The Trolley Dodger

AB R H  2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS
45 5 10 3  0  0   6  0  0  3  8  .222 .308 .289 .597
40 3 7  1  0  1   2  0  0  6  11 .175 .283 .275 .558
41 4 6  2  0  0   4  1  0  7  11 .146 .271 .195 .466
43 6 3  0  0  1   3  0  0  9  10 .070 .231 .140 .370
40 3 4  1  0  0   1  0  0  6  14 .100 .217 .125 .342

(See below.)

(more…)

Andruw Jones, though April 12th, 2007.

G  PA  AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO  BA    OBP   SLG   OPS
10 43  37  6  7  3  0  2   5   6   0  14 .189  .302  .432  .734 

Andruw Jones, through April 11th, 2008

G  PA  AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO  BA    OBP   SLG   OPS
10 38  35  0  4  1  0  0   1   3   0  11 .114  .184  .143  .327

They’ve been pooh-poohed by columnists and brutalized by reporters, but their new-media writing will benefit the team as they become complements and not the cornerstones of fandom.

April 11 2008

DODGER STADIUM, Los Angeles, Calif.

There’s bloggers in the house.

“Yeah, last year, we beat up Juan Pierre pretty good,” says an unidentified Son of Steve Garvey.

There are Dodger Dogs in the house.

Free Dodger Dogs.

On.

Tap.

There’s Ned Colletti in the house, and he’s wearing a handsome pair of cowboy boots.

Old-school reporters downright brutalize the bloggers, but it turns out that Colletti likes them.

“We should do this again,” says Colletti.

Public Relations and Broadcasting Director Josh Rawitch was good enough to invite local bloggers to hold a meet up at Dodger Stadium, plying them with free food and special guests.

Ned Colletti and his spiffy boots, answering questions with refreshing candor.

Owner Frank McCourt, displaying passion and blunt assessments about the past few Dodger seasons and current challenges.

And lastly, Tommy Lasorda, whose storytelling is even funnier in person than in print, and who also had the second longest-running blog in the room.

“Keep on blogging!” he exhorted us during perhaps the most inspirational speech ever given to a roomful of website writers.

(I came home and wrote this, so I think his speech worked.)

It says something that the Dodgers, one of the biggest and best sports franchises, took the time to talk to a group of bloggers.

It says something that the owner and general manager of one of the most storied teams in baseball took the time to answer every blogger question forthrightly.

It says something that a world-famous manager and baseball ambassador took the time to entertain a rapt bunch of bloggers.

#

Thanks to being in the suite area next to the Vin Scully Press Box, we were able to observe some of the secret, behind-the-scenes media goings-on that most fans never hear about.

Like Tony Jackson, Daily News sportswriter and frequent complainer about elevators, has a deluxe suite to himself, complete with personal chef and stenographer-masseuse.

TJ Simers, gadfly and Jeff Kent caregiver, was moonlighting at the Dodger Gear store in the suites area, drunkenly hawking replica jerseys and blue rally monkeys to passing plutocrats.

(Reportedly, this behavior is tolerated for fear of yet another column about driving across the Great Plains with his Long-Suffering Family Members.)

Bill Plaschke keeps showing up at Will Call, demanding free rides in the bullpen buggy on display nearby the press box.

Security usually distracts him by saying ESPN is on the courtesy phone in the guard shack by the front gate.

A Dodger employee, asking to remain nameless, let it slip that Plaschke gets paid by the carriage return.

We should all be so lucky.

So.

Lucky.

#

Oh, and the biggest secret of all?

I’ll probably be banned from the next blogger event for letting this bombshell slip, but it’s too big not to share.

One of the Sons of Steve Garvey is Alyssa Milano.

True story.

Watch for a line of special SoSG *touch* clothing and accessories coming soon.

You heard it here first.

#

Seriously, though, thanks to the Dodgers for their beyond-the-pale hospitality, but more than anything for their willingness to explore the new media world with reckless abandon, as well as answer our sometimes pointed questions with honesty and humor.

Hopefully they can do something about all the deadbeat reporters hanging around. ;)

#

Update: Most of the rest of last night’s crew have posted their experiences now:

1. “Orel” (wink wink) at Sons of Steve Garvey: “Dodger Bloggers Strangely Unlike Blogger Stereotype” … and Steve Sax as well, “A Big SoSG Thank You to Josh Rawitch”
2. Chris at Dodger Fan: “Dodgers Go All Out for Local Bloggers”
3. Robert at Dodger Dugout: “Timm’s Two Cents”
4. Erin at Beantown West: “Bloggers Leave Moms’ Basements, Get Free Dodger Dogs”

I expect Ernest from Blue Heaven is sleeping off his Dodger Dog bender and hasn’t had a chance to post yet. Lord knows I had my own share and somebody else’s as well, but I posted when I got home instead. A little hair of the dog will get you going the next morning.

Actually, never mind. That’s a bad idea. Forget I said anything.

Update 2: At last, Ernest is up and at ‘em! :) “Suite Seats The Movie”

After last night’s game, I realize my Dodgers to-do list needs some amending, viz.,

1. Avoid spotting the other team any runs in the 1st inning, particularly when playing against their ace, but really any time would be bad. (Giving up five runs in the 7th and 8th is bad too, but first things first.)
2. Figure out what the hitting part of the lineup is doing right and make the other half do it too. If that means sitting the slumping Andruw Jones for three games so he goes 3-5 with a triple like Matt Kemp did last night, so be it.

Doing our thought experiment, here’s the line as played:

LAD 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1   5  11 1
AZ  3 0 2 0 0 0 4 1 X   10 12 0

And if the first inning hadn’t happened:

LAD 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1
AZ  0 0 2 0 0 0 4 1 X

LAD 5 AZ 7

Today at noon (Pacific time) on the Fox Movie Channel, they’re showing It’s Good to Be Alive (1974), a dramatization of the story of Roy Campanella. Based on Campy’s book of the same name, it stars Paul Winfield as the catcher, Louis Gossett Jr. as his physical therapist, and Ruby Dee as his wife.

From the official Roy Campanella site:

A successful catcher is defined by his ability to handle the pitching staff, throw out would-be stealers, and keep errant throws and pitches in front of him. Roy Campanella possessed all these skills and then some.

The man they called “Campy” was the complete package, leading National League catchers in putouts six times, and clubbing 242 home runs in his 10-year Major League career. From 1948-1957, Roy Campanella was securely anchored behind home plate for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

He caught in five World Series, won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1951, 1953, and 1955, and was the first black catcher in Major League Baseball history. In 1969, he joined baseball’s elite with his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Speaking of awards, the Dodgers in 2006 created the Roy Campanella Award in his honor, given to the Dodger who “best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher.” Rafael Furcal won the inaugural award. The winner last year? A certain All-Star catcher who can handle the pitching staff, throw out would-be stealers, and keeps errant throws and pitches in front of him. Pretty good hitter too.