p.s. – the dodgerfan crew will be in Vegas all weekend so posts will be limited…
What happens in Vegas…
May 17, 2008 By
…is posted on the internet for all to see. Why, Dodgers, have you forsaken me???
The Zen of Bobby V
May 14, 2008 By
Bobby Valentine is one of those old guard Dodger guys (like Kevin Kennedy) whose name always comes up when there is a managerial need with the Blue at the big league level. Of course, he never seems to get the job. Always the bridesmaid…
That said, Bobby V has had a lot of recent success managing in Japan and seems to really like the passion of the players in Asia. I’ve never really been able to figure out why no-one has given him a shot since his days with the Mets.
We discovered that “The Zen of Bobby V” aired last night on ESPN 2 by reading Ernest’s blog over at Blue Heaven. Check out the promo interview he’s got linked which features an interview with Bobby. New York Magazine also had an interesting Q&A with the former ML manager.
Here’s the description of the film (which happened to play at the Tribeca Film Festival a few weeks ago):
He made his Major League Baseball debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers at just 19 years old. Since then, as a player, coach, and mostly manager, Bobby Valentine has been a stalwart figure in the world of baseball, and not just in America. After his first managerial position leading the Texas Rangers, Valentine went to Japan for a brief stint as a manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines, testing the waters in a country where baseball was quickly becoming the most popular sport around. He returned to the United States in 1996 to become manager of the New York Mets. In 2000 he led his team to the World Series against the crosstown rival Yankees, but the Mets’ loss in that game was the beginning of the end for Valentine. After finishing last in the National League East in 2002, he was fired. But in 2004, Valentine headed back to Japan, determined to help transform Japanese baseball into a real rival for the American major leagues instead of just another farm system for talent. Since Valentine returned, the Marines have been a perennial contender and even won the championship in 2005, prompting Valentine to propose a true World Series: a matchup between the American and Japanese champions. He has tried to boost the Japanese game in quality as well as stature, arguing that the Japanese league shouldn’t play second fiddle to anyone. Along the way, Valentine has become an icon and hero in Japan, a recognizable celebrity as popular as any ballplayer. Andrew Jenks, Jonah Quickmire Pettigrew, and Andrew Muscato take the audience behind the scenes into a baseball-season-in-the-life of this energetic, enthusiastic, and outspoken American who continues to prove that his love for the game is infectious even across oceans.
Depo Shares his Thoughts
May 13, 2008 By
I think this is just starting to make the rounds, but former Dodger GM Paul DePodesta has recently started his own blog about the Padres. The “Special Assistant for Baseball Operations” has a long way to go if he wants to compete with our pal Josh Rawitch over at Inside the Dodgers, but we give him credit for launching the site and continuing the dialogue among baseball fans. Ahh, the “Depo Days”….what might have been.
Raffy Goes Down
May 13, 2008 By
I knew that injury-free streak of Furcal’a was too good to last. The shortstop landed on the 15 day DL with his troublesome back. Hurry back Raffy, we need you! From the Times story:
Shortstop Rafael Furcal, who has missed the Dodgers’ last five games because of lower back pain, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday. The move is retroactive to May 6, meaning the earliest Furcal can be activated is May 21 for the final game of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium against Cincinnati.
Furcal’s place on the active roster will be taken by utility infielder Luis Maza, whose contract was purchased from triple-A Las Vegas. Maza, a 27-year-old career minor leaguer, can play shortstop, second base, third base and the three outfield positions, providing the Dodgers with much-needed versatility.
Should the Dodgers Release Andruw “Tubbo” Jones?
May 12, 2008 By
With the Padres releasing Jim Edmunds and his $9 million salary, it begs the question: should the Dodgers do the same with Andruw “Tubbo” Jones? The answer is clearly no, as his contract is guaranteed for another year and a half, but there are other options:
1.) Bench him indefinitely and recall Mattingly to work with this guy as a special project (isn’t that what Mattingly is on the payroll for?) If this isn’t a “special assignment,” I don’t know what is. Someone tell Torre to flash the Dodger logo up in the night sky. When Mattingly sees it, he will know the team’s in trouble and it’s time to return to the West Coast (“Donnie Baseball” is currently out working on an important assignment with the Great Lake Loons).
2.) Install a treadmill in the dugout and make Jones walk or run on it throughout every game.
3.) Banish him to AAA. While this would be humiliating all the way around, it certainly would be more embarrassing for Tubbo. Paul Oberjuerge has a great take on this as well – check it out.
Of all these options, I combination of #1 and #3 would be best (although I would LOVE to see option #2 put into place). Think about it: sending Jones to the minors allows him time to escape the glare of the LA sports media and work on his swing with one of the true hitting legends of the game. It allows the Dodgers to give Ethier some much needed at bats on a consistent basis and it sends a clear message to the rest of the team. If the booing Dodger Stadium crowd wasn’t a wake-up call to Jones, an extended trip to Vegas certainly would be. Who’s with me?