Photos from last night's game

In lieu of a full recap of last night's rough loss (James Loney is not my favorite person today), I have instead compiled a series of photos from the game.  These were taken on a cheap camera from long distances, so it's full of blurry figures and disappointment, much like me at the bottom of a bottle of scotch.

No, I can't rotate the photo.  I don't know why.  

This gentleman was VERY friendly and genial.  I think it's because I could smell the paint fumes from where I was, several feet away.  He must have been SUPER high.  That's probably the best job in the stadium.

Can't rotate this either.  Or the one after that.  I promise it gets better.

I won these tickets off the Dodgers twitter account last week- in honor of their hitting 65,000 followers, they gave out tickets to the first 65 people that messaged them with their email.  The seats were actually very good, and the guy that emailed me from the Dodgers PR department couldn't have been nicer.  It was really great of the team to reach out to fans like that.  Color me impressed.

Last bad one.  Sorry.  

Here's Don Mattingly, shagging flies in the outfield during batting practice.  I wonder if he's getting into game shape so he can activate himself and DFA Loney.  Also spotted during batting practice: Juan Uribe hitting in the cage, and Jonathan Broxton working out and doing sprints in the outfield.  Here's hoping we see Broxton again at some point this year- I know it's been an up and down few years with him, but I'd like to see him throw a couple of 100 mph fastballs one more time before he goes away at the end of the season.

See?  Now they're fine.  It doesn't make any sense to me either.

Meet 'The Big Cheese'.  Purchased at the field level CPK for $16.00, it's a huge piece of cheesy focaccia bread with marinara and ranch.  It made me very sick.  Sadly, Campy's Corner (home of the Victory Knot) was closed, so we were forced to get this instead.  Interestingly, several of the field level food options were closed.  Trying to save a few dollars in payroll, I guess?  

This guy must be really strong.

You see the kid sitting on the end of the bleacher, wearing the backwards white hat?  Every time a ball was hit to a player anywhere near him during batting practice, he would scream in a high pitched voice.  He wouldn't scream the player's name, or ask for the ball, or anything useful.  He'd just scream.  It was excruciating.  I really hope those girls standing to the left made fun of him.  He deserved it.

I don't think he understands what 'Winning' actually means.

This guy was sitting a few rows down in the padded seats.  You can't really tell in the photo, but he's got a faux-hawk.  Look, Major League is one of my all time favorite films.  And I have to assume he got the jersey before we all knew what Charlie Sheen really meant.  But it's the Phillies vs. the Dodgers.  However, I have now decided I won't rest until I get a Roger Dorn jersey, so I guess it all worked out.

Trent Oeltjen's favorite movie is Happy Gilmore.

Apparently Trent Oeltjen gets paid in really big checks.  Maybe it's a clause in his contract.  Maybe that's how it's always done in Australia.  What am I, psychic?

Dee Gordon could FIT INSIDE HIM.

Dee Gordon and Tony Gwynn Jr. sharing a laugh with Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins.  I'd like to point out that no one approached Shane Victorino and hugged him during warmups.  That's because everyone in baseball  knows that if any of his goblin blood gets on them, they'll be turned as well.  Must be hell in the Phillies locker room.

Yes, there were catcalls.

Ah, rookie hazing.  Fraternities may frown on it, but it's still okay in baseball.  Of course, I can't feel too bad for him, as he's most likely already a millionaire.

Sweep the leg, Rod!

Is it wrong that I was hoping Kuroda hit him?  Just to see what would happen?

I tried to get a pic of him throwing.  I'm not a very good sports photographer, as it turns out.

Dee!  He entered the game in a double switch in the 7th, and showed no ill effects from the shoulder injury.  His throws looked crisp, and it didn't seem to affect him at the plate.  Some small comfort, at least.

Juan Rivera, getting back in shape for the NFL preseason.

This picture came immediately after Rivera did his best middle linebacker impression in the 8th inning, mowing down Chase Utley at full speed.  I could hear the impact from my seat, and it was pretty awesome.  I can't imagine Utley felt good this morning.  Unfortunately, Rivera was called out for interference, and it played a big part in killing our rally and chances at tying the score.

Even when he misses, it's pretty.

Last pic- this was Kemp's swing and miss for strike three in the 9th.  Even though it was only the second out of the inning, pretty much everyone left in the stadium knew the game was over.

It was a brutal loss, to be sure- Loney's second inning error cost the team two runs that may have been all the difference, and Victorino's 9th inning tater off of Mike MacDougal was an especially bitter pill to swallow.  Overall though, we had a great night at the ballpark.  Thanks again to the fine PR staff of the Dodgers for allowing us to see it.

Things we learned from last night's game (7/15/11)

Dioner Navarro reminds Don Mattingly about the pictures he has from their lost weekend in Tijuana.
Photo Credit: Jon Soo Hoo

Overview: Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw are good at the baseball. Juan Uribe is not. Welcome to LA, Juan Rivera!

Pros: Kemp and Kershaw come out of the All-Star break swinging, both literally and figuratively. Kemp's 2 run home run was crushed, and he just missed another in his first at bat, sending one all the way to the center field wall. Kershaw's line was somewhat marred by Juan Uribe's 7th inning error (more on that in a minute), but all 4 runs were unearned and he tacked 8 more strikeouts onto his league leading total. Those kids in Africa are going to get the greatest orphanage EVER.  Juan Rivera also had a great start to his Dodgers career, golfing a solo home run into the left field bleachers on the first pitch he saw, and later adding an RBI single before being pulled for defensive replacement Tony Gwynn Jr.- a nice move from Mattingly, who has been making more good moves than bad as of late.  Even Dioner Navarro counts as a plus this game, contributing 2 hits to raise his average to a robust .195.

Cons: Juan Uribe.

What we learned:  Not much, all things considered.  The two best players on the team dominated the opposition, and the rest of the team performed well enough to win.  We learned that Mattingly, at least in the early going, isn't afraid to pull new acquisition Juan Rivera when the match up isn't in his favor.  Unfortunately, we also learned that he thinks batting Juan Uribe second might help "jump start" his bat, which 1) isn't working and 2) hurts the 3-4-5 hitters' chances to produce runs by not having anyone on base to drive in.

Danny was lucky enough to go to the game (the only good thing to come out of living in Phoenix, from my estimation), so he'll post some pictures from last night sometime soon.  In the meantime, we'll all prepare to see Hiroki Kuroda continue to audition for opposing team's scouts starting at 5:10 tonight.

The Dodgers are Already Trolling Us

Ned Colletti, apparently deciding that the roster just needed some minor tinkering for our “playoff run”, kicked off the midseason trade tradition by acquiring Juan Rivera for a player to be named later or cash considerations (anyone want to bet that with McCourt in charge and the MLB having to approve any transaction over $5000 it certainly won’t be cash considerations?). In turn, Marcus Thames was Designated for Assignment. Reports out of Toronto indicate that the Blue Jays are paying all but the remaining pro-rated minimum of approximately $175,000 for Rivera’s contract. What does this mean for the Dodgers going forward? Well… nothing, really. The team got younger, sort of. We still have trouble believing that Thames is only a year older than Rivera, but them’s the facts. Rivera should theoretically do what Thames was supposed to do: mash lefties and provide a mostly punchless offense with some pop while occasionally spelling James Loney at first. It probably makes the Dodgers better, but not by any significant amount.
Thames has been a disappointment this year- a minor one, to be sure, in the vast sea of disappointment that is the 2011 season, but a disappointment nonetheless. His nagging leg injuries have prevented him from playing in the field, and now that interleague play is over, the Dodgers don’t have much (any)use for a pinch-hitter incapable of playing defense (insert Juan Rivera playing defense joke here). All in all, we have trouble getting worked up one way or another by this move except for the very rational looming fear that Colletti is going to attempt to acquire more marginal upgrades in a vain attempt to make a run at the division, gutting the farm system in the process. AGAIN. As for the PTBNL? Truly, we can’t imagine it’ll be anything more than a marginal prospect at best, although history has shown Ned has a willingness to overpay on PTBNL, especially when the other team takes on salary (see: Tony Abreu for Jon Garland and salary, 2009).
As for Thames, we’re actually sort of sorry to see him go. Not because he was good as a Dodger, he certainly wasn’t, but because in some small way it vindicates TJ Simers horribly mean-spirited article from a few months ago. By every account by someone not named TJ, Thames is a great guy off the field and in the clubhouse. Here’s hoping he can find a taker on an AL team and regain some of his swing again.
Hold onto your butts, the era of Juan Rivera has begun. Or whatever.