The Trolley Dodger

From Tony Jackson

Dylan Hernandez, Diamond Leung and I got a few minutes with Ned Colletti in the tunnel after the game. Said he might be getting close to acquiring a veteran utility infielder who could better plug the gap while Furcal is out, or if Furcal is out again later in the season.

Esteban Loaiza for Wilson Betemit anyone? ;)

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers, 2007-08 Western Conference Champions!

In my RSS feeds just now came this gem from the Dodgers on MLB.com:

“Relive the 1988 World Series”.

The Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series Collector’s Edition Boxed DVD Set gives fans an opportunity to relive their past and witness some of the greatest moments in baseball history. The Oakland Athletics, featuring the emerging Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco — otherwise known as the “Bash Brothers” — were heavily favored over Los Angeles. However, as Vin Scully put it, “the impossible happened.”

The seven-disk boxed set, originally priced at $69.95 but now available for $51.95 at the MLB.com shop, includes more than 17 hours of footage. It features the Dodgers’ memorable National League Championship Series against the Mets, which set the stage for their title heroics. During the NLCS, Mike Schmidt delivered “Inside Pitch” scouting reports throughout the games. The overwhelming enthusiasm of fans at Shea Stadium in New York and the superb commentary provided by ABC’s Sports Presentation opens up a door of memories.

I guess on another night, this might be something I’d be excited about, but after the three straight losses in which one run was scored, after yet another beautiful pitching performance squandered, this one by Derek Lowe, it seems an ill-timed announcement. It’s hard to get excited about 20-year-old memories, boxed set or no, when the 2008 season is so shaky.

Somebody will point out that we’re only four games back of Arizona, which is all well and good, except that we should be in first place right now. Somebody else will say that it could be worse; at least we’re not the Padres or Rockies. I repeat: we should be in first place right now. We have injuries, yes — so does everybody.

This isn’t giving up by any means — I’m sure it will all work out for the best. I’m just saying it was way easier to skip watching the Dodger game and instead watch The Abyss on Fox Movie Channel. Great flick. Feels like an appropriate name.

And like the end of the movie, I’m sure tomorrow will dawn brighter as we rise out of the depths. Besides, we have some great pitching. Right? ;)

The AP is reporting that Mike Piazza has decided to retire.

“After discussing my options with my wife, family and agent, I felt it is time to start a new chapter in my life,” he said in a statement released by his agent, Dan Lozano. “It has been an amazing journey.”

We had the opportunity to see Jason Schmidt pitch his rehab start tonight at San Bernardino. It was also Armed Forces Night, so there was a Dodger Camo Hat giveaway and several flybys from a Blackhawk helicopter. It also hovered over the outfield during “God Bless America” and the National Anthem, sending the warning track up in great boiling dust clouds and rendering the music, well, moot with the noise.

Still, a cool moment. As was seeing Jason Schmidt walking out to the mound, wearing #7 on his 66ers uniform. He got a nice round of applause as he was announced.

It was hot in San Berdoo, with a high over 100, which I imagine didn’t make the job any easier. Schmidt looked like he was doing pretty darn well, apart from a brief moment in the 2nd when either Schmidt was having trouble finding the strike zone, or the ump was.

He went 2.1 innings, giving up only one single and one walk, with no runs, three Ks, three flyouts, and one groundout on a difficult comebacker that hit him pretty hard in the 1st inning.

He had to spin around for a moment to find the ball, but still managed to throw the man out at first. Schmidt didn’t seem to be any worse for wear after the ball hit him, or at least he wasn’t letting on if it was. As he walked off, Eduardo Perez looked like he was asking him how he was, and Schmidt nodded and waved his glove as if to say “No problem.”

We left after the Lake Elsinore Storm put up six runs in the 4th, but according to the box score, the 66ers managed to pull out an 8-7 victory in the bottom of the 9th.