Bulls in the Pen

Sorry about the gap in posts. I’ve been battling a bad cold among other things and just have been being lazy. Ok, where was I? And the bullpen looks something like this.

Jonathan Broxton - Broxton is the Dodgers closer in waiting and he could be ready to step into the role should Saito revert to old and mediocre. Broxton could be Gagne’s Mini Me (figuratively speaking).

2006 Stats

IP  HR ERA  WHIP SO BB BA
76  7  2.59 1.23 97 33 .216 

Takashi Saito - Saito’s resigning gives the Dodgers a *cough* proven closer that everyone knows you have to have to win. Saito is a mystery. Is he man or beast.? His motion fools hitters and he throws in the low 90’s, both improvements from when he pitched in Japan. Can he keep it up? Given that he is 37 a short flight into the mountain is possible but I think in any case he should still be serviceable.

2006 Stats

IP  HR ERA  WHIP SO  BB BA
8  3  2.07 0.91 107 23 .177

Yhency Brazoban - Ghame Over??? Well, it’s not known exactly when Brazoban will be back or what shape he will be in when he does. Hopefully, he can pick up where he left up. At least the Dodgers aren’t counting on him.

Joe Beimel - Beimel was another bullpen find for the Dodgers last year. Then he cut his hand in a bar, lied about doing so and missed the playoffs. I expected the Dodgers to non-tender him but it seems like he has done penance in the eye of the management. The eye of the clubhouse might be a different matter.

2006 Stats

IP  HR ERA  WHIP SO BB BA
70  7  2.92 1.30 30 21 .262

Hong-Chih Kuo - Kuo didn’t do well after he came up and he was shipped back to be a starter to get more work in. His work ended up being so good that when he came back he was pretty darn unhittable. He and Broxton might from an elite left/right combo

2006 Stats

IP  HR ERA  WHIP SO  BB BA
59  3  4.22 1.46 71  33 .244

Elmer Dessens - Dessens returned to the Dodgers are part of the cost of getting rid of Odalis Perez. He did ok but he might have problems finding work in this a bullpen this deep. At least he is free. His stats are much better as a reliever.

Three Year Averages

IP  HR ERA  WHIP SO BB BA
82  9  4.25 1.35 54 24 .276

Brett Tomko - Tomko pretty much stunk as a starter.  I had high hopes for his move to the pen as he still throws around 90.  He started out well, but as the season wrapped up Tomko progressively slid down the scale.  I think that he could still turn out to be alright.

Three Year Averages

IP  HR ERA  WHIP SO BB BA
165 18 4.36 1.35 99 50 .269
Mark Hendrickson - Hendrickson was acquired to give the Dodgers a good, dependable, lefty starter for the second half of the season.  He only accomplished the lefty part before going the way of Tomko.  As much as I hate to say this, Hendrickson did pitch well in relief although in a small sample size and usually in blow outs.  He signed a one-year deal today for 2.95 million.
Three Year Averages
IP  HR ERA  WHIP SO BB BA
175 20 4.99 1.46 91 52 .289
Other possible bullpen contenders included Tim Hamulack, DJ Houlton, and Greg Miller.
Synopsis - The Dodgers have a very deep bullpen full of talent as well as pieces.  They have three pitchers that could fill in as starters if needed and enjoy pieces that they could trade some of the lesser ones without out much of a hit.

The Arms

A look at the starters for the Dodgers this year.

Jason Schmidt - Schmidt might have been the steal of the off season seeing as the Dodgers managed to acquire his services for only three years versus hiring him until he sucks and you have to trade him. Granted he has health questions that could limit his usefulness to the Dodgers but he is still sold. He isn’t the flame thrower that he used to be, but he still hits 90 on the gun and he has good control. Should Schimdt give the Dodgers 550 inning over the next three years with and ERA of around 4.00, I’ll be extremely happy. By the way, I just noticed that Schmidt doesn’t suffer a jump in opponents batting average after he crosses the 90 pitch mark. In fact, his stats are the same for pitches 76-90 as they are for 106-120 (minus about half the at bats).

Three Year Averages

IP  W  HR ERA  WHIP SO  BB BA
203 13 18 3.67 1.25 198 80 .227

Derek Lowe - Basically the opposite type of pitcher that Schmidt is. Both are inning eaters who keep the ball in the park. Lowe depends on sinkers preventing hitters from getting a handle on his pitches and the defense getting to the ball once it is in play. A breakdown on either end spells bad things for Lowe.

Three Year Averages

IP   W   HR  ERA   WHIP  SO  BB  BA
207  13  19  4.17  1.37  124 60  .273 

Brad Penny - Penny rapidly wore his welcome out last year and was the top bet to be relocated during the off season. Well, that hasn’t happened and the Dodgers are wondering which version of Penny will show up in camp next month. Will it be the Penny that pitches his way to the All-Star Game or the pitcher who forgot how to pitch after the break. Penny’s back problems might have contributed to his issues but that doesn’t explain how he was able to chuck the ball at 95 mph straight down the middle. Penny threw hard but with almost no movement and he rarely uses his breaking pitches. I think he forgot he had a splitter. I’m hoping that he remembers.

Three Year Averages

IP  W  HR ERA  WHIP SO  BB  BA
169 10 16 3.85 1.23 127 46  .266

Randy Wolf - People that point to Wolf’s stats over the past few years and say that he sucks tend to forget that in 2005 he had ligaments in his elbow replaced. He didn’t make it back into action until the very end of last July. I expect him to be much better this year.

Three Year Averages

IP  W  HR ERA  WHIP SO  BB  BA
91  5  15 4.58 1.47 64  31  .277 

Chad Billingsley - Bills got off to a tremendous start although he had a tendency to walk the high wire leading high pitch counts and short outings. The number five spot should be his to lose.

2006 Stats

IP  W  HR ERA  WHIP SO  BB  BA
90  7  7  3.80 1.67 59  58  .272

Synopsis: While the Dodgers rotation has health issues, they also have plenty of parts to fill the cracks (some better than others). They have pitching to trade later on in the season and more on the way. The Dodgers would love to get good season out of these five guys but if they don’t it won’t necessarily spell their doom.

I forgot to mention it yesterday but Jon Weisman did the brake down on the Dodgers for the boys over at the Big League Baseball Report. It’s a really good segment and you should check it out. Keep in mind though, should you ever host a radio show eating Ruffles while on the air isn’t the best way to entertain ones audience.

The Changeup: Movies 06′

I interrupt your regularly scheduled Dodger post to bring to a brief synopsis of the movies that I saw in 06′. Your normal posting will return tomorrow.

Anyone one who has read me for more than a couple of weeks knows that I tend to be a movie buff. I thought I’d give a recap of what I got to see last year and a brief review of each. Feel free to comment on what flicks that you caught in 06′ that you really enjoyed.

Hoodwinked - Ok, ok, I’m a sucker for animated films. Hoodwinked was generally panned by critics due to the lack of quality in the animation. It’s really too bad because while the movie was about as low a budget for an animated film as you will see (outside of a Disney straight to DVD release) , yet it had some very good voice acting and a some pretty funny parts. It’s one of those films that is much funnier the first time that you watch it. Grade B-

Glory Road - Your typical Disney feel good film. Not overly sappy but not the quality of Remember the Titans. Grade B

The World’s Fastest Indian - I saw this on DVD a few weeks ago. Anthony Hopkins does a great job in the lead role as he plays a thoroughly likable person albeit hard to get along with. His journey from New Zealand to race his Indian Motorcycle on the Salt Flats of Utah is another feel good inspirational story that does dwell on sap to much. Hopkins introduction to American culture is very amusing. Grade B

The Pink Panther - I happen to be a Peter Sellers fan and my dad has the entire Pink Panther collection. If I was an actor I would not have attempted this role for the world. Steve Martin does the smart thing and doesn’t try to imitate Seller’s Clouseau but instead reinvents the character while paying homage. It makes for an ok movie but it does drag in spots and it could have been funnier. Clive Owen’s cameo as 006 is probably the funniest part of the movie. Grade C+

V for Vendetta - Only an actor like Hugo Weaving could take a character like “V”, who spends his entire time behind a mask, and give it such expression. A role ran the first leading man off, Weaving gives a commanding performance in what is a surprisingly good film. Most people won’t know that it’s based off a comic. An extremely relevant story, it’s easy to see how a few key events could bring a nation to the point portrayed in the movie. One of my favorite movies of the year. Grade A

Inside Man - On top of animated films I also enjoy superhero movies (done well, mind you, think Batman Begins and not Daredevil) and especially heist movies. Inside Man is one heck of a heist flick that I had to watch twice to really understand all that went on. Great performances by Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Judy Foster. Grade A

Ice Age 2 - I vote for Ice Age 3 that the entire movie be about Scrat because he is the funniest part of the movie by far. Think the Penguins in Madagascar. Grade C

Lucky Number Selvin - If you like movies that leave you wondering what is going on, then this is a film for you. It has the feel of a film noir pic with great plots twists and turns and a great ensemble cast. Grade A

Silent Hill - Silent Hill is a change for a movie based on a video game. It’s actually made by a director that loved the series AND was determined to translate the feel of the movie as best possible (pretty much the opposite of Paul Anderson). The problem therein laid not with the sets and the cinematography but in the fact that they hired a script writer that knew nothing about the games and decided to “capture the essence” of the plot (read: I’m doing it my way). The result was a film that is visually stunning but disappoints gaming fans for it lousy plot while simply confusing everyone else. Grade C

Mission Impossible 3 - Much better than the second one (Although that’s not hard). Directed by J.J. Abrams, one critic commented that it was like watching an episode of Alias. That’s pretty much the truth. Not bad for a big action flick. Good action, ok acting, and enough ha, ha parts to get you through. Grade B

Over the Hedge - Another typical Dreamworks animated picture. Loaded will well known voice talent, added a lot of sight gags and toss in a few gross jokes. Viola’!!! Serve to the masses. Grade B-

X-Men: The Last Stand - The project went through three directors, who knows how many writers, and the result was a impressive screen display but rather lacking in the script department. The movie is the shortest of all the X-men films. Some major characters from previous films were given almost no screen time while new (and hyped) characters just simply were developed. Had the taken the time to make the film longer and flesh out the characters I think it would have made a much better movie. Grade B

Cars - Pixar films are still the cream of the animated crop and Cars isn’t any exception. While some might think that’s it’s a little long (it probably is) it still has enough fun to keep kids and adults entertained regardless of whether or not you like NASCAR. Grade B+

Nacho Libre - A good movie for all who enjoy watching Jack Black run around in stretchy pants. A crazy plot, crazy characters, and Jack Black being himself while faking a bad Spanish accent. It was my favorite movie of the year to watch in theaters because it was a small crowd all of which thought it was funny. Warning: if you hated Napoleon Dynamite you’ll hate this movie too. Grade B+

Click - Not your typical Adam Sandler movie. Oh yeah, there is plenty of crud humor to make you laugh while shaking your head, but it also has a moral to the movie and it slows down towards the end of the film without totally slaming the brakes and losing the the audience. Christoper Walken is great as Morty. Grade A

Superman Returns - Bradon Routh is great. He plays Superman with the right amount of confidence while donning the cape and insecurity while mild manner Clark Kent. I was worried about how the CG would go for this movie but it moves seamlessly from live action to CG and back with you unable to see the shift. A great rebirth for the series. Grade A

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - Much darker than the first one and more plot driven. All of the characters are driven to the breaking point and you wonder if any off them will come out sane…. or alive. One of the few movies that I have seen that I enjoyed just as much as the original. Grade A+

Talladega Nights - It’s funny how many of the lines from the trailer didn’t make the final cut of the movie. It’s very funny film although generally of the “oh, that’s just not right” variety of humor. Still Will Farrell and co. manage to pull off some of the craziest premises. My favorite comedy of the year. Grade A-

Casino Royale - What James Bond should be. No Q, no gadgets, no world domination schemes, no unnecessarily slow dipping devices. Just the Bond the predator stalking his prey. Daniel Craig is the real deal. This was my favorite of the year. Grade A+

Eragon -I took my sister to see Eragon because she had read the books. She hated it. While it has a good cast, some of the performances are flat (John Malkovich acts like he is waiting for his check to clear) and a lot of the dialog is less that desirable. The musical score is totally unmemorable and the costume designers look like they had lots of plastic on hand. Grade C-

Night at the Museum - Actually saw this Sunday night. Night at the Museum is a light hearted film that is very family friendly while funny and engaging enough to entertain most people. Ben Stiller has yet to convince me that he can carry a comedy solo and he has plenty of help from Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and lots of crazy people here. Grade B

At the end of this list, it is apparent that I watch way too many movies and that I need to really cut back this year. I suppose I could limit myself to only the films that I really want to see like Ghost Rider, Rush Hour 3, Spiderman 3, Pirates 3, Shrek 3 (what’s with the 3’s?), Ocean’s 13, The Bourne Ultimatum, Transformers, Ratatouille, The Simpsons, Harry Potter 5, ………. uh oh.

DA BENCH!

Today I’m going to take a look at the Dodgers bench for next year.

Olmedo Seanz - Seanz was a point of contention for me last year. I disagreed with the amount of playing time that got Seanz in relation to other “bench” players. He was rarely asked to spell Nomar even after Nomar hit the wall. He was never platooned with Betemit at third even though he was OPSing almost 1.200 against lefties. No lie. And yet Seanz played in only 16 games all season at the position. Now granted Seanz is a doesn’t a have a good glove and his range would be about the same if he was playing in a wheelchair, but I would like to see him get more cuts than he did last year. He is another reason why I’m not too worried about Nomar’s health.

Three Year Averages

BA   2B HR OBP  OPS
.276 13 11 .341 .850

Marlon Anderson - Marlon was nothing short of “magic”, if I may quote Vin Scully, after he joined the Dodgers last year. He picked up the slack after Ethier tanked and probably could have hit clean up the last month of the season. He hit .375 with 7 home runs as a Dodger last year. I look for him to get a lot of work this year giving vets a rest and backing up Either should he get lost along the way.

Three Year Averages

BA   2B HR OBP  OPS
.267 12 9  .315 .747

Mike Lieberthal - Lieberthal replaces Toby Hall as second fiddle to Russ Martin. While his best days are behind he should make an excellent back up for Martin and proved a little pop off of the bench to boot.
Three Year Averages

BA   2B HR OBP  OPS
.268 23 12  .332 .772

James Loney - Loney didn’t do to well in his first call up with the Dodgers. The second go round proved to be a different matter. Loney posted an OPS of over a 1.000 including his 4 for 5, 9 RBI night against the Rockies. He flashed gold glove defense at first and despite his time in the majors posted the highest batting average for all of the minors. Loney should make the team out of camp and should Nomar sneeze too hard he might take over first and not give it back.

2006 Stats

BA   2B HR OBP  OPS
.284 6  4  .342 .901

Ramon Martinez - I’m am really at a loss to understand exactly why the Dodgers saw fit to resign Martinez. He was very useful during the first part of the season. As the season wore on and other players were acquired, Martinez got buried so deep on the bench that the bat boys saw more action. Given the depth on this team so far he isn’t likely to rise above the rank of late inning glove.

Three Year Average

BA   2B HR OBP  OPS
.263 8  2  .320 .669

Jason Repko - Repko was off to a good start last year until he injured his ankle climbing a wall. It took forever to heal and by the time that he got back others were in line before him. A lot of playing time for Repko this year would be very bad news for the Dodgers.

Three Year Average

BA   2B HR OBP  OPS
.232 7  4  .302 .684

Matt Kemp - Kemp is likely to start the season in Vegas but he might not stay there very long. Kemp hit .328 in Jacksonville and then .358 in Triple-A. I think that either Gonzo, Ethier, or just Kemp’s numbers will have him in LA before the end of May.

Andy LaRoche - LaRoche’s only issues will be (a. how his shoulder has heal and (b. how he does in spring training. Another player likely to have a starting job by the end of the season.

Oscar Robles - He didn’t hit at all in LA and only a little for the 51’s. He isn’t hitting well in winter ball and I hope not to see him in a Dodger uni at all this year.

Delwyn Young - Young had decent power last year in Vegas (but who doesn’t). He might make the team out of training.

Synopsis: The Dodgers have plenty of pieces for the bench and are likely to be good as well as deep unless, as two years ago, the bench players all get forced into the starting lineup. Still it’s not bad looking and you never know what might spring up in training camp.

I finally have most of my links back up. Just click on the friends section to check them out. A special thanks to Rob McMillin for not only updating my link but also giving me a shout out.