Brian
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Post by Brian on Jul 12, 2011 23:39:37 GMT -8
The National League has won two All Star Games in a row. I feel exactly 16 years younger. The Senior Circuit dominated when I was a kid, throughout the 1960's, '70's and '80's. Then they failed to win 13 in a row through the 2009 Midsummer Classic, while the game became diluted and polluted with expanded rosters, new rules, a game suspended in a tie and, worst of all, letting the All Star Game determine home field advantage for the World Series. I should care less, like Derek Jeter, who declined to show up. But I enjoyed the game more than I have in years because of the players who did and appeared to be so glad to be there.
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Jul 20, 2011 23:38:58 GMT -8
...the Dodgers are tied for last place in the National League West, nine games below .500. And the Giants are in first. Three weeks later, the Dodgers are again tied for last place, twelve games below .500 -- and thirteen and a half games behind the first place Giants. The Giants beat the Dodgers on Tuesday for the sixth game in a row. The last time that happened was the month that "Abbey Road" came out, September 1969. I read a piece in the Los Angeles Times recently about teams in baseball history that went from last place in July to play in the postseason. Despite the exemplary years so far by a few Dodgers like Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, I can't see how this team compares with any of those that went from worst to first. Life is uncertain and brutish these days in Chavez Ravine. My dread will ebb when the trading deadline passes July 31. Although now I hear that Hiroki Kuroda is being shopped around.
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Jul 30, 2011 23:56:40 GMT -8
With only a few hours remaining before the trade deadline, it appears that Hiroki Kuroda will remain a Dodger by choice and Rafael Furcal could choose to become a Cardinal. If that holds up, I will be happy.
The Dodgers' rank in the standings hasn't improved very much since I last posted here ten days ago -- now they're ten games below .500, twelve and a half behind the Giants in the National League West -- but they're winning more, five of the last seven games.
In other news, Roberta was the top bidder at a silent auction for a Glendale nonprofit -- she won four tickets to a Dodgers-Padres game at the end of August in the Reserve section, not far from where Anni and I used to sit in Inner Reserve, for just $50. They're worth $88 before the service charges. Roberta offered them to me and I'm here to answer: thank you, Roberta, I'd love to buy them from you and go back to Chavez Ravine. Especially when Frank McCourt's paying for the tickets and a charity is getting the money.
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Roberta
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Post by Roberta on Aug 1, 2011 9:14:42 GMT -8
:-) I'll have them at the corner on Friday. In other news, Edmond and I and possibly Jim and Bruce will have the banner at Oceanview and Honolulu tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10:15 for 1 hour. The more the merrier. When is a deal not necessarily a done deal? When it s---ks. Here's what I got back from RootsAction this morning: Dear Friend, The debt ceiling deal struck last night does not tax the rich or even allow temporary tax cuts on the rich to expire. Nor does it defund any wars. Yet it requires cuts of $1.2 trillion now and $2.5 trillion over a decade. Will you join me in telling Congress to reject this deal? Just go here: bit.ly/nWsr7q
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Aug 8, 2011 23:00:50 GMT -8
...now they're ten games below .500, twelve and a half behind the Giants in the National League West... Eight days later, the Dodgers are still ten games below .500, but now they're ten games behind the Giants. That's because the Giants went 2-8 while the Dodgers split 5-5 in the last ten games. I know a guy who thinks the Dodgers could still win the West. While I admire his attitude, it would take an epic late summer winning streak like the 2007 Rockies had -- or the 1951 Giants -- to pull that off. Winning two out of three in every series would only get them to 84 wins by the end of the season. How weak is the National League West? The Dodgers are four games further back in the wild card standings. How strong is the NL East? The last place Marlins have the same record as the Reds in the Central, 55-60, but they're 20 games out of first while the Reds are 10 back in their division.
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Post by Brian on Aug 22, 2011 16:14:19 GMT -8
...now they're ten games below .500, twelve and a half behind the Giants in the National League West... Eight days later, the Dodgers are still ten games below .500, but now they're ten games behind the Giants.Another thirteen days have passed. Now, they're twelve games below .500, eleven and a half behind the Diamondbacks -- in last place in the National League West. At least the Giants have slipped to second! Even my relentlessly optimistic baseball talking buddy has given up any hope of the Dodgers winning the division. Still, I love the game, the team and Vin Scully -- and only suffer occasionally, like last Saturday, when the Fox network refused to broadcast the game in Denver and the Rockies wouldn't reschedule to allow the Dodgers to show it here on cable. In case Vin decides to retire, I'm soaking up every remaining moment of this season that I can catch.
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Post by Brian on Aug 30, 2011 23:00:50 GMT -8
Actually, paid attendance was 29,764. But I estimate that fewer than 20,000 showed up.Official capacity of Dodger Stadium is exactly 56,000. For all of the games I attended from 1982 to 2008, I learned to avoid popular days and promotions and aimed for off nights that might draw only 40,000 if I wanted to get around quickly and comfortably. I felt blessed if only 35,000 were announced. It's possible that the advertising signs outnumbered the people at Chavez Ravine when Anni and I returned Monday for the first time in three years. The three concession stands at the end of left field in Reserved, the largest section, were closed. Perhaps because we were in aisle 23 instead of our old perch down aisle 7 closer to home plate, the public address system wasn't as oppressive as we remember. But now that I think of it, they can't crank up the volume as loud when half as many are sitting in the stands. Despite the in house commercials, we had a wonderful time. Baseball was meant to be experienced outdoors, in 3-D with my own four eyes calling the shots. It's even better when Clayton Kershaw pitches his fifth complete game for his 17th win of the season and an injured Andre Ethier goes 3 for 4. After Tuesday's victory, the Dodgers are in third place in the National League West, 12 games behind the Diamondbacks but only six back of the Giants. They're six games below .500, compared to 12 on Aug. 22.
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Post by Brian on Sept 13, 2011 23:00:12 GMT -8
Tuesday's extra innings at Chavez Ravine helped me to learn more about the Arizona Diamondbacks -- the boys of autumn, so unlike the team I saw in spring -- before they clinch the National League West and I start rooting for them to win the pennant. Just 14 games remain this year. It's possible that the Dodgers could take second place, but only if they play even better while the Giants get a helluva lot worse. This morning, the Dodgers are three games below .500. They had a break even won-lost record for about 18 hours last weekend for the first time in three months, which is really nothing to celebrate. Still I heard myself cheering -- that's the kind of season it's been.
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Post by Brian on Sept 20, 2011 23:03:05 GMT -8
Clayton Kershaw promotes Bobblehead Night last May.I anticipated an exhilarating yet very tense game Tuesday night with the latest match up of Clayton Kershaw and Tim Lincecum -- the last of many this season -- and I wasn't disappointed. With the score 2-1 Dodgers in the 8th inning and runners on first and second, Kenley Jansen came in to strike out the next two Giants. Javy Guerra earned a save in the 9th. Oh, and the Dodgers are now one game above .500. Unable to convey how happy I am, I'll resort to the facts: Kershaw defeated the Giants five times this year without a loss, the first time by any Dodger pitcher since 1946. He's the first Dodger to win 20 games since Ramon Martinez in 1990. His record is 20-5 with one more chance to start. He's 23 years old. In other good news, the Giants are almost done for the season -- three losses by them or wins by the Diamondbacks and they're eliminated in my beloved National League West. The 2010 World Champions languish four and a half games behind the Braves and two back of the Cardinals for the wild card.
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Post by Brian on Sept 28, 2011 23:01:54 GMT -8
Random notes on the last day of the baseball season: - The Dodgers finished the year 82-79, eleven and a half games behind the Diamondbacks but only three and a half behind the Giants, thanks to a fabulous September. Most of the young players who made it happen will be back next year -- and so will Vin Scully.
- As Vin pointed out in his final 2011 broadcast, Clayton Kershaw is a virtual lock for the Cy Young Award, which may ace out Matt Kemp as Most Valuable Player in the National League because the voters probably won't name two players from the same third place team for baseball's top awards. Matt only missed being the first triple crown winner in the NL since 1937 by a few thousandths of one percentage point in his batting average. We'll have to wait until November for the verdicts.
- With the wild card races tied in both leagues on Wednesday, tiebreaker games were possible Thursday -- Major League Baseball issued 2011 Tiebreaker logos, which the Cardinals used to sell tickets that will now have to be refunded. They will represent the National League, not the Braves who led for weeks. The Rays were one game better than the floundering Red Sox, who can wait another 100 years to play in the World Series after winning it twice, as far as I'm concerned.
- The Diamondbacks showed me something in the late innings of the final series against the Dodgers -- they could go all the way if they can dispatch the Brewers. Snakes and wiener races, you gotta love the Freudian match up. I'll be watching the Phillies and the Cardinals with no rooting interest but I expect some great baseball.
- The Rays play the Rangers in their American League Division Series while I'm at work on Friday, so I won't be missing anything I have to see. But I'm looking forward to watching the Tigers prevail over the Yankees. Not just because I have to disdain the Yankees in the Dodger tradition -- Detroit has not won the Fall Classic since 1968.
- For three seasons, I've tried to get Bernard the cat interested in baseball. If the Tigers meet the Bird Team in the World Series, I might be able to convert him.
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