James Loney

rdquo; or “people who know how to play the game”, which basically says to Matt Kemp and James Loney, “We know that you lead the team in homeruns and RBI respectively, but if there is someone over 30, who can play half as well as you can, he’ll probably take away your playing time because while he may get half as many hits/homeruns/RBI, he does that like a professional. When he strikes out, he takes it to a 2-2 count FIRST, and then strikes out like a gamer. When he is thrown out at home, or trying to stretch a single to a double, or is picked off, he does it like a professional. So to summarize my points, we just traded you for Jack Wilson and Ruben Sierra. Pack your bags.” Torre and Colletti spend their entire time openly coddling the veteran players by making excuses for their poor play, while bashing the younger players for not doing that much worse, or in some cases better, than their veteran counterparts. Would Andy LaRoche be worse than Mark Sweeny in the pinch hitting role? It is statistically impossible for that to happen. So too bad LaRoche, your 59 at bats (in 27 games mind you) and .200 average is back to AAA because you couldn’t hang up here because we let you get one at bat every 4 days. Meanwhile, Mark Sweeny, and his crappy play stays because he’s a veteran.

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Sabathia deal is dead. The proposed deal that would have seen the Dodgers send Matt Kemp, James Loney, Andy LaRoche, Andre Ethier, Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershw, Vladamir Guerrero, the letter “L”’ from the Hollywood sign (the one on the left, not the one on the right), Kobe Bryant, and DJ Mbenga to the Indians for C.C. and Casey Blake is no more. The Brewers, in a possible drunken haze traded four minor leaguers (including the perpetually well traveled “player to be named later”) in what appears to be a great move for the Brew Crew. They have no interest in keeping C.C. outside of this year if it is going to cost them a lot (and it likely will) so they will be able to pick up a couple of draft picks from the next team that signs him, and get to use the skills of a man in a contract year who is trying to make a good impression on any team that’s courting him. Smart move by the Brewers that is pretty much win, win. The Indians got a good package, but one has to wonder what they could have fleeced from the Dodgers if their deal went through. My exaggeration from the top is probably not too far off.

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A scheme by Matt Kemp and James Loney to take over the team? We can only hope.

In more optimistic news, the Dodgers have since won 3 straight games and Andruw Jones and Nomar are coming back to stink up the line-up. At least I can use all the fat jokes that I couldn’t use with the hot dog eating contest when talking about Andruw now.

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Russell Martin, who had an excellent game two days ago, and James Loney combined to go 0-for-6. The Dodger bench also came up short once more, with Jason Repko failing to produce and still hitting .000 and Mark Sweeney failing to raise his average once again (it’s because he didn’t make an appearance, but still).

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The Dodgers then mounted a mini-rally in the ninth, but James Loney hit a weak grounder with the bases loaded to give Frankie Rodriguez his 32nd save.

 As is their custom, the Dodgers took the day off with Derek Lowe on the mound. The Dodgers had only three baserunners while Lowe was pitching, and they have scored a grand total of eight runs for him in his eight losses this season. Despite surrendering one run in seven solid innings, he was tagged with his eighth loss. I mentioned yesterday that Lowe has a tendency to lose 1-0 games, and today that prediction unfortunately came true.

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e, the Dodger offense hung a fantastic four on Paul Byrd in the first inning, scoring four times on James Loney’s two-RBI double and Russell Martin’s subsequent two-run homer. They then hung a not-so-fantastic four hits in innings two through eight, recording two hits in each the fifth and eighth and failing to score a single insurance run.

Continue reading "Fantastic Four Help Dodgers Avert Cleveland Sweep"

Juan Pierre tripled to score two in the seventh inning, and James Loney went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a walk, a double and a 430-foot solo shot halfway up the right field bleachers. Loney, by the way, is hitting .396 in the month of June. Andre Ethier added three hits on a night when Jeff Kent and Russell Martin combined for an oh-fer in the middle of the lineup.

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ing, and I use that term in it’s most ironic sense when describing the Dodgers, is atrocious. James Loney was supposed to be our batting title hitter. He’s finally hitting above .270. Andre Either has been his usual, somewhat dependable, somewhat disappointing self. Russell Martin is awesome as usual. Jeff Kent is hitting like a 36 year old instead of a 40 year old. Furcal is basically dead. DeWitt has been a surprise but when you call up a AA third baseman, you really aren’t expecting much. That leaves us with the biggest disappointment this season: one Matt Kemp. While not looking terrible, he sure as hell doesn’t look great. Striking out once every 4 at bats is dangerously close to Andrew Jones territory (and let’s not get started on that one). There is constant talk about potential and while he still is young, the Dodgers seem to be only talk potential, and the “maybe next year” talk is already starting. They are only one game ahead of the Padres and the Giants who were both written off weeks ago.

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 Their young guys seem to be developing well and Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Russell Martin look like future stars.

 However, the veterans that are being paid to make plays simply are not doing that.  The Dodgers five highest paid position players are Andrew Jones, Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal, Juan Pierre, and Nomar Garciaparra.  Furcal was having a great year before being sidelined with an injury and his return should spark the Dodgers some.  However Andrew Jones just went on the DL, but before going there he was batting .167 with 2 homeruns, not the type of power the Dodgers wanted from him.  Nomar has barely played the last couple years, and is chronically injured.  Kent is batting .234 with 4 homeruns, not what you want from your middle of the order bats.  Juan Pierre is doing what he normally does, but he is not the big bat the Dodgers need.  

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Furcal needs to get healthy, and what the heck is going on with James Loney? Geez Loney, how many times have you thrown a ball to second base? So, why are you over throwing Hu by like a mile? Can't blame Hu, you are just not on your game man. C'mon.

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enting a number of young prospects who are expected to revitalize the offense lead by first baseman James Loney, rightfielder Matt Kemp and third baseman Andy Laroche. However, without any of these players having played an entire Major League season, it is unknown if they’ll be able to generate consistent offense over 162 games.

Continue reading "MLB 2008 Preview Part One: National League West"