High and Tight.

Friday, May 08, 2009

Yep, Time to Asterisk Those Boston Championships

It is really a shock to anyone that Manny Ramirez was juicing? Of course the press is still somewhat giving him a pass on everything (being Manny and all) but you knew he was using.

I can't wait until the full 103 player list is leaked, because you KNOW Ortiz is on there.

I can't wait for the Boston fans to eat crow knowing that the entire heart of their team was tainted during their championship run.

Sure they chanted "STEROIDS" at Giambi, but what did he ever win?

Time will prove me right.

Labels: big sloppi, dodgers, manny being manny, redsox, steroids

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 8:30 AM 0 comments

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Ron Villone Should Check His Voicemail

Scott Proctor may be "surprisingly" injured this season, but that won't stop Joe Torre from bringing in another overused reliever from his past.

Torre just can't live without his overused, underperforming, broken-elbowed, crutch-managing relievers. Case in point:

Sturtze has real shot at making club

PHOENIX -- Right-hander Tanyon Sturtze (pictured at left) has emerged as a strong possibility to make the club, Manager Joe Torre said this morning.

Sturztze, who battled back from shoulder surgery and pitched in three big-league games for the Dodgers last season, has a 3.00 earned-run average in eight spring appearances.

Torre, who managed Sturtze in New York, said the 38-year-old non-roster invitee looks much better than he did a spring ago.

Labels: dodgers, joe torre, tanyon sturtze

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 5:54 PM 1 comments

Friday, August 01, 2008

More Manny Musings

The more I think about it, what really amazes me is the Dodgers. They have two young OF who project really well currently in the majors, who are cheap and under control for many years and still have options left, and the Sox didn't get either Ethier or Kemp, one of whom is all but guaranteed to be banished to Torre's "sorry you're not a veteran" spot on the bench or sent down to the minors. The Dodgers now have 5 OF who could start: those two, Manny, Pierre, and Jones.

Do you really think the Dodgers would have balked had the Sox asked for Ethier in the deal? Jones is signed through next year, Pierre through what seems like 2015, and my guess is they'll make a run at re-signing Manny next season (but my guess is he winds up on the Mets) and Kemp is considered the better young player.

Why wouldn't the Sox at least have gotten "Papi insurance"? Now, when Ortiz gets hurt, he's replaced in the lineup by Coco Crisp. A smarter move would be to get Ethier, send him to Pawtucket if need be to get him playing time, and if Ortiz can't play get Bay the butcher out of left field and into the DH spot where he belongs.

It's just a thought, but I really can't fathom why the Sox couldn't have gotten a bit more for one of the best right handed hitters of all time.

Labels: dodgers, manny being manny, redsox, trades, trading deadline

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 9:47 AM 1 comments

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Theo is a Genius!

At least, that's how the Boston press and the brainwashed masses of Mass. will spin this trade.

Let's see... Manny Ramirez, career OPS+ of 154 (with a 140 now in what the Boston press is calling a "down year/decline phase") plus $7M plus two decent prospects in Branson Moss and Craig Hansen for..... Jason Bay??

Bay's a good hitter (career 130 OPS+) but his career high OPS+ is lower than Manny's average.

I can't believe I'm saying this either, but Bay's defense will make Sox fans reminisce about the days of Manny the Butcher in left. Bay is terrible defensively.

Now, Bay is under contract for another season at a reasonable $7.5M, but this almost seems like a desperation move. Did the Sox really need to include two prospects with Ramirez to get this done?

The best part for LA is that Manny has agreed to decline arbitration, guaranteeing the Dodgers two first round picks whether or not he re-signs with the club.

This makes the Dodgers better of course, but why they're dealing for yet another overpriced outfielder without jettisoning one of their own (of course, the Jones and Pierre contracts would force LA to eat most of the contracts) is beyond me.

Great deal for LA, even if their outfield is overcrowded, great deal for the Pirates who seem to have finally moved beyond the Dave Littlefield mantra of asking way too much for his veterans and thus not dealing them at the deadline and re-stocking, and a terrible move for the Red Sox in 2008.

At least Joe Torre gets to go back to his old favorite habit of benching young talent in exchange for "proven veterans" again.

If anyone needs an example of why Cashman doesn't get enough credit for his great moves, take a look up north and look at the alternative "genius."

I'll end this post with perhaps the most observant thing Ramirez has ever said:
"The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy. I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don't have peace here."
Yes, Manny's gotten a pass for years from the media in Beantown for things that would get Alex Rodriguez hung by his nuts in Central Park, but this does seem like another case of the Boston media in conjunction with Red Sox management (who share ownership with a certain Boston paper) running a guy down in the press to make the team look good.

Labels: dodgers, manny being manny, pirates, redsox, trades, trading deadline

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 3:10 PM 3 comments

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Man, the Dodgers are Stupid

I thought it was surprising that one year after signing Gary Matthews, Jr., a strong defensive centerfielder coming off a career offensive year to a 5-year, $50M contract, the Angels then went out and signed Torii Hunter, a strong defensive centerfielder coming off a career offensive year to a 5-year, $90M contract. However, their cross-freeway rivals were not to be outdone by redundant stupidity.

The Dodgers signed Juan Pierre to a 5-year, $44M contract last offseason. I'm now hearing reports on TV and the radio that they're "shocked" that Pierre takes such poor routes on balls and has a weak arm and gets poor jumps. Look - you're willing to shell out $44M over five seasons but aren't willing to investigate what type of player you're getting? Well I suppose it makes sense that they didn't really investigate who they were getting, since Ned Colletti has said numerous times that he likes Pierre because he "gets on base" (OBP 2005: .326, 2006: .330, 2007 .331). As you can see, Ned Colletti doesn't really understand the game of baseball.

Therefore, it should really come as no surprise that Colletti now has announced the signing of a centerfielder with a great reputation for being a defensive specialst -who by all accounts has slipped dramatically in that department in recent years - and hit .222 / .311 / .413 last season to a 2-year, $36.2M contract.

Joe Torre will love this club. He's got two overpaid, overvalued "veterans" now blocking centerfield for Matt Kemp, a young centerfielder who makes the major league minimum and in 98 games last year hit .342 / .373 / .521 with an OPS+ of 125. This is the same Matt Kemp who was benched repeatedly last year so that ABs could be given to Pierre and Luis Gonzalez.

Any chance the Dodgers would do a Matsui/Cabrera/Farnsworth for Broxton/Kemp trade? It's not outside the realm of possibility, considering Neal Colletti appears to have once played "Corky" on the popular ABC television program Life Goes On. Maybe he'll ask Joe for advise, and hear all about how Matsui is "gritty" and a "gamer" and has "heart."

I know there are some Yankee fans who now have taken it upon themselves to also root for the Dodgers because of St. Joe, but if anything it causes me to root against them even more. For a guy starting out with a new club, being the ONLY majoe league manager who refuses to report to the Winter Meetings sets the wrong precedent and certainly sends the wrong message to players and fans. But don't worry, I'm sure the LA media will continue to kiss his ass and make it seem as if Joe only won World Championships because he has a magic wand to turn crappy players into great ones.

I feel bad for Donnie, but I'll be laughing with glee when it's between Torre and Bochy to fight it out for last place in the NL West. For all the media (ESPN) bashing of the Yankees with their "see? They can't buy championships anymore! they need to be like the Red Sox and build from within (the Red Sox had one (1) homegrown player in 2004, Trot Nixon)," it amazes me how much the Dodgers have escaped scrutiny. If you want an example of a bloated, poorly run franchise that every year tries to spend to cover the mistakes of the previous season, it's Los Angeles.

Labels: andruw jones, dodgers, joe torre, juan pierre, matt kemp, ned colletti

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:13 AM 6 comments

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Ridiculous Trade Proposal That People are Supposed toTake Seriously of the Day

Nomaas.org's Lane Meyer proposes the Yankees could trade Hideki Matsui and Andy Phillips for Jonathan Broxton and Matt Kemp.

I see that Torre is going to have some influence there, and was with the article in the beginning, but there's no way in hell Neil Colletti (who by all measures is not a good General Manager - I mean not like Jim Bowden-level shitty - but not good) is going to trade two guys who should contribute now and going forward for Matsui and a AAA player, Torre or no Torre.

Yhency Brazoban and Nomar Garciaparra for Matsui, DeSalvo and Clippard? Maybe.

Matsui and Phillips for Broxton and Kemp? That's a pipedream.

Labels: crazy trade ideas, dodgers, nomaas, trade rumors

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 3:31 PM 0 comments

Friday, November 02, 2007

The Dodgers Become a Juggernaut

Check out the totally unbiased and hyperbole-free article by Steven Henson:
LOS ANGELES – Admit it. What for days appeared to be another episode of reckless decisions and bungled stewardship by Dodgers owner Frank McCourt turned into the franchise's greatest coup since drafting Mike Piazza in the 62nd round 20 years ago.
The Dodgers signed Alex Rodriguez? Traded for Johan Santana? Re-animated the corpse of Jackie Robinson to replace Kent at second? Don't leave me in suspense, Steve Henson!

The Dodgers exchanged Forrest Gump for Joe Cool.

And another manager to be named later.

Forrest Gump plays for the Dodgers? Also is that a reference to the character Snoopy plays when he puts on sunglasses? Personally I would think fictional Gump would be the better ballplayer, seeing as how he could certainly run fast, and besides Snoopy would never break a sweat in those sunglasses. Snoopy kind of becomes a dick when he puts on eyewear.

Oh. Torre. The Dodgers getting Torre is it seems the greatest move they've made since drafting Piazza in 1998. Does anyone recall the Dodgers picking up a crusty old veteran that year named Kirk Gibson, who single handedly carried the Dodgers on his gimpy leg to a World Championship (see if you can out-hyperbole that, Mr. Henson!).

Not even going that far back, I would say that there are at least 5 players (I'm being generous) on the Dodgers current roster whose acquisition will have more of an effect on the fate of the 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers than a green tea freebasing manager.

I don't think Henson knows who Joe Torre really is. Look at his criticism of Little:

Little, a man of consummate integrity whose limitations were restricted to sixth-inning pitching changes and a growing inability to communicate with a certain curmudgeonly second baseman, saw through the charade.

Henson believes it seems that a change was needed from a manager with a bunch of integrity and class who couldn't manage a bullpen or an infielder. Let me correct this by re-writing the sentence:
Torre, a man of consummate integrity whose limitations were restricted to sixth-inning pitching changes and a growing inability to communicate with a certain curmudgeonly third baseman, saw through the charade.

But I digress.

In comes Torre, a .605 winning percentage in 12 seasons with the Yankees, a .476 mark in 15 National League seasons before that.

Yes, capital move old sport in bringing in a guy whose career in the National League is that of a losing manager. This is the New Torre, the Torre given credit only for successes and no blame for failures.
"The free agent market is thin, and any team that is trying to build via free agency is bound to be disappointed," he said. "Our young players, we need to maximize their ability. It's also about the individual players we have here getting better. You're not always going to be able to call the cavalry."

McCourt and Colletti did, however, bring in the equivalent of Gen. Philip Sheridan, who any Civil War buff knows was assigned to duty in the West after distinguishing himself in the East by playing a large role in Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

Torre knows the drill. He knows about expectations. He knows to watch his back. Given the ammunition, he might even take the Dodgers to a World Series before handing over the reins to Mattingly.

This might turn out to be McCourt's finest hour, Colletti's greatest get. Just don't let the kids in on the details.

Colletti's greatest "get" is a manager with exactly the same flaws as the previous guy and who has had a losing record when not backed by the Yankees.

If I were a Dodger fan (and I'm not even close) I would lament the loss of DePodesta and wonder why exactly Frank McCourt is batshit insane.

Labels: dodgers, don mattingly, frank mccourt, joe torre, ned colletti, re-animated zombified ballplayers, references to george romero films, steven henson

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 9:18 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Mr. Class

With the announcement of Torre to the Dodgers imminent, reports say that LA may have been in contact with the Torre camp prior to his infamous Tampa refusal:
According to several people, the Dodgers inquired about Torre's interest before he rejected a one-year deal for $5 million with a chance to earn $3 million in incentives and stay with the Yankees.

Was Joe "insulted" by the contract offer from New York because he knew the Dodgers offered more years? Did he just want to go out with the city and reporters all kissing his rings and throwing the team under the bus?

Torre knew the terms of the Yankee offer prior to requesting a trip to Tampa. Now it seems he also had the framework for a Dodger offer as well.

If you ask Torre about it, of course he'll deny it, as he did on last night's Late Show with David Letterman:
"I know it's been rumored, and you pick up the local paper and there's something in there about going to L.A.," Torre said. "There has been a time or two when there's something in the paper that hasn't been true."

Is that an outright lie or is it just a case of careful speech "sometimes things aren't true" hints at this also being one of them, but doesn't come right out and state it.

Also, this Freudian slip was the giveaway:
Letterman: "If you want to manage again in 2008, where are the three places you might go?"

Torre: "I don't know. What's available? The Dodgers have a contract, a manager. And the angels have a very good manager."

The Dodgers have a contract? Of course they do, Joe, but feel free to continue lying to everyone, making the Yankees out to be the bad guys, and skipping town. Letterman, like everyone else seemingly in the media, keeps getting confused by the fact that Joe Torre was not fired because he kept mentioning how the team should have "wanted (Torre) back."

Does anyone recall when reporters asked Lou Pinella if he was interested in the Yankees job that Joe Torre was still under contract, and that to speak to that or to the Yankees would be a show of disrespect?

Too bad Joe doesn't seem to hold that same regard for Grady Little.

A tale of two stories:
Man is highest paid person in his job, is offered new contract that will keep him highest paid person at his job, opts not to sign contract, rumors persist that there was a standing backdoor offer with another club, has roses thrown at feet and is given key to city.
Man is highest paid person in his job, is offered a contract extension that will keep him highest paid person at his job, opts out of contract, rumors persist that there was a standing backdoor offer with another club, is thrown to wolves and called greedy and doesn't care about winning and is all about himself.

I'm not asking anyone to let up on A-Rod (not anymore, mind you) but is what Torre did really all that different?

Classy, Joe. Really classy.

Labels: dodgers, joe torre

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 10:51 AM 0 comments

Monday, October 29, 2007

Torre, Favorite Toy to Reunite?

Torre could be LA bound.

Torre will take Dodgers job if, when, it opens

Monday, Oct 29, 2007 7:21 am EDT

If divorce proceedings between Grady Little and the Dodgers go the distance, as many expect, The New York Post has learned Joe Torre has been targeted as the manager to heal a fractured Los Angeles clubhouse.

According to two people with knowledge of the Dodgers' universe, the club and Little are talking about a buyout that would leave the manager's office in Chavez Ravine vacant for Torre to inherit. Since none of Little's coaches is signed for next year and he is ($1 million and an undisclosed option for 2009), there has been speculation Little is out.

Torre, who wants to manage again, is interested in talking to the Dodgers if the job becomes available.

So the Dodgers want to replace a manager who doesn't understand in-game tactics or how to manage a bullpen with a manager who doesn't understand in-game tactic or how to manage a bullpen and is also actively trying to embarrass his former employers in the press and tonight on Letterman.

Why would Joe take the job? Well he gets to abuse the right arm of Scott Proctor again. Who could resist that?

Labels: dodgers, joe torre, scott proctor

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:45 AM 0 comments

Monday, August 27, 2007

Dodgers Make Huge, Unexpected Discovery

I can see the future headlines now. Nec Colletti, (you know, the guy who replaced stat-nerd Paul DePodesta and his computer from "geeking" up the Dodgers with a bunch of players based on funny made-up stats like OPP and VIRP) may be finally starting to figure things out.

Or, maybe not. Perhaps if he starts reading the papers such as the LA Times, with it's hard-hitting journalism and latest huge breaking news story, he'll pick up a few tips. Woodward? Bernstein? Step aside, it's Pullitzer time for Kevin Baxter! (Highlights mine):

Workload could be a factor for Proctor

By Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 27, 2007
NEW YORK -- When the Dodgers acquired Scott Proctor at the trade deadline last month, they knew they were getting a pitcher who had thrown more innings in the last 1 1/2 seasons than any reliever in baseball. And now, after three poor performances in his last six outings, there has been speculation that the heavy workload may have left Proctor hurting, or at least fatigued.

"Am I taking the ball every day?" Proctor asked in response to a question about his health. "Then I'm fine. When I'm not taking the ball every day, then you know something's wrong."

Friday's appearance -- in which he gave up two runs, three hits and a balk in one inning -- was the 13th this month for Proctor, one more than he made in June or July and equal to the number of games he pitched in May. But he has given up two runs in four of his last eight appearances, leaving him with a 5.28 earned-run average for August, his highest of the season.

"Overall he's been pretty good," said Manager Grady Little, who dismissed talk of an injury. "[Friday] I think I saw the best fastball I've seen since he's been with us. He wants the ball every day. [And] we want him out there."

Wow. Grady is continuing the abuse that Torre inflicted it seems, and now there's "speculation" that the reliever with more appearances than any other pitcher in baseball since 2006 may be "fatigued"?

Upcoming LA Times headlines:
Juan Pierre Not Getting on Base Enough
Golf More Popular When Played Outdoors
Nomar May Be Injury Prone
Best Way to Put Nail in Board? Hammer, Experts Say
Jeff Kent Surly at Times to Teammates
Sun to Rise in East
Takashi Saito: Japanese

Labels: dodgers, ned colletti, scott proctor

posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 8:07 AM 1 comments