While I think Scott Podsednik (hitting .310 with 30 stolen bases) is a good player and I do believe this is a good trade I think I'm with most Dodger fans inwondering what the hell the Dodgers are thinking...
The Los Angeles Dodgers are struggling to score runs and they need another starter, preferably an ace, so why do they go out and sign another soft-hitting outfielder?
Unfortunately I think all Dodger fas know the answer to this one...
The Dodgers are broke and they have no resources and Ned Colletti is doing whatever he can with whatever room he has. According to Colletti, the Podsednik trade was in case Reed Johnson or Manny Ramirez spend more time on the Disabled List then expected.
Scott Podsednik is a good hitter with good speed but he doesn't walk a lot and he's an average defender. Hitting Podsednik at the top of the lineup will extend the Dodger line up and hopefully also create some more scoring opportunities because the Dodgers have scored less then 2 runs in their last 4 games.
The Dodgers start a very important series with the hated San Francisco Giants tonight. The Dodgers are currently 7 games behind the division leading Padres and 3.5 games behind the 2nd place Giants.
While Clayton Kershaw going 4 innings and allowing 2 earned runs against the San Francisco Giants and Tim Lincecum wasn't all that impressive, the fact that Kershaw retaliated against Lincecum, by throwing at Aaron Rowand, and the Giants when Timmy threw at Matt Kemp shows me something about Clayton Kershaw...
The incident last night shows me that Clayton Kershaw is not Chad Billingsley and that he has the balls to stick up for his teammates when the opposition is throwing bean balls at his boys. I like this about Clayton Kershaw and I'm hoping this in the motivation that Kershaw needs to make him an elite pitcher...
Was the Weekend a Sign of Things to Come?
Playing against the St. Louis Cardinals this past weekend I was anxious to see how Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw would fare against the first place team and I was not surprised...
Chad Billingsley = 4 innings pitched and 7 earned runs
Clayton Kershaw = 4 innings pitched and 4 earned runs
These are the games I watch when I'm trying to evaluate these two pitchers because these guys have both proven that they can get it done during the regular season but neither of them has shown the ability to get the job done in the post season against better competition... It does you no good to watch or evaluate them against other, weaker National League teams because most National League teams are pathetic offensively. The fact that neither of these guys was able to get out of the 4th inning should tell you something about the Dodgers playoff hopes and this is why I think it'll be the veteran pitchers like Kuroda and Padilla that will lead the charge for the Dodgers as I stated here: It’s The Veterans Not The Youngsters That Will Be Leading The Playoff Push For The LA Dodgers.
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In 21 innings pitched this season, George Sherril has an ERA of 7.48. I don't think I need to say anything else...
Frankly I'm tired of hearing from Dodger fans and Dodgers management how this could be the breakout year for Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley...
If you ask me Chad Billingsley is a bust.
He's not a bust as a major league pitcher but he's a bust as the teams next big ace or even #2 for that matter and I think it's safe to put that one to rest now given his 4.14 ERA heading into the All-Star break in a weak-hitting national League. At this point I can't even fathom what American league hitters might do to Chad Billingsley...
Now let's talk about Clayton Kershaw.
Most fans don't know this but Tim Lincecum was drafted the same year that Clayton Kershaw was and the Dodgers actually had a choice between the two players and opted for Kershaw instead mostly because physically Kershaw looked like a Major League pitcher.
Fast forward to today and Tim Lincecum has won two NL Cy Young awards and we're still waiting for Clayton Kershaw to develop into the true ace the Dodgers think he is.
Kershaw is 9-4 with a very respectable 2.96 ERA heading into the All-Star break and looks to be having his best season as a pro but the big question is can he do it in the middle of a pennant race and even more so can he do it in the playoffs?
Personally I think he can but I think he'll perform a lot better if Vicente Padilla and Hiroki Kuroda pitch ahead of him in the rotation. Both Padilla and Kuroda have pitched in big games before and they've both done well and with Kershaw pitching in the third spot against the other teams third best pitcher he's in the best spot of his career to acquire some post-season success.
And that's why for all the talk about Bllingsley and Kershaw it's really about the veterans on this team like Kuroda and Padilla that will lead the Dodgers into the playoffs.
Kershaw and Billingsley are no longer youngsters and they should be dominating at the major League level right now. Kershaw should be taking the ace spot and slamming the door shut on any doubt that he's the teams true ace. I think the only reason Joe Torre hasn't named Clayton Kershaw the ace is because he doesn't want to place too much pressure on the "youngster" and wants him to taste some post-season success before he asks him to face the other teams ace.
So at least for another year it'll be the veterans that lead the charge for the Dodgers into the playoff race on the pitching staff.
Offensively, again it looks like a grizzled veteran leading the charge for the Dodgers. Not Matt Kemp whom most expected to have a huge year and not Russell Martin who most expected to at least have a decent comeback season.
No it's Rafael Furcal hitting .333 going into the break getting the big hits for the Dodgers.
And while I fully expect Matt Kemp to end up having a decent season, I'm not so confident about Russell Martin coming back ever and I fully expect the biggest impact a veteran will or will not have on the Dodgers will be none other than Manny Ramirez...
Manny Ramirez will be coming back after the All-Star break and if anyone can have an impact on this team it's him. Unfortunately the effect could be either positive or negative depending on what Manny comes back.
I don't think the Dodgers will be making any big deals this season given the situation of owner Frank McCourt and his divorce and that's why I believe if the Dodgers are going to break into the playoffs, it'll be because of some old veterans leading the way.
All that being said there are a couple of youngsters really getting the job done on this Dodgers team and I'm talking about Andre Ethier (14 HR's, .324 BA) and James Loney (63 RBI, .309 BA). I give these two guys a big edge over Matt Kemp because they hit for average, they don't strike out at a ridiculous pace and they're not disasters on the base paths.
Asked why Andre Ethier is starting in center field for the National League in the All-Star game, Manager Charlie Manuel offered this response:
The reason he's playing center field is because when we did the fan voting and the player voting, we uh, [Corey] Hart had the, he was ahead of the outfielders, he has to start, he was supposed to start the game, and Ethier's the one I chose to play center field because I remember he played there a lot. We do not have what they call a true center fielder right now. We have some our roster, at the same time that was the reason why he started in center field.
Here's our attempt to translate what Manuel said:
Because Hart was third in player voting among NL outfielders, he was pushed into the lineup when Jason Hayward pulled out of the game. Manuel looked at his three starting outfielders and remembered that Ethier has played "a lot of center field" -- even though Ethier has never played the position in the major leagues.
But Ethier's college teammate, Dustin Pedroia, said Ethier played center field at Arizona State.
"He's a baseball player, man," Pedroia said. "He'll be fine."
-- Dylan Hernandez
View full post on Dodgers Blog
Gary A. Vasquez/US PresswireClayton Kershaw leads the National League in strikeouts per nine innings. His 2.96 ERA is ninth in the NL.
He didn't make the National League All-Star team, but Clayton Kershaw is the Dodger Thoughts top cog for the first half of the 2010 season.
Andre Ethier, Rafael Furcal and Hiroki Kuroda each had hot streaks, but Kershaw was consistently strong for almost the entire season to date. In 2010, he has thrown 12 quality starts in 18 tries (most of those better than the six-inning, three-run variety) and allowed a maximum of two runs over at least five innings in three others. In only two starts this season has he failed to keep the Dodgers in the game.
After walking 24 batters in his first 30 2/3 innings, Kershaw has even gone a long way toward solving his biggest weakness, walking 26 in his last 81 1/3 innings. It has just been a very impressive first half, and the Dodgers are lucky to have him.
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| 7/12 |
7/1 |
6/21 |
6/10 |
5/24 |
5/13 |
5/3 |
4/19 |
4/12 |
Player |
Comment |
| 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
10 |
20 |
Clayton Kershaw |
In 18 starts this year, allowed more than three earned runs only twice. |
| 2 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
14 |
9 |
7 |
8 |
4 |
Rafael Furcal |
Reminding me of Magic Johnson lately. He's the playmaker. |
| 3 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
Andre Ethier |
Back in the swing of it with OPS over 1.000 in July. |
| 4 |
5 |
5 |
12 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
9 |
Manny Ramirez |
Team-high 155 adjusted OPS (.937 OPS). |
| 5 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
Hiroki Kuroda |
Disappointing to see him struggle after such a strong first three months. |
| 6 |
8 |
8 |
13 |
10 |
6 |
8 |
9 |
24 |
James Loney |
He can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan. |
| 7 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
11 |
10 |
5 |
6 |
13 |
Jonathan Broxton |
Broxton in the St. Louis heat next weekend: Bring some towels. |
| 8 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
16 |
18 |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Hong-Chih Kuo |
The All-Star stranded two runners Sunday to lower ERA to 0.99. |
| 9 |
11 |
9 |
9 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
Matt Kemp |
Frequent newsmaker leads team in HR, R, SB, CS, SO. |
| 10 |
10 |
10 |
6 |
8 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
10 |
Chad Billingsley |
Allowed three HR to first eight batters May 31, none in 37 1/3 IP since. |
| 11 |
12 |
12 |
11 |
9 |
16 |
11 |
7 |
6 |
Casey Blake |
Keep wanting to drop him because he's really not hitting, but this is where he goes. |
| 12 |
9 |
11 |
5 |
7 |
8 |
26 |
NR |
NR |
John Ely |
No one has forgotten what he meant to this team when the chips were down. |
| 13 |
14 |
13 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
15 |
14 |
14 |
Blake DeWitt |
So far, OPS has improved for four consecutive months: .856 in July. |
| 14 |
13 |
15 |
16 |
13 |
17 |
18 |
21 |
18 |
Jamey Carroll |
Pitching is hard: Carroll has seven extra-base hits, 31 walks. |
| 15 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
6 |
7 |
10 |
5 |
2 |
Russell Martin |
Offense is hard to watch, but seems like he's throwing his best in a few years. |
| 16 |
16 |
16 |
18 |
21 |
22 |
21 |
17 |
15 |
Jeff Weaver |
Fourth on the team in wins. |
| 17 |
22 |
25 |
25 |
22 |
23 |
20 |
15 |
25 |
Vicente Padilla |
Well, isn't this a pleasant development: 10 walks, 54 strikeouts in 2010. |
| 18 |
17 |
17 |
17 |
25 |
24 |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Ronald Belisario |
Really seemed like he had been finding a groove. |
| 19 |
19 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
17 |
20 |
8 |
Reed Johnson |
You're no Jamey Carroll, Reed – it's okay if you hit a homer this year. |
| 20 |
18 |
19 |
21 |
19 |
13 |
14 |
13 |
7 |
Ronnie Belliard |
Since June 28, 0 for 17 with four walks. |
| 21 |
20 |
18 |
7 |
18 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
21 |
Carlos Monasterios |
45 more games to September 1, and he's a Dodger for keeps. |
| 22 |
24 |
23 |
24 |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Travis Schlichting |
Hershiser's record safe for now. |
| 23 |
21 |
21 |
22 |
15 |
19 |
19 |
NR |
NR |
Xavier Paul |
57 plate appearances since his last extra-base hit |
| 24 |
23 |
22 |
19 |
17 |
15 |
9 |
11 |
12 |
Ramon Troncoso |
Not expecting his demotion to last long. |
| 25 |
25 |
24 |
23 |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Justin Miller |
Pitching with a lead: opponents 10 for 24. Otherwise, opponents 11 for 63. |
| 26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
23 |
25 |
22 |
19 |
19 |
A.J. Ellis |
So little power, so little time. |
| 27 |
27 |
27 |
27 |
29 |
29 |
28 |
25 |
NR |
Jon Link |
Unscored upon in past 10 1/3 innings with Isotopes. |
| 28 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
24 |
26 |
24 |
23 |
23 |
Brad Ausmus |
Has as many doubles as Ellis this year. |
| 29 |
29 |
29 |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Chin-Lung Hu |
He will not be Taiwan's first to play in MLB All-Star Game. |
| 30 |
30 |
31 |
29 |
26 |
21 |
23 |
24 |
17 |
Ramon Ortiz |
Continues to struggle in Buffalo worse than he had been with Dodgers. |
| 31 |
31 |
32 |
30 |
27 |
27 |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Nick Green |
Eighteen doubles last year, none this year. |
| 32 |
32 |
33 |
35 |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
Scott Elbert |
For arguably the team's No. 1 pitching prospect to have this kind of year is something else. |
| 33 |
34 |
36 |
34 |
31 |
31 |
25 |
16 |
3 |
Charlie Haeger |
Don't think we'll see him back this season. |
| 34 |
33 |
30 |
33 |
32 |
32 |
30 |
22 |
16 |
Garret Anderson |
Jay Gibbons OPSed .621 in last major-league season three years ago. |
| 35 |
36 |
35 |
32 |
30 |
30 |
29 |
27 |
22 |
Russ Ortiz |
Gave up one double and no homers this year. |
| 36 |
35 |
34 |
31 |
28 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
26 |
George Sherrill |
Has recorded one out this month. |
View full post on ESPN.com - Dodger Thoughts
