The Trolley Dodger

“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.

Looks like the Dodger scouts are getting around and getting noticed. In the Boston Globe, this blurb showed up about both Troy Glaus and Mike Lowell:

The Dodgers have had a good start, but if they could, they’d probably trade for a third baseman. Dodger scouts were watching the Red Sox and Blue Jays last week. There doesn’t appear to be any chance the Sox would move Mike Lowell after the hot start he’s had, but the Blue Jays, given their demise, might consider parting with Troy Glaus. If the Jays fade fast, there could be a fire sale in Toronto. Glaus, who hurt his heel in Friday’s game and didn’t play yesterday, would appear to be a candidate for trade.

Personally, I’d rather go after Glaus instead of continuing our accumulation of 2003 World Series Marlins. Unless of course we’re talking Miguel Cabrera. ;)

(Previously: “Santa Glaus coming to town?”)

Things aren’t going so spiffily for the Blue Jays this season. They are in last place in the admittedly powerful and over-televised AL East, with a woeful 13-21 record and already 10.5 games back of the Red Sox. There is talk of firing their manager and otherwise cleaning house.

How does this concern the Dodgers? Connecting the dots, check out a blurb under “The hot corner” in this Philly.com article by Paul Hagen:

It’s unknown whether Toronto will conduct a fire sale, but the Phillies, Braves, Dodgers and Orioles are among teams that have had scouts at recent Blue Jays games.

Now, why would Dodger scouts be sniffing around, apart from morbid interest?

Could it be this guy, not so coincidentally a star third baseman who last season had nearly double the home runs of both JD Drew and Nomar Garciaparra? Combined.

Yeah, the guy who currently has a .317/.449/.651/1.100 line, is 30 years old, went to UCLA, and is from Tarzana. Four-time All-Star, MVP of the 2002 World Series, two-time Silver Slugger.

If I’m reading things correctly, Troy Glaus signed a 4-year deal with the Diamondbacks in 2005, then went to the Jays in the off-season. That would make 2007 year 3, and he’s making $11,500,000/year. Think he’d be interested in signing long term with the hometown Dodgers?

Oh, the humanity!

Speaking of humanity, how much humanity would the Dodgers have to give up to get him?