June 13, 2005

Yep, I knew it all the time. Never a moment’s doubt. Ask anyone. Hee-Seop Choi’s a bleeping stud; the second coming of Lee Stevens at the very least.

And like I said, Paul DePodesta is always the smartest guy in room.

As for the entire weekend, the Dodgers did a great job celebrating the 1965 World Series with the Twins in town. It was nice to see Willie Davis, Lou Johnson, Wes Parker and Maury Wills on the Dodger Stadium field together again, and the clips from Game Seven were awesome.

On the other hand, the upcoming promotional Sandy Koufax action doll thingee is pretty cheesy, don’t you think? “Barbie Doll in 32 Flannel,” I call it. Not something you’d really want to show off, unless you’re eight, and especially not in comparison to the bronze masterpiece BaseballSavvy.com and sports sculptor Malcolm DeMille have proposed to the club. It’s in Frank McCourt’s, uh, court now. We’re just waiting for the serve. Stay tuned…

The Cool email of the Week: “Get to Dodger Stadium an hour early - no traffic and no lines for nachos and garlic fries - GOOD.

See something you have never before seen in a baseball game - Hee-Seop Choi hits three consecutive home runs - VERY GOOD.

Take your grandson to his first baseball game - PRICELESS...”

So be honest now, Vin Scully had you baffled with the Aflac trivia question. Name the defensive alignment for the final game of the 1965 Series. It was Dick Tracewski at second base, not Jim Lefebvre.

Go figure. Tracewski, following up his .154 average in the 1963 World Series, rapped out two hits in ’65, averaging .118 for the latter October. Lefebvre had just completed a Rookie of the Year campaign and hit .400 in the Series to that point. But given the result, how can you second guess Walter Alston?

With the Baseball Encyclopedia open to see if Tracewski had a nickname (he didn’t), I couldn’t help noticing that the listing directly below the old Dodgers and Tigers second baseman was the one belonging current Dodgers manager…

Vinny was just being kind to Terry Mulholland; respecting his elders and all. He didn’t really mean it when he described the oft-remembered play in which Mulholland, with a comebacker stuck in his glove, tossed both Rawlingses over to first for the out.

Said Vin: “That’s just part of the Terry Mulholland lore.” Actually, it’s the whole lore. There’s no more lore. BTW, Mulholland did not pitch for either side during the 1965 Twins. It just seems like it…

It's a pleasure watching D.J. Houlton pitch. I mean, besides the rookie’s obvious skill and mound presence, it's a breath of fresh air having Houlton out there pitching for the Dodgers; a friendly face wearing number 27. Makes you almost completely forget about the other guy…You know, Joe Beckwith...

Whatever you think about the money it took to replace Shawn Green with J.D. Drew, there’s really no comparison on the field. Sure, he’s no ace center fielder, but Drew is a million times better than Green right now, and the ex-Dodger is fading faster than you can say, Jack Robinson...

Memo to Journalist Bill, Todd Donahoe and to all Earth’s editors: Stop the sacrilege. It’s Jimmie Foxx, with two Xs. James Emory Foxx. One of baseball’s all-time greats. Hall of Famer, two-time MVP and twice World Champion. .325, with 534 home runs and 1922 RBIs lifetime. The guy Tom Hanks’ character was supposedly based on in “A League of Their Own.” A little reverence please. Jimmie bleeping Foxx…

Weird Stat: From an ESPN.com box score. The Padres lead the Chisox, 5-3 after six innings, Brian Lawrence vs. Freddy Garcia. Rudy Seanez pitches a scoreless seventh and gets a "hold." Scott Linebrink starts the eighth, gives up two runs on three hits without recording an out, for an in-game ERA of infinity. If I had a clue had to type a sideways eight I would. Linebrink gets a hold. First person to explain that one to me gets World Series tickets this October, Padres vs. whomever…

Weird Stat, Part Deux: You can thank ESPN for this one too. On the occasion of an Eric Chavez’ five-hit performance, SportsCenter ran a graphic showing the active major leaguers with the most games played in without a five hit game. Barry Bonds heads the list, with 2730. Whatever…

This is L.A. Football: So it’s Los Angeles vs. Anaheim one more time. May the best city win. Please…

Statue for Sandy: The Koufax in bronze campaign continues, so please scroll down to the photo below and vote yes on 32…

Remember, glove conquers all….