MLB 2013

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

The Fans: They've never shaken or attempted to shake the "come late/leave early/baseball is just another form of disposable family entertainment" rep, except, of course, to cultivate a counterbalancing thuggishness.

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 Ownership Dey took da team oudda Brooklyn. More recently, they seem bent on giving the George Steinbrenner era a run for its money.

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.

The Team Hard to tell from a distance, and it is the nature of the era, but is there anyone other than Kershaw that you look at and think "I can't imagine him in another uniform."

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)

[Alex]

Trying to guess which of those three points you think the Giants beat the Dodgers at?

But it may be an imagination issue on the last one becuase I have no problem imagining anybody playing for any other team. I can imagine Jeter playing in Houston.

And if people are going to still be butthurt over the abandonment of Brooklyn, then A's and Giants fans have hardly found save haven.

That said, I've never had a conversation with a Giants fan that resulted in Dodgers bashing. They always seem to get to asking why all A's fans do is bash the Giants.

All A's fans do is not go to games in Oakland while bitching about not wanting to have to drive to San Jose if they move.

[Moonliner]

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.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

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.

[Strangler Lewis]

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.

[Moonliner]

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.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

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.

Oh look, they started a new streak!

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

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.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

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.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Motorboat Cruiser

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.

One must be careful to avoid actually caring about all the BS that Bud Selig wants us to care about. Things like as World Series home field advantage coming out of the All Star game, a second wild card team/play-in game, last-chance All Star vote-ins. There must be more.