Notes: Umps can be disciplined, too
07/19/2006
PHOENIX -- Uniform personnel receive automatic fines for throwing equipment, as is the expectation for Dodgers coach Mariano Duncan flipping his cap after he flipped his lip during Monday night's ejection.
But what about umpires who catch those caps and toss them to fans? Are umpires subject to disciplinary action by Major League Baseball if they cross the line?
"Yes, umpires have been fined in the past," said Mike Port, Major League Baseball's vice president of umpiring.
Port would not address specifically Monday night's ejection of Duncan for complaining about a check-swing call by third base umpire Angel Hernandez, or Hernandez catching the cap Duncan flung his way and trotting over to the railing to give it to a young fan, a response that infuriated several Dodgers.
But Port -- a former Angels general manager and longtime baseball official who spoke only in general terms -- said that although umpire discipline is not discussed publicly, it does exist.
"Their accountability is high," said Port. "In the 11 months I've had this job, I'm amazed overall by their diligence and accuracy. Still, calls are missed. We track them with our observers and with tapes. Missing a judgment call is not a fineable offense. But we do look at the way they handle ejections, confrontations, if they abide by the umpires manual."
Just like any collection of people, umpires have widely ranging personalities and skills, but Port said they all must conform to a code of conduct.
"We do try to emphasize with umpires to avoid confrontations and they do a reasonable job overall," he said. "The preference is to be non-confrontation and tolerant. But it's a competitive game and occasionally tempers are lost. We like to see situations handled to keep people in the game. However, there are certain times when the line is crossed. Verbal abuse, off-color language, that's never tolerated.
"Each ejection is evaluated. When someone is charging from the dugout, an umpire will react. They are told not to go looking for trouble. When something happens, it complicates the life of an umpire. He hears from people in our office. He's better served by running the game smoothly."
Martin scratched: Catcher Russell Martin was a late scratch with a bruised right wrist, remnants of being hit by a pitch in the fourth inning of Tuesday night's game. It was obvious after he was struck that the wrist bothered him the most while throwing, even on short tosses back to the pitcher.
"It's sore and swollen," said Martin, whose availability to start Wednesday night was determined only after he took batting practice. "It was numb for a while, but I started getting the feeling back in it. I thought it would be better by now."
Martin was able to get his second hit after being struck by the Juan Cruz fastball. He took batting practice, but couldn't answer the bell and was replaced by Toby Hall.
Izturis still out: Third baseman Cesar Izturis remained in Los Angeles to be with wife Lilliana, who remained hospitalized after undergoing a cesarean section to deliver their daughter Monday. Manager Grady Little said Izturis was only questionable to join the club for Thursday's series finale and more likely would wait in Los Angeles for the club's homestand that opens Friday night.
Little indicated he is still interested in moving Izturis, a Gold Glove shortstop converted to third base, over to second base while Jeff Kent recovers from a strained oblique muscle.
"He looks like a natural anywhere on the infield, if you ask me," Little said. "His arm (which underwent Tommy John surgery last year) is not a concern of ours anymore after seeing him back playing."
Tomko tuneup: Little confirmed that disabled pitcher Brett Tomko will be a reliever when he returns from a Minor League rehab assignment next week. Tomko will face hitters Thursday and is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Las Vegas Saturday and Monday before being activated.
"We want to see him warm up out of the bullpen a couple times," said Little. "Our intentions are to have him come out of the middle part of the 'pen, sometime before the ninth inning. What that leads to in the future, I don't know. We'll see how he responds. This will allow him to rejoin the team quicker and he'll be able to help us. Who knows? This guy might have the stuff to be a closer."
Throughout his career, coaches have toyed with the idea of turning Tomko into a late-inning specialist, because he has a four-pitch repertoire that includes a 95-mph fastball, ala Eric Gagne, who made the switch in 2002.
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
Dodgers manage just six hits in loss
07/20/2006
PHOENIX -- There was nothing amusing on the Dodgers' side of an 8-0 loss to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night, other than the timing of Arizona manager Bob Melvin.
The Dodgers hadn't moved a runner as far as second base in the fifth inning when he had plate umpire Randy Marsh check the bat of shortstop Rafael Furcal (who struck out three innings earlier) for a discoloration he suspected was pine tar high on the barrel.
"We're not even hitting and they check the bats," said Furcal. "Unbelievable."
You'd think changing anything about the Dodgers' offense in this game would be the last thing Melvin would want. The Dodgers were shut out for the second time in a week, fifth time this year and never had a runner reach third base.
And they slipped all the way into fourth place in the division with their sixth loss in the seven games since the All-Star break. It was the second time this season they lost to Miguel Batista, who threw his fourth career complete game, second against the Dodgers.
What does Dodgers manager Grady Little think about his offense?
"I try to always be at the point if I couldn't say anything good, I wouldn't say anything, so tonight I'm not going to talk about it," he said. "I couldn't hit when I played. What am I going to do?"
Little later conceded that he's "concerned" about the lack of production.
"Collectively, we've gone into a little tailspin and it's lasted the entire trip," he said. "But I feel with the players we have we can get it going again. It just needs to happen."
One day after Jeff Kent was placed on the disabled list and still short-handed with third baseman Cesar Izturis home after the birth of his daughter, the Dodgers also were without rookie catcher Russell Martin.
Martin, hit on the right wrist by a Juan Cruz fastball the night before, was concerned enough about the soreness and swelling that he had X-rays taken. They were negative, but he said the limited range of motion might keep him out of Thursday night's trip finale, when the assignment gets even tougher for the Dodgers, because the Diamondbacks throw an All-Star in 10-game winner Brandon Webb.
Not that the opposing pitcher really matters when you're averaging fewer than two runs a game against every pitcher you've faced on the trip.
"We've gotten to the point where we don't need to expend a lot of energy seeing how the other team is doing," said Little. "We've got to look in the mirror and reach down and go get him."
Although umpire Angel Hernandez again got under the Dodgers' skin by calling a balk on reliever Joe Beimel that scored a run, compounding the prolonged offensive malaise was the continuation of starting pitcher Derek Lowe's slump.
He lost for the fourth time in his past five starts, during which he has missed very few bats (49 hits in 24 1/3 innings). His ERA during the stretch is 9.99.
Lowe (7-7) got through the first three innings clean, but the wheels came off in the fourth when Arizona scored four runs, two on a two-run, 443-foot blast to center by former Dodger Shawn Green (.459 average against L.A. this year). Four more Diamondbacks reached base in the fifth when Lowe's cornerman, Little, stopped the beating at the 4 1/3-inning mark, his shortest of the season.
"Those type of starts obviously are not going to get it done," said Lowe. "This is not a trial-and-error session. My job is to pitch deep into games and I haven't done it in a month."
Lowe scoffed at the suggestion that the three effective innings were a positive to build on.
"Yeah, if you're a rookie," said the nine-year veteran. "There comes a point in time where I have to make better pitches. Now it seems like when I make them, they get hit. And when I make mistakes, it's punishing, an extra-base hit or a home run. It's not for lack of effort or concentration. It comes down to execution. I'm beyond frustration. The results are horrible."
Lowe repeated the theory that pitch selection is part of his problem. He said he abandoned the curveball against Arizona and succeeded with the sinker early, but felt he had to change the pitch selection the next time through the lineup, which is exactly when the Diamondbacks awoke. He's clearly not trusting his stuff.
"Right now, I'm fighting when to throw the breaking ball," he said.
Little praised Lowe's stuff, but said he mislocated pitches. Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez, however, said Lowe's sinker flattened out after the second inning.
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
Notes: Little rearranges lineup
07/20/2006
PHOENIX -- Russell Martin returned from a bruised wrist Thursday night, but Cesar Izturis was still attending to family matters and Dodgers manager Grade Little, left with essentially the same deck of cards, shuffled them anyway.
He took J.D. Drew, homerless since June 1, and moved him into the No. 2 spot in the batting order, elevated Andre Ethier to cleanup, Willy Aybar to fifth and started Jose Cruz Jr. in center field instead of four-time Gold Glover Kenny Lofton, who is batting .333 on the trip but hasn't played the best defense of his career, particularly on getting jumps for line drives.
"He's probably had his better days out there, but he gives you everything he's got," Little said of Lofton.
But Little was quick to point out that the changes are not the result of disappointment in any one player.
"It's collectively, not just one person," he said. "We're not going to keep repeating things that aren't working. We've got to change something. Things aren't going good right now. It's the whole club and you try not to catch yourself pointing fingers at each other. We, as a team, are not going to do that."
Little said he believes his roster, if healthy, is good enough to finish first in the National League West.
"We just need everyone in the room to do their job. With everyone active, we feel good about this club," he said. "Losing six of seven, I'd be lying if I said there aren't missing components. I don't know if I can narrow it down specifically. There's a lot of baseball left and we know we've got a good club."
Martin, who missed Wednesday night's game after being struck by a Juan Cruz fastball Tuesday night, said the range of motion in the wrist had improved significantly and the swelling had reduced.
Little said he expected Izturis to rejoin the club Friday night for the opener of the homestand against St. Louis. He missed the entire four-game series in Arizona for the birth of his daughter.
Capgate: Coach Mariano Duncan said he has spoken with Bob Watson, Major League Baseball's head of discipline, and Mike Port, vice president of umpiring, as part of the investigation into Duncan's ejection by umpire Angel Hernandez, who caught the cap Duncan threw and gave it to a fan.
Duncan said he's been told a suspension and fine are likely in ejection cases where a coach comes onto the field. Fines are automatic for tossing equipment. He expects to receive a decision on Friday. There also is precedent for disciplinary action to be taken against Hernandez, although MLB does not make those public.
Duncan said the umpires' postgame report accused him of bumping crew chief Randy Marsh in the argument that ensued. Duncan disputed that account. The umpires have had no comment.
Tomko to Vegas: Starter-turned-reliever Brett Tomko passed a 20-pitch session throwing to hitters Thursday and will have a two-outing rehab stint with Triple-A Las Vegas Saturday and Monday as a final test of his healed oblique muscle before rejoining the Dodgers in his new role as reliever.
"I felt pretty good. The pitches were doing what I wanted them to do," said Tomko, who threw to Ricky Ledee and Aybar. "I don't think I'm favoring it. I'm ready to go."
Little said the Dodgers were interested in seeing Tomko warm up out of the bullpen in Las Vegas, but he said he can get warm in 15-20 throws and was not concerned about that part of the transition.
Tomko said he's lost 12 pounds during his rehab by adjusting his eating schedule with more frequent meals but smaller portions.
Beimel baffled: Reliever Joe Beimel still can't understand why first-base umpire Hernandez called him for a balk in the sixth inning Wednesday night when he appeared to have picked Chad Tracy off first base, bringing a runner in from third base.
"He said I stepped too far towards home plate," said Beimel. "Look at the tape. Not even close. I'm not an idiot. With a runner on third, the last thing I want to do is make a mistake and let that runner score. I was careful. I stepped right toward first base. It's a little upsetting."
Beimel said he remembers being called for one other balk in parts of six Major League seasons.
"Might have been the same guy called it, I'm not positive," he said of Hernandez.
Mueller stymied: Infielder Bill Mueller said doctors have ruled out all known procedures to repair the deteriorating condition in his right knee.
"We don't know what's left," said Muller, who is done for the season and quite possibly his career.
Mueller will continue rehabilitation in hopes of a miraculous recovery or some yet-to-be-discovered solution. He is signed through 2007.
Ruggiano to Devil Rays: The Dodgers sent outfielder Justin Ruggiano to Tampa Bay to complete the June 27 acquisition of Mark Hendrickson, Toby Hall and cash. The Dodgers earlier sent Dioner Navarro and Jae Seo to the Devil Rays. Ruggiano, 24, was hitting .260 with nine homers and 45 RBIs for Double-A Jacksonville.
Fitness program: The Dodgers will host a national fitness program with the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society, American Diabetes Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons called "Promote a Lifetime of Activity for Youth" (PLAY) to combat childhood obesity. All-Star infielders Nomar Garciaparra and Izturis and head trainer Stan Johnston will interact with local youth at Dodger Stadium on Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m on the field.
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
Dodgers tumble in trip finale
07/21/2006
PHOENIX -- In nearly 50 years of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball, never have they rallied from as far back as fourth place at any point after the All-Star break to finish first.
The current Dodgers are in fourth place. On Thursday night they lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-2, their seventh loss to conclude an eight-game trip that opened the second half. They are 3 1/2 games out of first place and one game out of last in the NL West.
They were swept four games in St. Louis and took one of four against the Diamondbacks. They were outscored in the eight games, 42-16. They were outhomered, 10-2. The offense was shut out twice during the trip and hit .224, while the starting pitchers had only two quality starts and a 5.24 ERA.
They've been playing short-handed, with Cesar Izturis on family leave the past four games, Jeff Kent trying to play hurt until he was disabled.
They're now 19-31 on the road, but it won't get any easier when the homestand opens Friday night because they'll be facing the first-place Cardinals again.
On this trip, they ran into hot-tempered umpires and nasty-throwing right-handers, Arizona's Cy Young contender Brandon Webb (11-3) administering the latest defeat.
"[Webb's] not the guy we needed to run up against the way we're struggling," said manager Grady Little.
And when Webb allowed the occasional baserunner, the Dodgers minimized the damage by grounding his sinker into four double plays, two by Nomar Garciaparra, whose clutch bat from the first half has cooled considerably. Dodgers runs scored on a double-play grounder and an error.
The Dodgers countered Webb with Mark Hendrickson, who couldn't repeat the quality start he threw at the Cardinals last week. He was driven from the game after 5 1/3 innings having allowed five earned runs, including a two-run homer by Carlos Quentin in his Major League debut when the score was still 3-1.
"It was kind of frustrating. I felt I had pretty good stuff," said Hendrickson, still winless as a Dodger after his trade three weeks ago. "The home run was one of the worst curveballs in the game. That's frustrating, because we still had a chance. It was kind of deflating for myself and the team."
Deflated is a pretty fitting description of the current Dodgers, who aren't much for late-inning drama with a 2-34 record when they trail after the sixth inning.
"I think we're pressing as a team," said Hendrickson. "It's not just one facet. It's every facet. From the pitchers' standpoint, we're not consistently getting deep into the game. You win as a team and lose as a team, but we're not playing very well as a team, period."
Little said Hendrickson "got about six pitches up, and got burned on every one of them." He said the double-play inning-killers go "along with the way we're playing." He conceded he had no answers for the cause of the team-wide malaise or a sure-fire cure.
"We'll just keep changing things and mixing until we find the right combination," he said. "We've got to start to get the job done."
He said he did not question the effort of his players and said the intensity is "what you'd normally see with a club in this spell. It's enough to win a game, but no one person will take over. It's got to be everybody working together."
Little knows that -- $100 million payroll aside -- his team lacks the superstar that can take over a game or put an entire team on his back and carry it. He has J.D. Drew, who was moved into the second spot in the batting order because he's hit one home run in the past two months and responded with three hits.
Thursday night's makeshift lineup also included rookies Andre Ethier and Willy Aybar batting fourth and fifth. They possess a total of 10 career Major League home runs. Ethier had two hits.
Fans hoping and praying for a savior to arrive via trade before the deadline at the end of the month might be disappointed. For one thing, the way the entire team is playing now, no one new arrival will turn this team around.
"This is probably snowballing on us, but we've got to get the players on the field playing better," said Little. "It could be that they're waiting for something to happen instead of each one making it happen. It's just got to change."
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
Long balls push Dodgers past Marlins
03/16/2006
Marlins at the plate: Hanley Ramirez and Jeremy Hermida had RBI singles in the third inning. Matt Treanor singled to start the third and doubled in the fourth and seventh innings.
Dodgers at the plate: Cody Ross's pinch-hit homer, a solo shot in the third, was his fourth home run in 20 spring at-bats. Bill Mueller's solo home run was his second. Joel Guzman's solo home run was his second. Delwyn Young joined the power surge with his first home run. James Loney doubled in a run.
Marlins on the mound: Jason Vargas allowed two solo home runs in four-plus innings. Joe Borowski allowed two runs in two innings.
Dodgers on the mound: Starter Aaron Sele allowed two runs in a four-hit third inning. Eric Gagne allowed a single and got a double-play grounder in one scoreless inning. Joe Beimel struck out the side in the fourth inning. Franquelis Osoria got the save with a perfect ninth inning.
Grapefruit League records: Marlins 10-5-2; Dodgers 8-5-2.
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
Billingsley takes comparisons in stride
03/16/2006
VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Dave Stewart, the only pitcher in the last quarter century to win 20 games four consecutive seasons, has this to say about top Dodger pitching prospect Chad Billingsley:
"He's going to be far better than I ever was."
Whoa.
Here's the fine print: Stewart is Billingsley's agent.
Disclaimer aside, Stewart isn't alone in his praise for Billingsley, the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year two years running.
"He's going to be there real soon," said Ken Howell, meaning Billingsley's anticipated arrival in the Major Leagues. Howell has been Billingsley's pitching coach the last two seasons and will be with him at Triple-A Las Vegas this year, for as long as Billingsley is there.
"It's not just one or two of us in the organization that feels this way about him," said Rick Honeycutt, the who was the organization pitching coordinator until a recent promotion to Major League pitching coach. "A lot of eyes were watching that Double-A Jacksonville team last year. Other teams feel the same way about him. Over the second half, he was just lights out. He's the total package."
Billingsley, 21, was a first-round pick out of Defiance (Ohio) High School. In three Minor League seasons, he is 29-14 with a 3.01 ERA. He's a power pitcher with a thick trunk (244 pounds) on a 6-foot frame. He's built a little like Tom Seaver, although he said Nolan Ryan "was my role model."
"I started pitching when I was 7, and when I was 8 my dad had a stroke and became disabled, and he was my pitching coach," said Billingsley. "He worked for General Motors (and) didn't really know anything about baseball mechanics, but he researched and bought books and videos and zeroed in on Ryan because of his mechanics and molded me into something like that, even with the huge leg kick.
"Everything Ryan has said he did, that's what my dad had me do. I even picked up my grip looking at his grip on a baseball card. My dad got all the tools Ryan used, like a little baseball that helped with my control and various weights. My dad knows me best. My success is his success."
Howell said the biggest difference between Billingsley today and the one of two years ago is mechanical -- a lot of the rough edges have smoothed out, even though in his first spring appearances he's overthrown to the first few batters he's faced.
"He still tends to speed his body up, especially at the start of a game, and he is just starting to understand that he needs to slow the body down," said Howell. "In this first Major League camp, with the atmosphere, the excitement, he's gotten hyped up at the start and the next inning he's settled down."
Although the Dodgers farm system hasn't produced a superstar pitcher since Pedro Martinez and there is internal support to rush Billingsley to the Major Leagues sooner rather than later, new general manager Ned Colletti has resisted, instead signing free agent Brett Tomko and trading for Jae Seo to bide time for the kid's arrival.
Colletti didn't need to be an eyewitness to understand what happened to Edwin Jackson, the last Dodger "phenom" pitcher to veer off-course. The next phenom knows Jackson's saga all too well.
"When Edwin got sent down to Jacksonville last year, we were roommates for a while," said Billingsley. "What I think is that he tried to do too much and lost confidence in himself. A lot of this game is mental and it gets tough if your head isn't on straight. He told me he was getting a lot of information from a lot of people and I think he just lost confidence."
Now Billingsley is considered the next Jackson, at least in ability, and such expectations can set the bar awfully high. In his debut, Jackson beat Randy Johnson on his 20th birthday, and five months later came to his first Spring Training being compared to Doc Gooden. A spot in the rotation was his to lose, which he did. Billingsley hasn't made a pitch above Double-A, yet all eyes are on him.
"I don't get caught up in that," he said. "I've been compared to so many big names. I'm not trying to be like anybody else."
Stewart said Billingsley will succeed because he not only has immense talent, but the work ethic to harness and refine it.
"With his attitude to go after it, he has a real high ceiling," said Stewart.
But better than a four-time 20-game winner?
"He's going to be real good," said Stewart. "But I wouldn't put him in a big game against me."
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
Dodgers, Mets battle it out to a tie
03/17/2006
Mets at the plate: Jeff Keppinger's bases-loaded triple capped a four-run sixth inning. Keppinger also doubled and scored a run. Victor Diaz homered. The Mets scored another run on a bases-loaded walk by Corey Ragsdale.
Dodgers at the plate: Jeff Kent followed J.D. Drew's single with his second home run. Olmedo Saenz's pinch-hit double was cashed in by Kenny Lofton's fielder's-choice grounder. Andre Ethier hit a two-run triple. James Loney doubled with two outs in the ninth and was singled home by Willy Aybar to tie the game.
Mets on the mound: Steve Trachsel was charged with three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Matt Perisho was charged with three runs in one inning, and Bartolome Fortunato allowed the tying run in the ninth.
Dodgers on the mound: Starter Brett Tomko allowed two runs, one on Diaz's home run and another on a Chris Woodward groundout that cashed in Keppinger's double. D.J. Houlton was charged with four runs (three earned) in two innings. Brian Meadows walked in a run that was charged to Kelly Wunsch. Jonathan Broxton struck out two in one inning.
Grapefruit League records: New York Mets 10-6-1; Dodgers 8-5-3.
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
