MLB '07 (Go Dodgers!)

[Ghoulish Delight]

The teams are in camp, and spring training games start in 1 week! Hooray! Time for my amateur rundown of the Dodgers as they arrive in Vero Beach (for the last time?).

It's been another crazy spring for the Dodgers. They made the business decision to not pursue Gagne. I totally understand why. The last thing the Dodgers need is Darren Dreifort Part 2, the Tommy John Boogaloo. But it still sucks. Gagne fit the classic Dodger star mold, coming from within the system and winning the fans' favor by winning games. But both he and the team made the only logical choice given the uncertainty of his future. It's a shame.

For the most part, I'd call the new look for the Dodgers promising with some hesitation. While they've revived the, "If an opposing team's player is wearing to Dodgers out season after season, just trade for him," philosophy of the 80s and 90s, I'm a little nervous that they keep picking up these players in or near their golden years (Schmidt - 34, Gonzo - pushing 39). That, and the seemingly inevitable corollary to the "trade for them" rule being, "Once the Dodgers trade for them they start to suck."

My other concern is they didn't pick up any power hitting. All the analysts kept saying that they were loading up on pitchers to have some trading chips for a bat, but they never pulled the trigger. But I'm not worried too much about that as that kind of deal can be done mid season when there's a clearer view of who's worth it. Definitely better that than to cannibalize the best collection of prospects in baseball to make some desperation deal just because.

But in the end, with the usual caveat of health, I like the lineup. This is what it looks like right now:

Furcal
Pierre
Nomar
Kent
Gonzo
Martin
Betemit
Ethier

The last 3 are iffier than the top 5, but it's a pretty likely scenario. If Martin can avoid the sophomore slump, that's a damned imposing middle 4, even without an obvious ball-crusher. And if Betemit and Ethier manage to be consistent, even if they don't match their peak performances of the past, they can make even the bottom of the lineup a challenge for the opposition.

And then there's pitching. It certainly feels like they'll have more depth than they've had for a few years. While it would be near impossible to recapture the brilliance of the bullpen with a healthy Gagne, I think cutting him lose will allow them to be more confident and feel less like they're waiting for pieces to fall into place and more like they're building on something solid. Saito proved he's got the stuff last season, and with an abundance of starters (Schmidt, Penny, Tomko, Wolf, [god knows who #5 will be] looks damn good on paper), long relief shouldn't be an issue. Of course, the real challenge is to reduce the need for long relief. With only 1 complete game all of last season and with the vast majoirty starts lasting 6 innings or fewer, even the strongest bullpen's going to get worn out. That needs to change.

I think it's going to be between the Dodgers and San Diego for the west this season. I'm just glad the Dodgers don't have to face Schmidt or Gonzo any more! San Fran seems like it's floundering. Bonds will continue to be exciting to watch, but a hindrance to winning. And the loss of Schmidt will hurt them. Arizona and Colorado...actually I haven't paid attention to what they've been up to, but they both seemed like they're years away from being winning teams.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the Dodgers make the playoffs and win at least 2 games. We'll see if I eat my words.

[CoasterMatt]

I can't wait for yet another spectacular late season/early playoff collapse...

[Alex]

While I love baseball, the gap between the last game of the World Series and the first official game of the next season is pretty much dead to me as far as baseball goes.

So beyond knowing that the A's have a new manager (but I can't remember his name) and that Zito went to SF, I haven't a clue what is in store for us this year.

But I expect a strong performance with the good push to the playoffs followed by excitement but ultimately disappointment if they make it.

[Kevy Baby]

Hopefully this is the year I finally make it to a game at the Big A. Haven't been since I was five (I understand they've made a couple of changes since then).

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

While I love baseball, the gap between the last game of the World Series and the first official game of the next season is pretty much dead to me as far as baseball goes.

I've got a list of bookmarks that I neurotically and obsessively check daily. The Dodgers' site is on that list and while it's eminently more interesting during the season, they do keep posting stuff (mostly about minor leaguers playing winter ball in other counties, enthralling) during the off season. So that keeps me semi informed.

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

and that Zito went to SF

Oh yeah, forgot about that. That might make up for losing Schmidt. But they've still got the Bonds dead weight.

[mousepod]

Funny aside: when I moved to SF from NYC almost 11 years ago, my SIL, a die-hard Giants fan, convinced me to root for the Giants because "they're the home team", even though I've always considered myself a supporter of the Mets. Since I knew I'd be seeing the Giants play more games than any other team (on TV and in person), I went along with her - I was never a huge sports guy anyway, and I recognized that it's more fun to watch a game when you have a little stake (even just emotional) in who wins.

Fast forward to the last couple of months - using her own logic, I told her that I was looking forward to moving to LA and going to a bunch of Dodgers games. Somehow I have become a traitor.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Gooooooooo, Blue! Can't wait!

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by mousepod

Fast forward to the last couple of months - using her own logic, I told her that I was looking forward to moving to LA and going to a bunch of Dodgers games. Somehow I have become a traitor.

For the first thing, the second thing or both?

Team loyalties are a funny thing. I grew up in Queens and you could be for the Mets or the Yankees, but not both. Since the Mets had just won the World Series in '69, most of us were for the Mets.

When I moved to Orange County as a kid, I was ticked. I sort of rooted for the Yankees in the '77 and '78 World Series because I hated having moved, and I could not stand Tommy Lasorda.

Flash forward to 2001. Post-9/11, wouldn't it have been great for the Yankees to win the World Series? Try as I might, I found myself rooting for Arizona (of all non-NY places) and cheering their comeback. Maybe if the Yankees had been playing the Taliban, I could have rooted for them. Maybe.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh man. I just got super excited because it occurred to me that I happen to be taking opening day off since Passover starts at sundown. And a quick glance at the schedule shows the Dodgers play at 11AM. We don't have any afternoon plans, we just have to be in LA for dinner. For the first time in the history of Greg, I had visions of being at opening day!

Until I realized that it's an away game and the Dodgers' home opener isn't until the next Monday.

[CoasterMatt]

Somebody puked in Tommy Lasorda's handprints on Friday (in front of the Dodger's Clubhouse store on CityWalk) - wonder if it's a sign?