2009

Just under 7 hours until the Dodgers 2009 season is underway and Dodger Rage can't contain its excitement. Manny is back, Furcal is back, the young core is intact, and it looks like James McDonald will be the fifth starter instead of any of the dozen or so rehabilitation projects who stopped by Spring Training en route to trading in their cletes for second careers in real estate (that's where they all go, right?). Things are looking so bright it's almost tough to summon any rage.

Almost.

Just remember that Takashi Saito is "wowing everyone in spring training" as a Red Sock (while singing karaoke with Josh Beckett).

Here's hoping for a manageable amount of rage in 2009.

Patience

Explaining why Jeff Kent has hit well ahead of Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin did not, Joe Torre dropped this mind-boggler:

Martin couldn't handle the position ahead of Ramirez. "He didn't have the patience," Torre said, and so it's a compliment to Kent's skills as a hitter that he's being asked to bat third.

That's just bizarre. Russell Martin is by far the most patient hitter on the team. His 67 walks are far and away the most of any Dodger (Manny is next with 52 for the entire season including Boston, and then Loney has 40). Similarly, excluding Manny, Martin is light years ahead of any of his teammates with a .391 on-base percentage. Model of patience Jeff Kent, meanwhile, has 23 walks and a .329 on-base percentage.

First L.A. Manny Moment?

As the top of the 9th inning was about to begin, the broadcast showed Russell Martin chatting with Jonathan Broxton. Vinnie announced that play was about to begin after the meeting on the mound, then they cut to two of the umpires jogging off the field toward the Dodger dugout. Something appeared to be amiss, Vin said. Then Manny Ramirez emerged from the dugout with his shirt half unbuttoned and he starts trotting toward the outfield. Vin just laughs and laughs. "OK, Manny, we'll wait for you."

Return to Rage

All right, I guess I've come to terms with the fact that we didn't get C.C. Sabathia, and so I'll return to posting. Apparently we got some other guy.

I've got to shake off the cobwebs before I get into the serious posting again, but in the meantime, here's an observation I've been holding onto for awhile. How in the world is Andre Ethier doing a food blog and not calling it "My Dinner with Andre"?

No C.C.?

If Fox Sports columnist Ken Rosenthal is to be believed, then the Dodgers are out of the C.C. Sabathia sweepstakes:

The Los Angeles Dodgers are out of the running for C.C. Sabathia, according to a major-league source, an indication that the Milwaukee Brewers may be nearing a trade for the Indians' left hander.

Of course, if the Fox media empire is to be believed, then Madonna has brainwashed Alex Rodriguez into becoming a Kabbalah disciple:

A high-ranking kabbalah source said Madonna, A-Rod and Oseary have shared Friday night Sabbath dinners together.

So we don't get the top pitcher from one tribe, but the top slugger in the game takes up with another tribe. Looks like it's time to update this site.

Mid-game update

Andruw Jones has struck out for a third time.

But, to be fair, there is some unexpected good news: Nomar has played 6 innings and hasn't been injured yet!

UPDATE: And now Delwyn Young, the player whom Andruw Jones has displaced, just came into the game and hit an RBI single.

UPDATED UPDATE: Andre Ethier, whom Andruw Jones would have displaced had Juan Pierre not been injured, just doubled in two (after homering earlier for the third game in a row) to give the Dodgers the lead, followed by RBI doubles from Russell Martin and Jeff Kent. Also, a classic Vin Scully line about the Fred Lewis error that started the inning: as they showed a replay of Lewis gingerly moving to catch Nomar's fly ball with one hand only to have the ball slip away from his mitt, Vin says "One hand, ho-hum. That's what you get."

Let's hear it for Andre:

Today in Hidden Injuries

So to make room for the return of Nomar Garciaparra and Andruw Jones (who wasted no time returning to his craptastic ways with a pair of strikeouts in his first two at-bats today, including one with the bases loaded), the Dodgers sent Jason Repko to the minors and sent Mark Sweeney to the disabled list. From Tony Jackson:

So I had the players right in my prediction, but I was wrong about Sweeney being DFA'd. Turns out, he has had a strained right hamstring for the past three or four weeks. Sweeney says it isn't the reason he is hitting .094. Torre says it is.

It sounds suspiciously like what happened last week with Scott Proctor, who copped to having a hurt elbow only after the team said it would send him down to the minors because he had been so atrocious. In both cases the "injury" sure smacks of being a face-saving excuse for a player who has been a liability, but given the track record of Dodgers who have kept their injuries hidden while the team suffered (Furcal, Penny, Kuroda), who knows.

Meanwhile, aided by the aforementioned return to flailing form from Andruw Jones, the Dodgers are currently losing to the wretched Giants.