Sons of Steve Garvey

Kemp's Last Hope: Injury Replacement

2009-07-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

From " 'Bran-Torino' takes a ride to All-Star Game" at MLB.com:

Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge and Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino are your choices in the dramatic 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote, comeback survivors of the wildest overall balloting in the history of a four-day event that decided the 33rd and final roster spots for the 80th All-Star Game on July 14 at Busch Stadium.
Fans smashed Final Vote records by casting 68.6 million votes at MLB.com and ultimately they decided on the two first-time All-Stars whose respective clubs forged a voting alliance after seeing Inge and Victorino in second place on the second day. The Tigers and Phillies called it "Bran-Torino" and that catchphrase would become a campaign sensation.

You're still #1 in our hearts, Bison!

UPDATE: From Diamond Notes:

Congats to Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp has pretty much made the National League All-Star team, this after the fans picked Shane Victorino in the Final Vote over Pablo Sandoval. MLB was already pushing NL manager Charlie Manuel to pick Kemp over his own player Victorino even if Sandoval had won the vote.

Game 85 Thread: July 9 @ Mets, 4p

2009-07-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Randy Wolf (3-3, 3.49) vs. Livan Hernandez (5-4, 4.56).

COMMENTS: Okay, so maybe, like Rafael Furcal, Mr. Met swings both ways. The same could be said of the Mets themselves, disappearing Tuesday then reappearing yesterday to take Hiroki Kuroda behind the woodshed.

Which Mets team will show up today? Impossible to know, and further complicating matters is Wolf, a Mets killer who also attracts no-decisions like burrs to pets. The enigmatic Hernandez has lost his last three starts but pitched well against the Dodgers in May.

So I'm as unsure about today's game as I was sure the Dodgers would win yesterday, which means...huh? Where was I? Oh yeah, Mr. Met sure gets a lot of action. That dog.

photo 1 by dMdC Photography; photo 2 from Tangerine Music

I Wonder What the Home Digs Look Like

2009-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Dodgers in the visiting clubhouse of Citi Field before Tuesday's game.

photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers

Seattle Memeriners

2009-07-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Although the Giants may be the most technologically advanced team in the majors — why do you think Pablo Sandoval is leading the All-Star Final Vote? — the Mariners lead the league in combining technology and fun. First they made Safeco Field Nintendo DS-friendly, and tonight they're celebrating Cheezburger Night.

That's right: The Mariners are teaming with I Can Has Cheezburger, a.k.a. home of the LOLcat, for a special night. Features include discounted tickets, a special T-shirt, "Happy Cat Hour" and the opportunity to meet "Chief Cheezburger" Ben Huh.

The Mariners may be in third place, but credit them for giving their fans what they want. For their next trick maybe the team can have players Twitter from the dugout.

Diagnosis: Outrage Fatigue

2009-07-09T07:00:00.002-07:00

Photographic evidence indicates there's been more Torre love than Manny hate at Citi Field so far — and the same guy holding up all the signs.

Early media coverage of fan reaction to Manny Ramirez's return focused on the cheering of Dodger fans. Was it their forgiving nature of all things Dodger Blue — even in light of the delicious ironing of rooting for a Barry Bonds-like figure — or was Manny not as polarizing as some had hoped?

Early returns in San Diego were inconclusive, as Dodger faithful braved the slog down Interstate 5 to make their presence felt at PETCO Park. (That effort, by the way, should be applauded — as annoying as it is to constantly suffer the mass presence of opposing fans at Dodger Stadium, turnabout is fair play.)

New York was supposed to be the real test. Joe Torre himself implied as much, and the mainstream media breathlessly awaited the flinging of the ceremonial first syringe. Certainly the birthplace of baseball bile wouldn't disappoint.

Except, it did. From the LA Times:

The Dodgers' left fielder sparked some boos Tuesday night during an abbreviated appearance, but he mostly generated indifference from a Citi Field crowd that displayed something resembling SoCal cool.
The heckling was especially mild among those seated behind Ramirez in left field during the 4 1/2 innings he played before being ejected for scattering his bat, helmet and arm guard on the field after a called third strike.

Even by accounts of the New York press, the booing seemed token. Which makes us wonder: Where is the hate?

The answer is simple: It's evaporated. We're just tired of it all. What once was scandalous is now routine. Manny, A-Rod, Clemens, Tejada, Giambi, Sheffield, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa....Simply taking in a game without worrying about who did what PEDs has become a challenge for the modern-day fan.

So we offer apologies to the morally outraged members of the mainstream media. We're sorry most of us don't have the energy to act freshly fed up with each new revelation of PED use. It's just that we're too busy trying to enjoy the game of baseball.

photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Seven Hours Left to Vote

2009-07-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Time running out for LA fans to help Kemp (Dodgers.com)

photo by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers

Post-Game 84 Thread, Part Two: There's Something Wrong With Ethier

2009-07-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

Man, that was a disappointing GIDP, with runners on first and second, one out, and Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez flailing around like a fish on land after giving up a homerun to Manny Ramirez. GIDP, game over, and the hapless Mets stumble into a win. Andre Ethier ends the game 0-for-5 with 8 total LOB, and the Dodgers lose 5-4.

Look, I know Ethier is our walk-off king this year. But he is on a wicked 3-for-30 streak and has one multi-hit game in his last 10 games. Maybe Joe should give Andre a day off, rather than sitting Loney (especially at the end, when we could have used Loney to PH rather than send up Ethier, as Erin pointed out in our GameThread).

And maybe enough with the yoga thing, which hasn't helped Russell Martin at the plate this year, either.

Post-Game 84 Thread: What Do the Dodgers and e.e. cummings Have in Common?

2009-07-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

They both failed to capitalize!

METS 5, DODGERS 4

With the erratic Oliver Perez on the mound, this figured to be an eminently winnable game for the Dodgers, but they just nibbled and didn't bite. The Dodgers received nine walks from the Mets but...

1st inning: Left men on first and third.
2nd inning: Left Matt Kemp at second.
3rd inning: Left bases loaded.
5th inning: Left men on first and second.
6th inning: Left men on first and third.
7th inning: Left Russell Martin on first.
9th inning: Left Blake at second.
total: 12 men left on base

Hiroki Kuroda: 4 1/3 IP, 4R, 3 ER, 1K, 91 pitches.
Vote for Matt Kemp: 3-for-3, including a triple.
Manny Ramirez: 9th-inning home run off Francisco Rodriguez. The Dodgers have lost both post-suspension games in which Manny has homered.

Matt Kemp = Fourth Place

2009-07-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

From "Final Vote races tighten during final day" at MLB.com:

With one day to go in the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote, Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge has taken the American League lead and Pablo Sandoval stayed just two percentage points ahead of Shane Victorino in the National League as fans continue to vote in record numbers to complete rosters for the 80th All-Star Game on July 14 in St. Louis. [...]
Surging immediately behind Victorino is D-backs third baseman Mark Reynolds, and many people are waiting to see what kind of impact it might have that Arizona Sen. John McCain just endorsed him. That included McCain tweeting an endorsement to nearly 1 million followers on Twitter, another way the campaign bar has been raised in 2009. Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is close behind Reynolds and followed by Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman.

(Emphasis mine.) Sorry Matt, we're trying our best! About 20 hours left to vote!

Earlier at SoSG: Matt Kemp Is Being Outgunned

Let's Not Forget Pablo Sandoval's Other Highlights

2009-07-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Just one week ago, Pablo Sandoval's lackadaisical play running down a pop foul (which he dropped) cost the Giants the game.

ST. LOUIS — There's something in every team's playbook about not giving someone a second chance to beat you. Unfortunately, that page must be missing from the San Francisco Giants' copies.
When rookie third baseman Pablo Sandoval dropped a foul pop-up, the Giants gave St. Louis that second chance Wednesday.
And rookie Colby Rasmus made the most of it, hitting a home run three pitches later to beat the Giants 2-1 in 10 innings.
Rasmus had hit a 2-2 offering from Bob Howry high into the air but foul. Sandoval circled the foul ball then missed it after making what appeared to be a casual stab with his glove. Three pitches later, Rasmus ended the game with a shot to straightaway center for his first game-ending hit.

Yeah, let's Giants fans all rally behind the 500-lb clumsy guy who can't play a lick of defense, and has 94 hits entering play today (as does Matt Kemp; and, unlike Pablo, can play centerfield). Because the rest of our lineup sucks.

VOTE BISON!

photo: UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Game 84 Thread: July 8 @ Mets, 4p

2009-07-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

HIroki Kuroda (3-4, 3.91) vs. Oliver Perez (1-2, 9.97).

COMMENTS: The Mets have not scored in their last 22 innings, they don't have an extra base hit in their last 29 innings, and they're running out there a pitcher who is returning from the DL with an ERA that just barely slips under the double-digit level. But don't come crying to me, Mr. Disproportionately Large Baseball Head Guy. We've got enough things to worry about on our own.

Like how Manny Ramirez' impressive 3-RBI night was covered by the national media as "Manny booed, ejected" and "Ramirez ejected after called third strike" (seriously, read that article, and tell me that it wasn't written with a predisposed lynching in mind). Or how Matt Kemp is getting eclipsed in the All-Star Game Final Vote by a 500-pound tub of lard (among others). Or how Hiroki Kuroda has spent most of the year on the DL as well, and is still getting his sea legs back.

Yeah, spare me the tears, Mets fans. It's not like your payroll is $35M more than our payroll. Oh wait, it is.

Matt Kemp Is Being Outgunned

2009-07-08T12:35:00.001-07:00

Where's Matt Kemp's highlight reel?

Adenhart Survivor a Reason to Cheer

2009-07-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Jon Wilhite throws the ceremonial first pitch at an Orange County Flyers game at Cal State Fullerton on Monday.

Wilhite throws out the first pitch at the Long Beach Armada game on June 27.

Not a lot to add here — it's just gratifying to see Wilhite up and about.

Mixed Messages

2009-07-08T09:00:00.001-07:00

From yesterday's game at Citi Field:

photos by Frank Franklin II/AP

Updated PCS Rankings

2009-07-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Read 'em and weep:

(750 possible points)

Current Rank	Previous	Player (Wins)	PCS Tour Points
1	1	ubragg	608
2	2	mr customer	552
3	3	fanerman	461
4	5	jose	354
5	7	berkowit28	351
6	6	quadsevens	312
7	4	j steve	310
8	8	loney fan	293
9	12	bwrightson	240
10	T-16	keven c	180

Others receiving votes: josh s 151, m.l.a.s.f. 129, fred's brim 90, awesome 85, m.s.t.i. 80, karina 75, neeebs, 75, gil gamesh 75, wicks 70, drewdez 50, erin 50, ll cool l 50, natalie 50, midnightdrive 50, dusto magnifico 45, rbnlaw 35, dangarion 30, brandon 15, lauro 10, nic j 10, rob 10

With today's rankings release comes a brief overview of the major PCS rivalries:

UBragg vs Mr Customer - The fight for puzzle supremacy rages on. Mr Customer edged out UBragg for the top spot in the first prize give-away, but UBragg has since surged ahead and shows little sign of slowing down. But I'd advise both to keep an eye out for threats both past and future in the form of ex-champ Jose and relative newcomers BWrightson and Keven C, all of whom are quietly inching upwards.
QuadSevens vs Jose - These were the two who battled each other throughout last year, with Quad dominating the 1st half and Jose dominating the 2nd half. Is the same trend going to hold true this year?
QuadSevens vs Loney Fan - Yes, Quad has two arch-rivals. I am unsure of the origins of this one, but its genesis may lie with SoSG March Madness or SoSG Baseball. The two are separated by a mere 17 points.
Neeebs vs Karina - I'm not sure why, but I'm throwing down this rivalry right now. It seems appropriate. They've been within a few PCS points of each other all season long and now find themselves tied at 75.
Berkowit28 vs Forgetting it was a Puzzle Day, Lacking Pop Culture Knowledge, Lacking a Color Printer, Misreading Martin for Milton, Facing Puzzles That Are Solved Differently Than Previous Puzzles, and Not Having Even Two Colored Pencils Much Less Seven - How much misfortune can one man take? Despite being disadvantaged again and again by fate's cruel sense of humor, this week he still managed to enter the top 5. And I thought Jim Abbott's no-hitter was impressive.

So there you have it. And don't forget, there are two puzzles next week:

Monday, July 13, 7am
Wednesday, July 15, 7am - Grand Slam!

Vote Sexy

2009-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to vote for Matt Kemp! Apparently there's no limit to the number of votes you can cast. Voting closes Thursday at 1 p.m.

Earlier at SoSG:
Kemp Slips Into Fourth Place in Final Vote Race
MLB.com's Graphics Department Needs Help
This Day in All-Star History

Post-Game 83 Thread: CitiWalk

2009-07-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

DODGERS 8, METS 0

Clayton Kershaw: 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 Ks, 101 pitches.
Vote for Matt Kemp: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, gunned down Luis Castillo at third base in the third inning.

Mr. Met photo from Flickr user coreynyc; Kershaw photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

A Tale of Two DeWitts

2009-07-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

Blake DeWitt - Pinch-hit home run vs. the Mets. First longball and RBI of 2009.

Joyce DeWitt - Arrested for DUI.

Blake photos by Frank Franklin II/AP, Jon SooHoo/Dodgers

Highly Dubious

2009-07-07T18:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Vin Scully Is My Homeboy for the following pictures:

Kim Kardashian. Location: Unknown.

Getting better:

Oscar De La Hoya. Location: Cesar Chavez and Mission.

Now here's one we wouldn't mind seeing in billboard form:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Location: A perfect world.

UPDATE: From Diamond Notes:

Gold medal-winning ice skater Tara Lipinski.

UPDATE: My utopia has been realized! Thanks to SoSG reader Jeanette for this excellent catch:

Kareem. Location: Inglewood, La Brea and Hillcrest.

Kemp Slips Into Fourth Place in Final Vote Race

2009-07-07T16:02:00.001-07:00

The latest (12:47p PT), from mlb.com:

[Pablo] Sandoval, the Giants' third baseman, had a slim lead in the NL race over center fielder Shane Victorino of the Phillies. D-backs third baseman Mark Reynolds and Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp each have garnered more than two million votes and were right behind them, followed by shortstop Cristian Guzman of the Nationals.
Sandoval and Victorino actually swapped leads during a dramatic Monday night of major campaigning on the field, with Victorino taking over after his four-hit performance in that 22-1 victory over the Reds -- and then falling behind after Sandoval's late grand slam.

Look, I'm not foolish enough to think that undecided voters are reacting real-time to the players' exploits. This is a popularity contest, pure and simple. San Francisco may be able to mobilize given its technological savviness, as well as the fact that they'd had nothing for which to cheer for years now; Victorino can ride the wave of being on the World Series winner last year, as well as being the only representative east of the Mississippi on a reasonable team.

But come on, we've got to get Kemp ahead of whiff-master Mark Reynolds (who leads the majors with 111 strikeouts now that the Rangers' Chris Davis has been demoted to AAA ball). Two million more votes for the Bison? SoSG fans can tip this scale! Get to it!

VOTE BISON!

Roy Halladay Available...for a Price

2009-07-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

From "GM preps Halladay for potential trade" at ESPN.com:

Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi has spoken with Roy Halladay and prepared him for the possibility that he will bring trade possibilities to the pitcher in the weeks or months ahead.
Halladay, 32, has a no-trade clause that will allow him to dictate whether he will be dealt before he becomes eligible for free agency next fall.
"He's open to at least listening," said Ricciardi. "He's not going to be a guy who will let you do all the work [preparing for a possible trade], and then he's not willing to listen. If it makes sense, he will listen." [...]
The Jays would want one of the Dodgers' best young starters for Halladay -- either Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley -- and that figures to be a deal-breaker for L.A.

"I need a leg. How much for that leg? My arm? Deal!"

UPDATE: Hey, Dodgers and Angels fans, what's your trade for Roy Halladay? (Bill Shaikin, LA Times) (Hat tip: SoSG reader Ben.)

Game 83 Thread: July 7 @ Mets, 4p

2009-07-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Cute or terrifying? I can't decide.

Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 3.49) vs. Mike Pelfrey (6-3, 4.26).

COMMENTS:

TEN THINGS WE KNOW ABOUT CITI FIELD

1. The worst ceremonial first pitch there has already been thrown.

2. It's the sixth pitcher-friendliest park in the majors.

3. A woman got her arm stuck in a stadium toilet.

4. Conditions there can get a little hellish.

5. Don't be surprised if we see some video replay there.

6. Streaking at the stadium? Already done.

7. It's where the wild things roam.

8. The Mets have already hosted a perfect game pitcher there.

9. Tagging will not be tolerated there.

10. Chipper Jones won't be changing his son's name to "Citi" anytime soon.

UPDATE: Belisario to have MRI (Dodger Thoughts)

MLB.com's Graphics Department Needs Help

2009-07-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

These are some pretty sorry looking Final Vote badges here--almost enough to make one pass up voting altogether. I thought Matt Kemp's looked pretty bad ("Vote Bison" sounds a lot better than "Vote Kemp," by the way), but just look at Mark Reynolds' mug shot. And Chone Figgins doesn't even get his picture on the damn badge. Which sixth-grade classroom won the badge design contest over at MLB.com?

I also noticed that Pablo Sandoval's picture couldn't fit on the badge, so they had to go with all text.

Click here to VOTE BISON!

SoSG Remembers Pop Legend...

2009-07-07T12:07:00.001-07:00

Corey Feldman. Sort of.

Former Met Guarantees Happy Ending

2009-07-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Josh Rawitch was at Joe Torre's Safe at Home Golf Tournament yesterday and buffed up the Dodgers' baseball mojo. From Inside the Dodgers:

Our Dodger foursome was paired with former big league player and manager Lee Mazzilli and the guy couldn't have been more fun to play with. We had a blast and at one point, he had about a nine-foot putt that all four of us had missed it before it was his turn. He said that if he made it, the Dodgers were going to win the World Series and if he missed it, the Yankees would. Sure enough, nothing but the bottom of the cup.