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Maddux媽媽

Maddux媽媽

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Joe Torre is leading the Dodgers to their first since '88.

2008年10月05日
公開
4

Dodgers prove value of playoff pitching Three LA starters shut down Cubs' high-powered offense The Dodgers stunned both the Chicago Cubs and the oddsmakers with a three-game sweep of their National League Division Series. The Cubs had the NL's best regular-season record. The Dodgers had the worst record of any postseason qualifier. In the end, so what? "We're a different club now," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. That would be different as in better. Much, much better. The regular season ended just one week ago, but the Dodgers' record is already hopelessly out of date. The only part of it you can count on now is 19-8 after Aug. 29. That's more nearly a reflection of who they are now, what they are now, how good they are now. Casey Blake's addition gives the Dodgers additional lineup depth, the kind of thing many NL clubs can only envy. And the return of Rafael Furcal at shortstop and at the top of the lineup is a major boost in both directions for the Dodgers. Then you have the development of talented, young hitters into more mature, more selective, more patient hitters, the kind of hitters Torre was looking for in the first place. The Dodgers won Game 1 of this series largely because they managed to draw seven walks from Cubs starter Ryan Dempster in 4 2/3 innings. On the flip side of that development, veteran players were moved out of regular positions by that young talent. But the veterans stepped aside graciously. "They made my life a lot easier to write a lineup without their names in it," Torre said. But as important as any other component -- and more important in October baseball -- is pitching. That has been the closest thing to a constant for the Dodgers this year, even in some otherwise difficult times. "We struggled to find out who we were for a long period of time," Torre said. "We had that one game where we beat Anaheim and we didn't get any hits. If it wasn't for pitching it would be tough to keep guys' interest, trust me, because we weren't putting many numbers up." The Dodgers led the NL in team ERA. This fact, at this time of year, also turns out to be more important than 84-78. The history of October baseball is the history of superior pitching beating even the best offenses. And that is exactly what happened here to the Cubs, the NL leader in runs scored. The Cubs were stifled by three outstanding starting pitching performances, by Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda, the winner in the 3-1 clincher on Saturday night. The three pitched a total of 19 innings, with a cumulative ERA of 1.42. Those are precisely the kind of performances that are the essence of success in October. Kuroda was as good as anybody, pitching 6 1/3 shutout innings. Including his two regular-season starts against Chicago, he has pitched 21 2/3 innings against the Cubs this year and allowed one earned run. That is much closer to great than good. Asked about his performances against the Cubs, Kuroda seemed poised to set a Major League record for modesty when he said through an interpreter that it was "mere coincidence" that he was able to hold down the Cubs lineup in all three games. Kuroda said that he didn't have his slider Saturday night, which in a way made his performance even more impressive. "I must say that I didn't have all my stuff today," Kuroda said. "But watching those two games in Chicago, and the fans cheering, I rode the wave along with the fans." Yes, the laid-back Californian stereotype was defeated by the crowd of 56,000 at Dodger Stadium, which was on for every pitch, as its team advanced in the postseason for the first time in 20 years. That's not a Cubs-like drought, but it still had caused some trauma. The Dodgers defeated both the Cubs and the general expectations. "It's very satisfying," Torre said. "Very satisfying. We had a lot of people doubting us all year. We weren't resentful about it. It was just the fact that we hadn't really played well enough to get anybody's attention." That part of it is completely different now. With the sweep of what had been the NL's best team, the Dodgers have the baseball world's attention, not to mention respect. When the Dodgers begin the NL Championship Series, their opponents will not be thinking "84-78 in the regular season." Their opponents will be thinking "3-0 against the league's best team in October."

mlb NLDS game 1

2008年10月01日
公開
6

Long balls lead Dodgers in Game 1 Loney delivers slam; Ramirez, Martin add solo homers When Joe Torre's Yankees owned October, this was how they did it. With starting pitching to keep it close, the way Derek Lowe did for six innings Wednesday night. Hitters patiently worked walks -- the Dodgers had eight -- and ran up opposing starters' pitch counts, leading to a big mistake and early exit of the starter -- Ryan Dempster didn't finish the fifth inning -- and lesser relievers to punish. Having earlier landed the Yankees' manager and hitting coach, the remodeled Dodgers borrowed from that proven playbook to win Game 1 of the National League Division Series from the Cubs, 7-2. They rifled three home runs through the inbound wind, none of them with more impact than a fifth-inning grand slam by James Loney with the Cubs ahead, 2-0. Loney's first two at-bats in the game went for a popup and a flyout. Dempster walked the bases loaded, and Loney came up with two outs, immediately falling behind 0-2 and looking bad doing it. He barely foul-tipped a third pitch, took ball one outside, then crushed a changeup to left-center, the same direction that Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin sent their homers later. It was only the fifth inning, but it was Dempster's 108th pitch "The atmosphere was real quiet as I was going around the bases, so I think our fans were cheering back home," Loney said. A packed Wrigley Field, knowing full well the horror of 100 years without a Cubs World Series, fell silent, although that wasn't the way Martin remembered it. "I thought it got really loud," the Dodgers catcher said. "Our dugout went nuts." Casey Blake was so excited he smashed his head into the cement roof of the dugout jumping up to watch the ball sail out. Martin homered later, as would Ramirez with a ridiculously awkward swing on nasty outside pitch, extending his MLB postseason record to 25 long balls. It was his 54th RBI in 54 Dodgers games. "Everybody acts like his second half was unbelievable," hitting coach Don Mattingly said of Ramirez. "That's what he does all the time. He puts whole years together like that. He's not hot. He's always like this." And his team is right there with him. Three home runs into the wind at Wrigley, seven unanswered Dodgers runs. The last time the Dodgers were here, in May, they scored one run in each game of a three-game series, losing all three games But these aren't the Dodgers that lost five of seven to the Cubs this year. They are different, from Ramirez to Blake to Rafael Furcal back atop the batting order. Combined, they built a big enough lead so Lowe could be shut down after 94 pitches, with the thought that he'll come back in Game 4 on three days' rest if needed. Mattingly arrived at the All-Star break and Ramirez two weeks later, and the entire offense has exercised more discipline since. From Opening Day through July 31, the Dodgers ranked 11th in the NL in walks. From Aug. 1 through the end of the season, they were second. Now, they have the franchise's second postseason win in 20 years. Jose Lima, you have company. Only this time, instead of delaying elimination, as Lima's Game 3 shutout win did in 2004, this Loney-led victory assured the Dodgers -- the playoff team with the worst regular-season record -- of no worse than a split on the road against the team with the best record in the league. Better news: Teams that won Game 1 of the NLDS have gone 23-3 in the Wild Card era. The Dodgers send Chad Billingsley against Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. PT, but the players don't buy into the underdog role. "If we play the same way tomorrow, we have a good chance to get a win," Martin said. "They'll say the pressure of the past isn't affecting them, but they've got 100 years of pressure. This is only our second postseason win in 20 years. You know it exists." But the Dodgers are playing with confidence coming off a 17-8 September and see no reason why they can't continue the Cubs' misery into a second century "When James hit that homer, it lifted us up, pumped us up," outfielder Matt Kemp said. "Look around Wrigley and the whole stadium went silent. We were motivated and we never stopped from there." The grand slam by Loney was the Dodgers' first in postseason play since Dusty Baker on Oct. 5, 1977. Ron Cey hit one the day before that. The four RBIs by Loney equal a Dodgers' NLDS single-game record, tying Eric Karros (Oct. 4, 1995), and the seven for his career is a club NLDS record. They don't call him "Big-Game James" in the clubhouse for nothing. In fact, in his lone appearance during the 2006 playoffs against the Mets, Loney drove in three runs in Game 2. "He's so unpredictable," Torre said of Loney, whom he often compares to Yankees postseason hero Bernie Williams. "We've seen that time and time again this year. This is only my first year with him, but I've seen him have at-bats like that before where he just seems to be overmatched at times, but yet comes up with a base hit." Mattingly said Loney, who hit 13 home runs this year, will improve. "You never know what you're going to get with him. He's had a lot of big hits for us and, over time, he's going to get better," Mattingly said. "I think he'll hit for power one day, but I didn't think it would be today. That ball took off into the wind. He's still a baby. He hasn't got his man-strength, for me. His front side is still weak. He's got great hand-eye coordination and he puts the ball in play. A lot of guys like that hit home runs later and get jammed early -- like Jim Edmonds and Garret Anderson

Maddux wins No. 355

2008年09月28日
公開
4

難得可以再看到我們的偶像先發 今天MADDUX展現17屆金手套獎的美技 更棒的是主投6局一共才投不到50顆球 好壞球比率更是另人驚異 他理當是今天的PLAYER OF THE GAME COOOOOOOOOOOL斃啦 Sat. 09/27: LAD 2, SF 1 Maddux tallies career victory No. 355 Veteran moves past Clemens for eighth on all-time wins list SAN FRANCISCO -- Greg Maddux, one of the greatest starting pitchers in baseball history, could be pitching out of the bullpen for the Dodgers in next week's National League Division Series. And he can live with that. "The bullpen is better than not pitching," Maddux said after the Dodgers beat the Giants, 2-1, on Saturday, giving Maddux his 355th career victory and moving past Roger Clemens for eighth on the all-time wins list. Manager Joe Torre announced earlier Saturday that Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley (who pitched two scoreless innings of relief) and Hiroki Kuroda would start the first three games of the playoffs. He didn't go beyond that or say what Maddux's role would be, but hinted at relief, which Maddux has done twice in the postseason. "You get to the postseason, I think Greg is certainly not an ego guy," said Torre. "When you use [a starter] in the bullpen, I haven't been around anyone here who has a problem. In the postseason, everybody is on board. We know he's capable. Experience is important." Maddux pointed out that he's done it before. Twice, in fact -- in the 1998 National League Championship Series for Atlanta against San Diego, and the 1999 NLDS for Atlanta against Houston. Not only that, he recorded a one-inning save in 1998, which gives him more postseason saves than either Jonathan Broxton or Takashi Saito and as many as Lowe. Torre did say he'll have an 11-man pitching staff and it almost surely won't include Hong-Chih Kuo, whose scheduled appearance Saturday night was scrapped when, according to Torre, Kuo "couldn't get a feel for the ball" warming up in the bullpen during the seventh inning and was quickly shut down. He will have his left elbow examined Sunday, but Torre described him as "doubtful." The disappointing news on Kuo was offset by Saito's first save since July 9 and 18th on the season. Saito came into the game with a 5.79 ERA since returning from two months on the sidelines with a partially torn elbow ligament. He had a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to lock down the win for Maddux. "It was nice to see him have that kind of inning," Torre said. "The more he does that, the more comfortable he'll get, and his comfort is good for us when he knows he can do this and he can do that." Torre said he had the confidence to use Saito in save situations, but cautioned that the last time he used Saito on back-to-back days, his elbow tightened. Torre did not say that Saito had regained his closer job from Broxton. Saito said he was not worried about his elbow "at all" and was ready to pitch on consecutive days. "It's hard to say I felt 100 percent all the time, even before the injury to my elbow," Saito said. "My job is to adjust any way I can so I can pitch the best that I can that day." The game included another start at shortstop for Rafael Furcal and a start at first base for Jeff Kent. The offense, however, was provided by Blake DeWitt, who slugged a solo homer in the third inning and gave the Dodgers the lead for good with a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh. It was during that inning Maddux was lifted for a pinch-hitter, having thrown only 47 pitches in a masterfully efficient six innings. "Tonight's game you could say was vintage," said Torre. "He changed speeds so well. He can read the body language of an opposing hitter better than anyone I've ever seen." He allowed only two hits, one of them Randy Winn's home run leading off the fourth inning. "I'm just glad to have a good game. I haven't had many since I got here," said Maddux, winning for only the second time in his seventh start since rejoining the Dodgers last month. "Last time, they didn't hit anything at anybody and tonight they hit everything at everybody," Maddux said. "That's the game. Sometimes, you're not as bad as you look and sometimes you're not as good as you look." Now 42 years old, Maddux said he realizes this might have been the final regular-season start of his career. But with the postseason approaching, he'll worry about that later. "When the season's over, I'll go home and decide," Maddux said. "I'm looking forward to next month. I'm locked into this year and what I can do to help." The game also included a bench-clearing standoff after Giants reliever Billy Sadler celebrated striking out Casey Blake with a fist-pump and shout to escape an eighth-inning jam. Blake stared at Sadler, Matt Kemp said something as he walked past Sadler on his way from third base to the Dodgers dugout, and Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti sprinted out of the Giants dugout to keep Kemp and Sadler apa Pitches-strikes: Maddux 47-38 Groundouts-flyouts: Maddux 10-5,

Dogers東區封王

2008年09月26日
公開
8

首先恭賀joe torre帶領Dogers贏得東區冠軍! 其實最爽的應該是我跟我honey (G.Maddux,Andruw Jones.Manny Ramirez....) 瞧!yankee老闆的臉一定綠得跟什麼似的 torre在yankee奉獻了10年 幫yankee拿了4枚世界大賽冠軍戒指 沒謝謝人家torre 還把(去年)yankee季後賽失常的帳全賴在torre身上 這麼現實的yankee這麼無情的對待torre 沒想到yankee今年還是沒辦法進季後賽 糗大了吧! 球員又貴又爛!還敢怪"扣取"!遜掉了啦!!!!!! (yankee豪華陣容) Lineup: 1. Johnny Damon LF 2. Derek Jeter SS 3. Bobby Abreu RF 4. Alex Rodriguez 3B 5. Jorge Posada C 6. Hideki Matsui DH 7. Robinson Cano 2B 8. Melky Cabrera CF 9. Doug Mientkiewicz 1B Reserves: Jason Giambi Jose Molina Wilson Betemit Shelley Duncan Bronson Sardinha Pitchers (11): Andy Pettitte Chien-Ming Wang Phil Hughes Ross Ohlendorf Jose Veras Joba Chamberlain Luis VizcainoKyle Farnsworth Mariano Rivera Mike Mussina Roger Clemens 今年到洛衫磯的torre 不但把Dogers帶進季後賽 而且還是以"東區冠軍"的好成績進季後賽 汗顏吧!yankee Joe Torre為台灣人所熟知， 因為他是王建民在紐約洋基隊的總教練， 但早在1977年，生於布魯克林區的Torre 就以37歲之齡在紐約大都會隊從優秀球員直升總教練大位。 之後離開大蘋果執教多年， 1996年回到故鄉擔任洋基總教練， 即展現超強帶兵能力， 連取1996、1998∼2000年MLB世界大賽冠軍。 但此後即使洋基年年進行人員大補強， 亦保持年年殺進季後賽的絕佳狀態， 仍與世界大賽冠軍絕緣。 2007年底，洋基老闆George Steinbrenner 終於以降薪續約為手段逼退Torre。 其實Torre 2007年年薪700萬美元（下同）高居大聯盟之首， 居次的芝加哥小熊主帥Lou Piniella僅350萬， 即使Torre接受洋基2008年續約1年底薪500萬， 美聯東區、美聯、世界大賽冠軍各加100萬的條件， 仍居MLB之首 joe torre 出生日期：1940年07月18日 身高體重：185公分　96公斤 投打習慣：右投右打 守備位置：捕手、三壘手、一壘手 出生地點：美國紐約州紐約市布魯克林區 最高學歷：St. Francis Prep High School 英文全名：Joseph Paul Torre 選秀順位：1960年以自由球員身分與密爾瓦基勇士隊簽約 推測年薪：1300萬美元（2008年∼2010年）

Good-bye Yankee Stanium

2008年09月22日
公開
39

Jeter delivers final address at Stadium Yankees captain thanks fans during on-field celebration They didn't want to leave. Not the players, not the fans. When the final out at Yankee Stadium was recorded at 11:41 p.m. ET on Sunday, the stands were still filled with people clapping and screaming. At the time the players would normally head for the clubhouse, the dugouts emptied onto the field. Some players immediately headed for the pitcher's mound to grab some dirt. Bobby Abreu stuffed a handful in his back pocket. For a few moments, they high-fived and looked around at the crowd that was still on its feet, extending the stadium's last game a little further. Then one player stood atop the mound of baseball's Cathedral, and his teammates gathered in a clump around him. Captain Derek Jeter held a microphone, and as he called for attention, the fans who had filled the ballpark with cheers all day stood quietly to listen as Jeter spoke. "For all of us up here, it's a huge honor to put this uniform on every day and come out here and play," he said. "And every member of this organization, past and present, has been calling this place home for 85 years. There's a lot of tradition, a lot of history, and a lot of memories. Now the great thing about memories is you're able to pass it along from generation to generation. And although things are going to change next year, we're going to move across the street, there are a few things with the New York Yankees that never change -- it's pride, it's tradition, and most of all, we have the greatest fans in the world. "We're relying on you to take the memories from this stadium and add them to the new memories that come to the new Yankee Stadium, and continue to pass them on from generation to generation. On behalf of this entire organization, we want to take this moment to salute you, the greatest fans in the world." And with that, the Yankees took off their caps, waved them at the crowd, and the shortstop led his team in a final lap around Yankee Stadium with Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" playing in the background The poignant moment came at the end of an emotional day for the Bombers and their fans. Jeter said he had been asked a few days earlier to speak following Sunday's game, though he wasn't sure what he would say. The words came from his true feelings. When Jeter was taken out of the game with two outs in the ninth inning, he receive a standing ovation and a curtain call, and realized he didn't have anything prepared. "When I came out in the ninth inning I said, 'I've got to think of something quick,'" Jeter said. "I knew I wanted to acknowledge the fans. "I was scared to death," Jeter said. "When I was younger, I used to get really, really nervous when I had to do an oral report in front of 25 people. I guess I've come a long way." His speech will be the last in a line of memorable speeches at Yankee Stadium, and the fans will never forget the words spoken in their honor from the man who has represented the organization they follow with pride. Jeter said that moment will stand out to him in a night filled with memories, and he gave other members of the organization something to remember as well. "I thought that it was perfect," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's someone who has grown up in this organization, and who is a true Yankee. It was just perfect. He did everything right, and it's just who he is." "I think it was great," former teammate Bernie Williams said. "I think I would have been a nervous wreck, grabbing the microphone in front of all these people and saying what he did. He looked very poised, and he did a great job." When they finished their lap around the field, the Yankees stayed on the field a while longer, soaking everything in. Family and friends were invited onto the field, and Williams watched as his daughters ran around in the outfield, scooping up dirt. And they weren't alone. Baltimore's Kevin Millar and Aubrey Huff took some from the third-base line to remember Yankee Stadium, and Mariano Rivera took a plastic storage container to the mound, scratched the dirt with his cleats, then filled the container. At one point, Jeter started to walk toward the dugout, then turned around and went back onto the field, not yet ready to leave the place he's called home since 1995. He just needed a little bit longer. "I think a lot of people don't want to leave," he said. "Look at all the people that are still in the stands. We know we're not going to be in this stadium for a regular-season game at least with people in it, and we want to enjoy it. "The night was perfect."