a couple of Mattingly's unexplainable, unexcusable recent game decisions: 

A tie game on the line with 2 outs and RISP, both Ellis' and Hanley Ramirez on the bench available to pinch hit, and you let Luis "I only Pop up or Strike out" Cruz bat ???????  With the game on the line?? REALLY?????????????  Result: Cruz strikes out. Dodgers never rally again. We lose.

A tie game on the line in the 7th, with Paco and Howell in the bullpen, and you bring in the aforementioned, proven Bum Guerrier????????????   REALLLYYYYY????????????  Result: Guerrier immediately gives up 2 runs.  Dodgers never recover.  We lose.

Final nail in the coffin.  In a recent interview about the Dodgers - Padres rivalry, Mattingly denied any bad blood between the teams.  He was then   asked if any teams do inspire those deep emotional feelings for the Dodgers.  His answer:  The Red Sox.  REALLY ????????????   Not the guys up north wearing Halloween colors?   The Boston Red Sox ???????????   Fire the bum!

LONG-TIME RESIDENT BUM

Ned Colletti, Dodgers G.M.  Here's the guy who not only assembled this year's collection of Bums 'R' Us, but he's been bringing over a steady stream of overpaid and over-the-hill bumfection to drag my beloved team down for years. 

HONORABLE MENTION BUM

"If they would just let my guys juice up."

Batting Coach.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!


I never thought I would call my team "bums" in any other than that loveable and nostalgic Brooklyn Dodger way, but these guys have earned it.


THANKS for reading! 

So I Went To See Puig Play For Myself...

Hey Everybody,

My man inside Dodger Stadium offered up a couple of tickets for today's Dodger game, so I naturally jumped at the chance to see the Cuban phenom himself in action.  Here's how it all went down...

 I decided to be a good environmental citizen (and a well-planning beer drinker) and take the train.
The trick is to take any train to Union Station in downtown L.A., and then hop on a shuttle bus that runs you up to the stadium.

Before you can go anyplace, you gotta figure this out.

(Some of these photos look pretty nice in larger size.  Just click on any photo and it will blow up for you.)

I might have known this was gonna be a rough day for the Boys, as it started out on the rough side for us "shuttle captives".  I guess today was our shuttle bus driver's first day on the job since he drove right past the drop-off point for us riders - slowly enough for us to see our stop fall behind and disappear behind us.  He then proceeded to circle the ENTIRE STADIUM.  He eventually got back to the original stop, and we were off.

No worries as we got to our seats soon enough to catch the first pitch. Below we see Atlanta's second batter, Jason Heyward being walked by Dodgers starter, Matt McGill.  These first inning walks were more bad omens of the awful afternoon ahead.  I suppose McGill's 6.29 ERA on the display should have been another unlucky omen...

That said, we certainly can't deny we had our chances, as we quickly loaded the bases in our half of the first...

Whizz kid Puig led off the game with a single in what amounted to be the Dodgers' only rally of the day.  That's him standing at third base in the photo above.  The problem with this scenario however, is Puig is on third with bases loaded and not at bat, so the best the Dodgers came away with was one run on a slow, tired roller from Skip "15-Game Hitting Streak" Shumaker.  Yay!

That was all she wrote for the Dodgers as Dan Uggla later slammed a three-run homer and we had to endure the first of too dang many tomahawk chops from the Atlanta backers in the crowd.

It was definitely time to take a walk after that, so my buddy and I headed over to the Stadium Club to grab a couple of brews.  The last time I was on this, the Club Level, I showed pics of the historic Dodgers wall art.  This time lets check out a couple of shots from the Stadium Club, which offers the best selection of beers on tap on this level.

Here's the Stadium Club Bar.  The view of the game is out and to the right.

Not a bad set up in here.  They have a fresh pizza station.

They have unrecognizable offerings with bou-jee exotique names.

You can dine under a wall of Dodger greats from the past.

Here's the view from the Stadium Club.  It's now 7-1, Atlanta, and McGill is about to be yanked.

On our way back to our seats, we had our first Dodger celebrity sighting of the game.  Exiting an elevator alone, and heading right toward us, was none other than Dodgers G.M., Ned (Please Be Gone Next Season) Colletti.  The first thing I noticed was the guy looked like he was wearing the stress and frustration of the team on his face.  I said, "Hey," to Ned and he was nice enough to shake my hand.  I almost felt sorry for the guy and patted him on the shoulder.  I remarked to my friend afterward that if my beer hadn't cost $11, I woulda dumped it right on Colletti's head.

We got back to our seats just in time to see this couple get featured on "Kiss Cam".

By now, it was garbage-time.  Belisario was pitching, and most of the fans who were cooking in the sun this afternoon had left.

Puig hit a double in the ninth, but was eventually left at third as the Dodgers quietly faded away in the ninth.

There was nothing left to do after that shellacking but to gather up and get out when suddenly I noticed this through a crack in some window shades....

Waitaminute!! Does that say...whom I think it says?

I glance in and see a desk piled high with figurines and trophies that all say "Tommy Lasorda".  I look up and the walls are covered in photos and memorabilia from Tommy's glory days. It's Tommy Lasorda's office. WOW!

Sinatra's here, Don Rickles, famous athletes and movie stars.

Here's Tommy, Vinny and Al Campanis. 

Almost forgot the second celebrity sighting of the day, Dodgers Elvis!

The Boys lost today, but it was just another day at the office for Puig.  the young superstar went 3 for 4 on the day with 2 doubles, and threw an insanely bad-ass strike from deep in right field to home, holding an Atlanta runner at third.  Scott Van Slyke made 2 nice sliding catches out in left field as well.

Ended the day at Congregation Ale House in Pasadena.  I do love to ride the train.

Thanks for reading, everybody!