The Trolley Dodger

On Twitter:

@MANNYWOOD: THIS IS EMBARRASING! WHAT GOT INTO ANDY LAROCHE TODAY? THE WORST DAY OF THE YEAR FOR THE #DODGERS

@trolleydodger: Umm, no. The worst day of the year for the Dodgers was 5/7/09.

Via Jordon Bastian on Twitter:

@MLBastian: Ichiro ejected after drawing a line in the dirt to show home-plate ump Brian Runge exactly where that “strike” was.

@MLBastian: Drawing a line in the sand earns Ichiro 1st career tossing – MLB or Japan. Also 1st Mariner (coach or player) ejected in 2009

UPDATE:

Video is up!

Got an email just now asking me to pass along info about what looks like a fun event upcoming tomorrow (9/23) afternoon:

Former Dodgers catcher Jim Campanis will headline tomorrow’s Dodgers Watch Party at ESPN Zone at L.A. Live at 4 p.m. Campanis, who will meet with fans and sign autographs, was traded from the Dodgers to the Royals in 1968 by Los Angeles GM Al Campanis—his father—for two minor leaguers and cash.

Fans will also have a chance to enjoy an All-You-Can-Eat Dodger Dogs buffet for $10 as the NL West-leading Dodgers face off against the worst team in the majors—the Washington Nationals.

All-you-can-eat Dodger Dogs would be reason enough, so getting an autograph from a former Dodger seems like icing on the cake. :D

(More on Jim Campanis at baseball-reference.com.)

“Hardie Henderson: Champion Base Ball Pitcher” — pitched from 1883-1887 for the Philadelphia Quakers, Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Grays (19th-century precursor to the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers), and Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

In a horrible bit of irony, Henderson was killed in February 1903 when he was run over by a train trolley.[1]

Read more at:

• baseball-reference.com
• Wikipedia

[1] See this history of native Philadelphian ballplayers at Google Books.

Check out this current Foxsports.com poll, asking, “How far will the Dodgers go?”

Pretty darn far, I’d say, if we wind up making it to the ALCS! ;)

The poll is attached to this story by Jon Paul Morosi, Like the Dodgers or not, the numbers don’t lie.

We’ve heard hosannas about the Philadelphia and St. Louis rotations. We’ve followed the wild card race closely enough to ask whether Colorado or San Francisco has the better utility infielder. (Let me guess: You prefer Omar Quintanilla to Ryan Rohlinger.)

And then there are the Dodgers, who lead the National League with 80 victories, who are in first place by six games, but whose popularity has declined steadily since June. Dismissed and disparaged, generally on account of their rotation, they are perceived by some as the fifth-sexiest entry in a postseason that has room for four.

Their popularity has declined? Fifth-sexiest? “Hey honey, how do I look?” “My darling, you will be the fifth sexiest woman at the dance!” “Wha-?”

Good to see the lofty standards of old-school sports journalism are still high.

Really, really high.