Just started watching Ken Burns "Baseball" for the first time last night.

The first new thing I learned: The Dodgers were named for their fans.

If you don't work within 10 miles of the stadium, it's neigh impossible to make it on time for a 7PM game without ditching work early. And neigh impossible to get home before 1AM if you leave after the 8th inning of a 7PM game.

I was at Matt Cain's perfect game at AT&T last year. I showed up around the 3rd inning because I was coming from the south bay after working. I was not the only person entering the stadium at the time, it was still filling up, just like Dodger stadium on a weeknight.

Obviously not many people left early that night.

The new ownership actually gives a crap about the team and its success, after years under a greedy, money-only regime. They're spending money Yankees-style now because the previous owners decimated the once historic farm system and spending money is their way to create some value and interest in the short term while they rebuild from within. It's smart...and now that people are healthy, it's working.

Hardly unique to the Dodgers. But even so - Billingsley, Kemp, to a lesser degree Ethier are thus far career Dodgers. And Puig has the look of a franchise player early (and I suspect the new ownership is sensitive enough to such things to make that happen). The thing that's missing is iconic championship moments with those players which would cement them as Dodgers - but again that's not due to some unique shortcoming of the team or the players, or how the players have been acquired. That's simply due to the team not winning the Series since they've been playing (a condition they share with ~70% of the teams in the league)

No-hitting the team that owns Kershaw. Transitive property of ownage.

Hardly. He no-hit one of the worst teams in baseball during one of their worst skids this season. A decent Little Leaguer could no-hit the Padres right now.

Meanwhile, Kershaw remains 11-4 against the Giants in his career, with a 1.32 ERA.

Get back to me when Timmy actually beats him.

Zito's outing yesterday was the perfect, necessary follow-up to Lincecum's no-hitter to avoid heady, unreasonable expectations coming out of the All Star break. First batter: perfect game and no-hitter gone. Second batter: shutout gone. Third inning: win gone.

Thanks, Barry. We're set up nicely.

Dodgers! I've got tickets to the Dodgers game on Sunday. It should be a good game, the Nat's are on a streak having won one of their last one games.

Plus I'll get a chance to see this Puig guy people seem to be talking about.

Stellar job last night, Bochy. Still think it was a good idea to keep Puig and/or Hanley off the roster? Three measly hits.

Of course, the only reason I really care is if we make it to the Fall Classic.

Oh look, they started a new streak!

Yeah, I guess the old one could not last forever. I watched last nights game. That Puig fella has a hell of an arm on him plus he looked quite dashing while swinging helplessly at Strasburg's pitching.

I suppose Puig can't claim not being used to the weather.

Oh well, it's a good time for him to have his sophomore slump. Hanley's got his back.


National weather service might have something to say about that.