The Trolley Dodger

With all the news of the Jones signing and Kuroda potentialities, the Dodgers announced some Spring Training invitations today:

Right-handed pitchers Tanyon Sturtze, Mike Koplove and Brian Falkenborg headline the group and will be joined by fellow right-handers Rick Asadoorian, Fernando Desgue and Greg Jones. Left-handed hurler Brian Shackelford, outfielder John-Ford Griffin, first-baseman John Lindsey, infielder Angel Chavez and catcher Danny Ardoin are the others coming to Vero Beach, joining catcher Rene Rivera, pitcher Chan-Ho Park and infielder Terry Tiffee, who were previously announced as non-roster invitees.

(from Dodgers press release)

A new Ken Gurnick article on MLB.com, Addition by subtraction works in LA, gives not much new if you’ve been following along this off-season, but is the usual sort of Opening Weekend piece. A couple of paragraphs are impressive, however, as they show, first, who is no longer on the team since Colletti took over, then who he’s added. A lot of names.

Subtracted from the roster since Colletti arrived: Milton Bradley, Antonio Perez, Jason Phillips, Duaner Sanchez, Steve Schmoll, Jose Valentin, Derek Thompson, Jeff Weaver, Paul Bako, Hee-Seop Choi, Cody Ross, Jae Seo, Edwin Jackson, Dioner Navarro, Sandy Alomar Jr., Odalis Perez, Danny Baez, Willy Aybar, Cesar Izturis, Joel Guzman, Jose Cruz Jr., Ricky Ledee, Kenny Lofton, Greg Maddux, Julio Lugo, Aaron Sele, J.D. Drew, Jason Werth, Oscar Robles, Lance Carter, Giovanni Carrara, Elmer Dessens (twice), Mike Edwards, Jason Grabowski, Eric Gagne, Franquelis Osoria and Kelly Wunsch. [...]

Here are the players Colletti’s added, in all caps if still on the roster: RAFAEL FURCAL, Sandy Alomar Jr., Kenny Lofton, Bill Mueller, ANDRE ETHIER, NOMAR GARCIAPARRA, BRETT TOMKO, RAMON MARTINEZ, JOE BEIMEL, Aaron Sele, Jae Seo, TIM HAMULACK, Danny Baez, TAKASHI SAITO, WILSON VALDEZ, MARK HENDRICKSON, Toby Hall, Elmer Dessens, WILSON BETEMIT, Greg Maddux, Julio Lugo, MARLON ANDERSON, Einar Diaz, RANDY WOLF, JUAN PIERRE, MIKE LIEBERTHAL, JASON SCHMIDT, LUIS GONZALEZ, CHIN-HUI TSAO and BRADY CLARK.

Inside the Dodgers has the news that Brett Tomko has landed the 5th starter’s spot. This is not a bad thing, despite what has turned into a pick from the “least bad” pool. It’s okay for three reasons:

1. Because who knows, maybe he’ll step it up and kick butt for long enough to be helpful.
2. He’s not Mark Hendrickson.
3. This is for the 5th starter spot.

This is where we’re at for the 2007 starting pitchers:

1. Jason Schmidt
2. Derek Lowe
3. Brad Penny
4. Randy Wolf
5. Brett Tomko

Contrast this with 2006 opening day:

1. Derek Lowe
2. Brad Penny
3. Odalis Perez
4. Brett Tomko
5. Jae Seo

Yeah, I think things have improved. Just a smidgen. Next, the bullpen.

By the way, Hendrickson had a 0.84 ERA (10.2 innings pitched) during his relief appearances in 2006. Small sample size, granted, but nothing to sneeze at.

Well, either the Dodgers are moving Spring Training to Arizona, or the Grapefruit League is planning on forming a western division.

Gary Warner, travel editor with the Orange County Register and blogger on their website, posted an amusing story on Thursday — “Dodgers: Going, going….gone?” — showing a rather peculiar and kind of schizophrenic T-shirt he bought at Holman Stadium.

What’s so special? Well, you know how when you are moving, you’re outta there mentally long before you are physically? This official Dodger T-shirt may say Grapefruit League, the group of teams that train in Florida. But look closely. The image behind the ballplayer is Arizona, where the Dodgers hope to shift spring operations in 2009. A bit of Cactus League wishful thinking?

Whatever the case, whether accidental or purposeful, you gotta admit the design is a little wonky. It looks like one of those second-semester design assignments where you’re given a list of vaguely related items that you have to arrange in some semblance of an aesthetic way. More than anything, it looks like a knock-off, with the only “official” looking bit being the interlocked LA; everything else is stock illustrations or random fonts.

Still, no matter what its faults, the shirt presents the whole bittersweet affair in one place — the excitement of being able to more readily see the boys for Spring Training in a couple of years, mixed with the sadness of this history buff knowing what’s being lost. I can only hope we can get out to Vero Beach next season for the final hurrah. Weird T-shirts or no.

To distract us from the drubbing the Dodgers took from the Cardinals last night, let’s drop in on an old friend and see what he’s up to. Losing his mind apparently.

Now that he is in the American League, [Eric] Gagne said he will miss his encounters with [Barry] Bonds. Gagne also hopes Bonds breaks the all-time home-run record.

“Of course, definitely,” Gagne said. “He’s been so good for the game. There’s a Wayne Gretzky, there’s a Michael Jordan, there’s a Barry.”

Yeah, you know, maybe it’s just me but the lack of a pall of suspicion and evidence of drug use with those other two guys kinda sets the Amazing Inflatable Man apart. And what goodness has Bonds imparted to the game exactly? Becoming a lightning rod of criticism and hate that keeps the attention away from other people is the only plausible good I can think of.

Gagne pitched against the Giants yesterday and gave up a homer to Kevin Frandsen. At least the latter still has his head screwed on straight:

Frandsen grew up a Giants fan and said yes when asked if he was happy to homer off Gagne. “I’m a Dodger-hater,” Frandsen said, “and he’s still out there in blue, long hair and a goatee.”

This was in the context of an article saying that the Giants “displayed interest” in Gagne during the off-season. Pretty much everybody expressed interest in him, though, but what do you expect from an SF Chronicle story? ;)

Love to see this in the Baseball America daily prospect report from this morning:

LAD SPR Abreu, Etanislao 2B …….. 2 1 1 1 .407 - walk-off HR (3); having a great spring (.393/.407/.815)

Excellent… </MrBurns>

Defense might be crucial for aging Maddux’s success

Awwwww, we miss you too, Mad Dog.

“The Dodgers played very good defense,” Maddux said yesterday, unrelated to the Padres’ four errors in an 8-6 loss to the Cubs at Peoria Stadium.

Maddux assembled a 4.69 ERA in 22 games with the Cubs before a summer trade placed him with the Dodgers, whereupon Maddux went 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA. Maddux, who induces a lot of ground balls, cited the support he got from Dodgers infielders, notably shortstop Rafael Furcal.

“Those guys caught a lot of balls,” he said.

“Shoot, in one game we had four shortstops in the infield. Think about it. Four shortstops in the infield. That’s kind of nice.”

Maybe if your agent Lucifer wasn’t spinning lies about what’s best for you, that defense could still be taking care of you. Alas, it was not to be.

Besides, there’s errors aplenty in the Dodger infield so far this spring. ;)

Speaking of things Satanic, in that same game, Daryle Ward took a Trevor “Hells Bells” Hoffman pitch over the right field wall. Apparently good old Trevor isn’t done giving those up just yet. ;D

Tom Bridge texted me earlier this evening from the stands of the A’s/Brewers pre-season game, then blogged the game later. I am green with envy. It’s a wonderful tradition he and his family have enjoyed for years that I hope to at least emulate in part when the Dodgers move to Arizona.

Have some peanuts and a beer for me, Tom!

Lakers forward Vladimir Radmanovic and I share a few things in common.

1. Both of us are over 6 feet tall.
2. Neither of us have posted to this blog for a week and a half.
3. Neither of us will be playing for the Lakers the next few weeks.
4. We both have separated shoulders. Vlad did his in by falling on a patch of ice, while mine was on the bicycle. Or rather, off the bicycle.

Considering how my shoulder and ribs are feeling still, I can’t imagine trying to shoot baskets, much less type much more than what you see here. I feel better than I did two weeks ago, but I have to make myself take it easy. Overdoing = hurting.

However, everything pales in comparison to the wonderful news that spring training has sprung, a fact that will warm the coldest winter nights in Southern California. Not to mention raising the excitement levels another notch, anticipating the sights and sounds to come.

If you listen close, you can hear the flight of a bag of peanuts, feel the solid weight as it hits your hand. Sunlight soaking into every last part of you as your favorite team takes the field. The umpire yelling “Play ball!” and suddenly all is right with the world.

Looks like any dreams I might have had of walking on to the Dodgers roster for spring training are officially dashed. I did this on my bicycle yesterday:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separated_shoulder

Well technically off the bike. Well technically on the street, hard. Ouch.

Update

The hospital called me — I’ve got a type 3 separated shoulder, and I also have a couple of broken ribs. Seeing my main doc in next day or so.