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? ;)

Nothing like some good months-early rumor mongering covering both coasts. MLB Trade Rumors points to a Boston Herald article on the subject, “Free to decide: Players on the open market”…

Now in the final season of a four-year, $36 million contract he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2004 season, Lowe will be a free agent again in the fall. While there are already indications that the New York Yankees will be among Lowe’s suitors during the offseason, the pitcher will have a most obvious strength when it comes time to sit at the bargaining table: Durability.

And since he wouldn’t have to pitch in Coors Field, he’d be just fine, I’m sure. ;)

Rumor has it the Cubs are looking for a CF and are taking a serious look at Coco Crisp.

The Cubs were reportedly looking to resign Juan Pierre before the Dodgers picked him up. (They gave up a lot to get him in the first place.)

From a Cubs news item on February 2007:

Long gone
CF Juan Pierre: He led the NL in hits with 204 and swiped 58 bases, third-best in franchise history. But Pierre left via free agency because he wanted a long-term deal, and the Cubs didn’t want to block prospect Pie. They’ll miss Pierre’s expertise — he was a good mentor for young players — and his energy.

Think they’d still be interested? If they’re that interested in Crisp, why not Pierre if we subsidized the salary?

2007 stats

PLAYER G   AB  R  H   2B 3B HR RBI SB  BA   OBP  SLG
Crisp  145 526 85 141 28 7  6  60  28 .268 .330 .382
Pierre 162 668 96 196 24 8  0  41  64 .293 .331 .353

I think the word that best describes my reaction: eewwwwwww!

“Manny’s new agent: Scott Boras”

Manny Ramirez spoke to reporters about his contractual situation Thursday, but when he did he failed to mention one new revelation: Ramirez is switching agents and has hired Scott Boras, a friend of Ramirez’s told SI.com.

Regarding the rumored acquisition of Joe Torre and Don Mattingly, it wouldn’t be the first time the Dodgers have welcomed former Yankee superstars to their coaching staff, particularly one (like Donnie Baseball) who desperately wanted the Bronx manager job.

You might recognize the fellow in the middle of this picture, who traded his pinstripes for a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform for half of the 1938 season:

“Former Dodger Gagne is happy to be in Boston”

Eric Gagne was at Angel Stadium Monday, admitting that as the trade deadline neared, he allowed himself to wonder what it would be like to call the stadium 30 miles north home again.

He had read the rumors and knew the Dodgers needed pitching.

“It would’ve been great,” Gagne said. “I had a great time over there, 12 great years. It was a lot of fun, but now it’s behind us.”

Grumble, grumble.

Isn’t it weird that no one has picked up Brady Clark yet? The Dodgers released him on June 20th, and while he wasn’t necessarily having a great season (he only had 58 at-bats), I can’t imagine someone doesn’t need a fourth outfielder.

Actually, I’m rather surprised the Mets haven’t swooped in to grab another ex-Dodger. ;)

UPDATE Well, not the Mets, but the other team snapping up former Dodgers. According to MLB Trade Rumors, “Red Sox Sign Brady Clark”

I haven’t seen a mention about this in the Dodger news, but the Tampa Tribune lets us know that the Saturday Dodgers/Devil Rays game will feature both teams in retro uniforms.

The Rays will take on the look of the old St. Petersburg Saints on Turn Back the Clock Night at Tropicana Field. The visiting Los Angeles Dodgers will pay homage to their roots by wearing blue and gray throwbacks to the Brooklyn era.

Their roots and mine.

The reporter, Bob Bellone, grew up in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn (”corner of Church and Nostrand avenues”). That wouldn’t have been too far away from Ebbets. And in fact, as Bellone reminisces:

We heard the most joyful noises while sitting on the roof on summer days and nights - those of fellow Dodgers fans cheering on our flanneled heroes up Bedford Avenue at Ebbets Field. The rest of us religiously followed the action through the radio calls of young broadcaster Vin Scully.

Bob shares other memories, some bittersweet, about the Boys in Blue — from the article, if I’m reading it correctly, his family moved to Long Island (and the Dodgers moved to LA) before he could see them play in person.

Like many brokenhearted Dodger fans in New York, he adopted the Mets when they appeared. Some former Brooklyn players eventually wound up with the Mets…

…but all I could do was imagine being among the adoring crowds who witnessed [the Dodgers'] glory years.

My father helped by sharing tales of his peering through knot holes and other openings in the wooden fences of Ebbets Field when he didn’t have the nickel required to join Hilda Chester - the cowbell-ringing First Lady of Flatbush - in the bleachers.

Tonight at 7:10, more than a half-century late, I’ll finally see players wearing Brooklyn in blue script across their chests.

And that, no matter what your favorite team, is a special thing.

While not strictly Dodger-related, I had to share this movie of Matt Damon (born and bred Red Sox fan) giving David Letterman (huge Yankees fan) grief for the disparity in their teams’ performances this year. Very funny.

(Thanks to Cormac at “I didn’t know there was Baseball in Ireland?!” for the pointer.)

From Florida Today comes this article on a bittersweet transition taking place in Vero Beach: “Devil Rays try to follow Dodgers’ tradition”.

At least a half-dozen times this season, Joe Sanchez, the melodious voice of Holman Stadium, has mistakenly slipped in the word “Dodgers” as he describes the action in front of the blue seats below him.

“Which isn’t too bad after 27 years,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t think the fans listen to me anyway, half the time.”

Most likely, they’re still stunned that their once-beloved Vero Beach Dodgers, a franchise which once groomed major league stars such as Steve Sax, Mike Piazza and Paul LoDuca, have been replaced by the Vero Beach Devil Rays, a Tampa Bay Class-A team.

Having the Dodgers High-A affiliate in SoCal is a great thing for me and other local Dodger fans, but I still can’t help but regret what’s being left behind.