Dishing Up The Dodgers Podcast Returns Today At 3:30, And Off-Day Lair Links

The Dishing Up The Dodgers podcast returns from hiatus today at 3:30 PM. Nick and I will be having special guest Brad Cook, the marketing manager of Out Of The Park Baseball to discuss the multi-optional computer management based Baseball game. One of the coolest of them all I must say. We’llso talk about Nick’s meeting with Puig at the playboy mansion and why I am so unpopular in comparison.

I am still all fired up from last night. Who wouldn’t be right? This Dodger team may be the greatest Dodger team Stacie and I have ever seen in our adult lives, growing up in the post-Gibson era. We suffered through the awful Fox years, when I thought we might never see the playoffs again. Then 2004 came with a division title, and a new owner. Then the McCourt years were turbulent to say the least, but there were some good times. The two division titles and two NLCS appearances for examples, and Manny Ramirez was fun. But this is something else entirely I tell you. This is really the greatest Dodger team we’ve ever seen, and they are looking like a team of destiny.

I mean, let me set this up for you. Last night Andre Ethier (The clutchiest of players)had to go to the hospital before the game to take precautionary x-rays and examination of his left calf. He had got hit by a pitch in Chicago, and it had been bothering him ever since. The injury isn’t serious, but Ethier was not in the starting lineup again. Then the Dodgers are losing to the Mets, by a score of 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning with one out. Again, the 4-2 score seemed to be prevalent during this series, as both Dodger wins in the first two games were of the 4-2 score variety.

After Mark Ellis had singled, and Jerry Hairston’s comeback grounder back to the box struck the 100-year old met’s reliever Latroy Hawkins in the balls. How much that affected the crotchety reliever, I can not say. However Andre Ethier would step to the plate, with the Dodgers just two outs away from a loss, and he slugged an opposite field game-tying pinch-hit two-run home run just over the left center field wall. Check it out for yourself, it’s a thing of beauty.

The crowd went into hysteria as Ethier rounded the bases. And as he came back to the dugout, it looked like he mouthed something to Uribe as the first person to greet and hug him in the Dodger dugout was Yasiel Puig. I think he mouthed the words, “can’t stop”. Very appropriate, the Dodgers just can’t and won’t stop winning baseball games. Then in the 12 inning, Puig a hustle leg double on a base hit that just trickled into center field. Then Adrian Goznalez’s double just skipped past  Josh Satin down the left field line. The Dodgers won 5-4, just like that. Seriously clutch, Andre.

The Dodgers have now won 40 of their last 48 games, and eight in a row. They are now 20 games above .500 (70-50), and remain 7.5 games in front of Arizona in first place in the NL West. I thought the game last night was toast in the middle frames, and I should have known better. Even when all logical signs tell us that the Dodgers are probably going to lose, they still come back and win. This team simply can’t lose. The Dodgers are the Parker Lewis’s of the National League.

Before I sign off for the day, let’s take a look at some links around the Dodger blogosphere.

Howard Cole of LA Weekly takes a look at Dee Gordon’s future. With Hanley slugging the ball at record pace at the shortstop position, where does this leave Dee? Howard takes a look at moving him off of shortstop, something that needs to happen soon in my opinion. Shortstop position just isn’t working out for Dee, a move to second base could save his Dodger career. Howard offers some perspective on the situation.

Reliever Brian Wilson is expected to join the Dodgers sometime on their road trip, and might be tomorrow. His rehab outings at Rancho have been going very well. I’m not sure what we’re going to get from Wilson at this point, but it’s something I would like to take a look at. Ron Cervenka of Thinkbluela has some interesting photos of Wilson during his time with Rancho, and delves into his game condition. Is he ready to join the Dodgers?

Eric Stephen of Truebluela reports that reliever Shawn Tolleson, (Remember him?) who went down with back issues back in April and hasn’t pitched since then, is currently rehabbing and could be back in a couple of weeks. According to Eric, Tolleson who has only pitched to two batters this entire season, still has time to come back and avoid being the second Dodger ever to pitch to at least two batters in a season and not record an out. Food for thought.

And don’t tell me you weren’t rooting for Carlos Marmol’s ninth inning fly ball to go out for a home run. It’s ok to admit it. I was too. Marmol was good last night by the way. But a walk-off marmol homer in the ninth would have been delicious, wouldn’t it have? I think you know that it would have been.

Finally, Jon Weisman of Dodgerthoughts has a morbid post about some of the worst games from the crappy first half of the season, which I am sure you would like to forget as much as I would. Nooooo, but Weisman drudges it back up. Making us relive those awful games with this article, titling it, “A trip down bad memory lane.”  Jon includes one of the worst games of the season in his recount, the game in San Francisco back in early May, in which the Dodgers rallied from seven runs behind, only to lose in the ninth on a walk-off grand slam home run from Giant’s crappy backup catcher Guillermo Quiroz off of Brandon League. Yuck. What an awful game. That’s a game I never want to remember ever again. I had actually almost forgotten that game even existed until Jon brought it up again. Gee thanks Jon. Probably the worst game of the year, and Weisman is making us remember it.

I don’t want to relieve any of those eight torturous games that Weisman has decided to make us remember. I doubt you do either. I mean doesn’t that piss you off? (Insert nasally Richard Dreyfuss-ish voice). Huh? Heh? HUHHHH??? (My voice gets even more Dreyfussy).

Doesn’t that piss you off?

Doesn’t it???? Why would anyone in their riiiiiiiight miiiiind want to recap any of those awful games from the first half? Huh??? (Even more Dreyfussy voice), my voice will continue to get more Dreyfus like as I ask you this. I mean does it???? Huh??? HEYEHUH???? I think I rest my case.

This is what I think.

That’s all for now. Don’t forget to check out our podcast Dishing up the Dodgers at 3:30 PM today. This Dodger team has October written all over them. We’ll be back tomorrow with more Dodger coverage, as this magical run goes on. It’s all happening guys.