"They are just not THAT Good

Back in April a good friend of mine told me that the Dodgers, "Aren't that good". "You'll see", he said, "They aren't going to go anywhere". Take in to consideration that he made this claim at a time when the Dodgers had won 12 home games in a row and the Giants were still within a relative striking distance. I have had his words on my mind all year as one success led to another and another and another. I watched game after game trying to dissect the Dodger team from a purely baseball perspective. (I absolutely admit I am a homer). I found a lot of things about this years team both positive and negative.
In the early parts of the year the biggest concern was an untested bullpen in particular the middle relief. Over the months those concerns have been put to rest by the aquisition of Baltimore closer George Sherrill and the coming of age of youngsters Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso. The Dodger bullpen is now one of the best in all of baseball.
The Manny Ramirez suspension was next and Juan Pierre stood up and was counted. Most experts were talking about, "This is the chance the rest of the National League West needed", but Pierre played at an All Star level and proved how deep this team really is. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and James Loney proved to be the core of a Dodger lineup that never waited for the three run home run. They simply went out and hit singles until they scored enough to win. Here we are in late September, a team that did without the one bonafied superstar in the lineup for 50 games and is about to enter the playoffs ranked at or near the top of the league in batting average, RBI's and on base percentage.
I was talking about this with a neighbor over the weekend when it struck me. Without reservation we are watching the finest top to bottom Dodger lineup in the Los Angeles Dodgers history. I tried to match them up and there were great players at every position but never assembled out there at one time. This has come at a moment in time when the young kids have come in to their own at the same time. Ned Colletti has brought in talent that has meshed well, both in personality and a baseball fit. Eight guys that get along. Eight guys that can get it done. Eight guys that I believe will not stop until the final task has been accomplished.
Martin, Loney, Hudson, Furcal, Blake, Ramirez, Kemp and Ethier taking thier places next to Garvey, Wills, Moon, Cey, Roseboro, Baker, Davis and Parker. The 6'th World Championship in the Dodger's Los Angeles era. It is theirs to take and ours to enjoy. 1988 never seemed so long ago as it does right now.
As for my friends claim? He was wrong. Oh so wrong. The Dodgers are that good, in fact better than I could have imagined back in April. Let us savor this year and enjoy it as it unfolds! 6 World titles. And my friends Giants? Like the photo above cries out..... Zero, Nada, Zilch. Hmmmm, maybe he was talking about San Francisco when he said, "They're not that good", and I simply misunderstood. Sorry Dude.

Look, Up in the Sky! Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane?

My sister Lise' messaged me yesterday and asked, "What's up with the blogs"? I surmised that she actually meant what was up with the LACK of blog entries of late. A few of you actually asked that in the last couple days and I want to apologize right now and make up for it today.

The Dodgers start a series in San Francisco this weekend in what I hope are the last meaningful games the Giants play this year, (I'm thinking brooms here). With this in mind I want to write about some factoids I have looked up on the technological marvel we call the internet. Some may be more difficult to prove than others but at times like this I simply lean on faith first and be damned with the negative thinkers. Lise' ... AAATT.......................

ANDRE ETHIER FACTS

(as I found them)

1. After the Dodgers hit 4 straight home runs on 9-18-2006 Andre came up and flied out against Trever Hoffman. He would have homered a 5'th straight had he not been so tired from sleeping with Hoffman's wife.

2. Andre, not Ned Colletti, orchestrated the Manny Ramirez deal because he felt he could fix a hole in Manny's swing. Result: Manny is hitting over .350 as a Dodger.

3. The most historic blunder in Major League history? Bill Buckner in the '86 Series? No, it was the Athletic's trade of Andre Ethier for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez. (Antonio who?)

4. Andre Ethier only joined baseball after a lot of weight loss and a successful career as a professional wrestler. Ever heard of Andre the Giant?

5. Andre is a natural pitcher capable of 300 wins in the big leagues. He just finds it more entertaining to throw 110 mph fastballs from 350 feet away rather than 60 feet 6 inches.

6. In a former life, Andre Ethier threw out Ty Cobb at the plate.....Twice.

7. Andre Ethier predicted Kirk Gibsons historic 1988 World Series Home Run before it happened. His prediction was at breakfast one morning in 1985.

8. When Andre Ethier made a pilgrimage to Mecca, Mecca bowed at his feet.

9. Andre Ethier was one of the guys who trotted around the bases with Hank Aaron in 1974. Lost tapes of the Home Run caught him saying, "See? I told you to use your wrists more".

10. Eric Clapton lost a "cutting heads" guitar competition to Andre Ethier. (Very few realize that with a bearded disguise Andre was the lead guitar for ZZ Top).

11. Andre Ethier gave Roy Hobbes batting instruction.

12. Andre Ethier is the best thing since sliced bread. (Coincidentally, Andre INVENTED sliced bread).

13. The Dodgers are planning an Andre Ethier Bobblehead Night in 2010. Bring a truck if you go that night. The doll will be cast in solid gold and stand 8 feet tall.

14. Andre is very generous. So much so he allows opposing pitchers 5 balls instead of the customary 4. (True story).

15. When on the road last week in Arizona, Andre Ethier had a hotel suite with Dan Haren serving as his butler, housemaid, chef, chauffer to and from the games and personal batting practice pitcher.

16. During an Arizona spring training game Andre Ethier threw Jose Reyes out at the plate. Reyes was trying to score in Port St. Lucie FLORIDA!

17. the Bruce Willis movie "Unbreakable" is based on the life of Andre Ethier.

18. Andre Ethier forced Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox to end the Civil War.

19. C.C. Sabathia wants to play in Los Angeles so he will never be embarrassed pitching to Andre Ethier. (Also it is rumored he wants a few pointers from Andre on his curve ball).

20. Barrack Obama has officially announced his selection of Andre Ethier as the United States Secretary of Awesome.

21. 92% of the players listed in the Mitchell report tested positive for high levels of Andre Ethier.

22. Andre Ethier's given name is Cassius Clay.

23. The Virgin Mary gave birth to Andre Ethier, but you've probably only heard of her adopted son.

24. Broadcasters often refer to the "metaphorical" 5 run Home Run. Andre Ethier will prove it is no longer a metaphor.

25. The "chaos theory" states that if Andre Ethier swings a bat in Los Angeles, the force can cause a hurricane in North Carolina.

26.Due to Andre Ethier's incredible range, it has been suggested that he patrol the outfield alone with Kemp and Ramirez moving to the infield. This hasn't happened only because Matt and Manny want to marvel at him up close rather than so far away.

27. JD Drew left for Boston because he knew Andre Ethier was going to beat him out anyway.

28. Andre Ethier once threw a ball errantly high to home. That ball is now known as Haley's comet.

29. Ever watch the show "24"? Jack Bauer fears Andre Ethier.

30. The reason Andruw Jones hit so poorly in Los Angeles was because he couldn't take his eyes off of Andre Ethier in the dugout.

31. On the 7'th day God rested. That same day Andre Ethier played and got 4 hits!

32. Very few know that Andre Ethier is a natural right hander yet he throws left handed. If he were to ever throw right handed the sheer speed of he throws would break the space time continuum and send him back to the late Jurasic period. Andre Ethier has an irrational fear of dinosaurs, so he throws left handed.

33. Announcer Bob Costas carries a Mickey Mantle baseball card with him at all times. Mickey Mantle carries an Andre Ethier baseball card at all times in heaven.

34. When Andre Ethier plays golf, Tiger Woods offers to be his caddy - -FOR FREE

35. Ted Williams had his body frozen using Cryonic technology with the hope that one day he could see Andre Ethier play.

36. Andre Ethier was Mr. Miyagi's guru.......Wax on, Wax off.......

37. Andre Ethier could play every position himself and win the Dodgers a World Series. The only reason the Dodgers send out the other 8 guys is to be sure Andre doesn't get lonely.

38. There has been a civil lawsuit filed in a Phoenix Arizona court against the Mexican company Dos Equis. It was filed because ANDRE ETHIER is the most interesting man in the world.

39. In 2001 Barry Bonds had a bad potato peeling accident and needed an emergency blood transfusion. Being a giving soul Andre Ethier was the only volunteer. Bonds went on to hit 73 Home Runs that year.

40. Andre Ethier was the little boy who stuck his finger in the dyke and saved the entire region known as Holland.

41. Andre Ethier once fired Donald Trump and then threw him out at home from the right field corner.

42. Alex Rodriguez was going to sign with the Dodgers before the 2007 season but only if the team agreed to trade Andre Ethier away. Alex wanted to be the star of the team.

43. Although Andre Ethier was born and raised in Phoenix Arizona, his National Monument was built in upstate New York. You probably know it as the Hall of Fame.

44. Few fans know that Andre Ethier was originally drafted #1 by the Chicago Cubs directly out of Little League. He decided against signing at that time, however because he was too busy inventing penicillin in a lab he put together in 5'th grade.

45. As a child, Willie Mays kept a poster of Andre Ethier on his bedroom wall.

46. Andre 3000 of the band "Outcast" named himself as a tribute to Andre Ethier and his lifetime hit total.

47. Barrack Obama's energy plan revolves around harnessing the force created by Andre Ethier's swing and converting it to low cost energy to keep the elderly warm on cold winter nights.

48. Everyone knows that a Honus Wagner baseball card is the most valuable card ever produced garnering millions at a recent sale. Far fewer fans realize that the card has such a remarkable value only because if you squint your eyes and look at the card just right you can see Andre Ethier in the backround.

49. Dodger fans don't leave games early to beat the traffic. They leave early to avoid being struck and killed in the parking lot by an Andre Ethier walk off Home Run.

And finally Andre Ethier fact number 50........ My sister thinks Andre Ethier has a great bottom!

There ya go Lise'. All Andre All The Time! AAATT.......................

All facts used in this blog were found on the World Wide Web and in no way indicates or indicts the auther of said blog. Oh yea, except the great bottom part. That was a direct quote!

Post Script: While playing a game at ASU Andre Ethier once hit a 722 foot Home Run, with a cactus!