www.Dodgers.com - 2 New Articles, Chad Billingsley Accepts New Contract

2008 DODGERS CONTRACT OFFERS

The Dodgers today filed their contract offers to 12 players on the Dodger roster.

Here is the list of the offers made to the players

Matt Kemp – 7 years @ 6 Million per year, WITH a No-Trade Clause
James Loney – 6 years @ 5 Million per year, WITH a No-Trade Clause
Jonathan Broxton – 6 years @ 4.5 Million per year, WITH a No-Trade Clause
Brad Penny – 5 years @ 11.8 Million per year, WITH a No-Trade Clause
Russell Martin – 5 years @ 8.5 Million per year, WITH a No-Trade Clause
Delwyn Young – 4 years @ 6.5 Million per year
Andre Ethier – 4 years @ 5 Million per year, WITH a No-Trade Clause
Hong-Chih Kuo – 3 years @ 4.5 Million per year
Jason Repko – 3 years @ 4 Million per year
Takashi Saito – 2 years @ 9 Million per year
Derek Lowe – 2 years @ 8 Million per year, WITH a No-Trade Clause
Nomar Garciaparra – 2 years @ 6.5 Million per year

Dodger players - Kemp, Loney, Broxton, Martin, Young, Ethier, Kuo and Repko have all been offered contracts that end in ages of 29, 30 or 31.

It would appear that the Dodgers are doing such a plan, so that when these players contracts are due when they are 30, they are considered at their playing best, and if they are performing as the Dodgers would like, they get hopefully a new contract, and also if the Dodgers feel it isn’t working out, they can trade them for some much more needed players, and would get some good offers with them being considered “at their best”.

Some of the standout offers would be –
Matt Kemp
Brad Penny
James Loney

Some of the surprise offers would be –
Nomar Garciaparra
Derek Lowe
Takashi Saito

Despite a hefty list of players with ending contracts this year, there are still a handful of players yet to be offered new contracts, those players are –
Rafael Furcal
Scott Proctor
Mike Lieberthal
Eric Stults
Eric Hull
Choo Freeman
Mark Hendrickson

The players are expected to respond to the offers as early as tomorrow.

We will give you the latest news on the every players response.

Nice articles... as always

thanks, i fell a bit behind with my injury an all. but its good to finally catch up

2008 DODGER CONTRACT OFFER REPORT

As the Dodgers head into the 2008 Playoffs, they made the decision to get the players they wanted re-signed to accept new contracts.

11 out of the 16 players were offered new contracts.

Some of the key offers being a 7 year deal to Kemp and 6 year deals to Loney and Broxton.

Well some good news for Dodger fans is that all of the players offered contracts, have accepted them.

Hong-Chih Kuo was offered a contract but he doesn’t have arbitration until 2009 so his offer was withdraw as he will be in Los Angeles next season.

The Dodgers now have re-signed 5 of their 8 starting lineup players, with LaRoche, Abreu and Hu all due next season.

With the Dodgers within a fingertip of Arizona heading into the last series of the season, “it was a great relief to get the contracts out of the way”, catcher Russell Martin said after his team beat the Padres 4-2 on Thursday the 30th, with that win guaranteeing the Dodgers a playoff spot, however whether it’s a NL West crown or Wild Card entry is yet to be decided.

SEPTEMBER REPORT

Despite there still being 1 game left in September, with the close race for the NL West crown we decided to bring you our monthly report now ahead of the Dodgers key series in San Francisco.

After a horrific July and a less them promising August the Dodgers looked they might not even make the Playoffs in 2008.

Many reasons were put forward as to why the Dodgers collapsed, but ultimately the unanimous decision was it was to do with the pitching.

The pitching rotation had begun to falter at the start of the collapse, with Derek Lowe having large amounts of undecided games that he started, and Mark Buehrle went on a losing streak, however it was kept alive by Brad Penny and at the other end Clayton Kershaw.

The Bullpen was equally to blame, James McDonald had failed to live up to expectations, Takashi Saito wasn’t shutting out games, and Jonathan Broxton had a large ERA.

The pitching players were warned of the consequences if they continued this slump.

Well it must have worked, because in September we have seen a mass change.

In the rotation Brad Penny continues to shine as he gets ever so closer to his 2nd Cy Young award, Mark Buehrle is currently on a 3 game win streak, Derek Lowe continues to keep his record above .500 despite so many undecided games, Chad Billingsley is having the month of his life and Clayton Kershaw continues to shine as he attempts to earn his spot in the 4 man rotation heading into the Playoffs.

In the Bullpen things have changed in some cases, in September with 10 appearances, Saito has had 9 saves, and with a September ERA of 0.00! And only 3 hits. And Jonathan Broxton has improved, giving up only 4 runs so far in September.

September had gotten off to a good start with the Dodgers, a sweep of the Rockies and the Giants in the first 2 weeks put the Dodgers in a good position to reclaim the lead of the West. However in a 4 game series @ Arizona which was named NL West version of a World Series, Arizona won 3 of the 4 games.

It looked as though the Dodgers would only make Wild Card now, but with some help from the Braves and the Giants, the DBacks were unable to exploit their lead and with the Dodgers sweeping the Brewers then winning 2 out of 3 against San Diego, the Dodgers pulled within 1 game of the DBacks heading into the final series of the Regular season.

The DBacks will play the Padres in Arizona while the Dodgers will travel to San Francisco.

The Dodgers need to win at least 2 of the 3 games and hope Arizona loses 2 or more of the 3 games against San Diego for the Dodgers to claim the NL West.

In the 3 games for the Dodgers, stepping on the mound for them will be, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw.

Kershaw has been known to pitch some amazing games and get the wins in very critical games to help the Dodgers, which he did in last years Playoffs.

Another bonus for the Dodgers is Arizona getting injuries on their #1 and #2 pitchers in Eric Bedard and Brandon Webb. This may prove critical in the last game of the season as Bedard was penciled in to pitch that game.

In other news, the Dodgers were able to sign 11 of the 16 player’s contracts expiring this season. Some of the main names include, Matt Kemp, James Loney, Russell Martin, Brad Penny, Jonathan Broxton and many more, it is expected that with the contracts out of the way, the players will be more focused heading into the final 3 games of the regular season.

Dodgers.com will bring you a special “Series Report” on the series against the Giants, and also on what the Playoffs will look like for the Dodgers as they attempt to defend their NL crown.

End Of Month Results- With 1 Game Left In September
Dodgers, 90-69, 2nd NL West, 1.0 G.B

End Of Month Injuries- With 1 Game Left In September
Jonathan Broxton – 2 Days

Player Of The Month- With 1 Game Left In September
Takashi Saito – in his 10 appearances in September, Saito has had 9 saves, and with a September ERA of 0.00! And only 3 hits

DODGERS END SEASON TIED FOR 1ST

The Dodgers were unable to win the final game of a 3 game series against SF that would have given the Dodgers their NL West crown, however after winning the 1st 2 games, Clayton Kershaw was out dueled by Giants youngster Henry Sosa, The Giants winning the match 4-2.

It was hard to overcome the defeat as victory would have won them the West, with Arizona losing 2 out of 3 against 5th place San Diego it looked as if the Dodgers would overtake them at the end, but were unable to capitalise on the opportunity.

The Dodgers finished the season with a 92-70 record, tied for 1st with Arizona who had a 92-70 record, however the DBacks were awarded the NL West crown due to head to head results in the regular season, with the DBacks crushing the Dodgers in the regular season.

This now means the Dodgers are the Wild Card winner and will be away for 3 games when they head to Philly for 2 games, then back to LA for 2, and then if needed another game in Philly.

With contract troubles worrying the Phillies, with them being in debt, the Dodgers hope it may distract some of the players during the Playoffs, however it is unlikely due to most players contracts not ending this season.

As the Playoffs arrive, all the rotations go from 5 man to 4 man, this is a problem for the Dodgers, with 5 strong players all with playoff experience, it’s a tough decision. However the Dodgers are expected that their 4 man rotation to definitely include Clayton Kershaw, who was brilliant in clutch situations in his memorable first season last year. As for the player who becomes mop up, it is a toss up between underperforming Derek Lowe, or the newest Dodger in the rotation, Mark Buehrle, an announcement is expected to be made within 24 hours containing the NLDS roster.

On a extremely positive note heading into the playoffs, the Dodgers are going in with no injuries at all, a full strength Dodger squad will tackle the 1st round of the Playoffs.

Our exclusive End Of Season Report will be released within the next 12 hours, which we intend to release before the playoffs preview and our exclusive Dodgers.com interview with the young stud, James Loney.

END OF SEASON REPORT

The Dodgers had a dramatic end to the 2008 season, finished tied for 1st with Arizona, but being awarded the NL Wild Card entry.

The Dodgers finished the season with an impressive 92-70 record, it had been a bumpy year for the Dodgers, after looking like they would keep 1 step ahead of the NL West a sudden way under .500 month saw them topple as low as 3rd.

However some great wins and some help from other teams saw the Dodgers take the lead heading into the final game of the season, but a loss to the Giants forced a tie between Arizona and Los Angeles, and because of head to head records, the DBacks were awarded the winners.

The Dodgers once again were very silent during the season, only 1 trade was made, and it really helped the Dodgers in a number of ways. The White Sox stud Mark Buehrle was traded to Los Angeles and in return the Dodgers gave up a large contract in Juan Pierre and also 2 other prospects, the Dodgers were really pleased with the deal as they believed it filled the hole in the rotation that Hong-Chih Kuo was creating, Kuo was sent to Long Relief, and Buehrle went into the rotation at #2 behind 2007 Cy Young winner Brad Penny.

With some quick off-season signings the Dodgers got a handful of players, not all were expected to hit MLB level but 1 or 2 were, Ryan Ludwick, who was a Cardinal in 2007 and his contract expired was signed by the Dodgers and he has played on the bench all season long, and has done a superb job, at times he even played better then the LF starter Delwyn Young, Ludwick off the bench batted .289 with 12 homers, 30 runs and 43 runs batted in.

The Dodgers with the 29th pick in the draft didn’t really devote much time to scouting, but came away with a great CF prospect and 2 great relief pitchers, aged 17 and 18. The 3 are expected to be key parts of the Dodgers organization, when the current young Dodger team begins to mature.

A concern for the Dodgers was contracts, a lot of the current starting lineup had contracts expiring this year, and it was a great worry to get them out of the way and re-signed ASAP an advantage to do it early in the year was they wouldn’t ask for as much, and this helped the Dodgers as they locked up Matt Kemp for 7 years, Jonathan Broxton and James Loney for 6 and Russell Martin for 5, that’s just to name a few.

The Dodgers had a horrific July, going 8-19, slipping from 1st to 3rd, and in some serious trouble, the entire organization was underperforming, and as they did last year, the Dodgers coaching staff warned the players that nobody’s job is safe, and anybody can be dropped and/or traded.

In August and September the Dodgers returned to their best, Brad Penny was on track to win the Cy Young again, and Saito went on a save frenzy, finishing the season with 44, in 3rd place on the list of MLB save leaders.

With the Dodgers set to begin their NL Champion defence, they head into the NLDS with a full strength squad, the squad that is to go against the Phillies is expected to be named within the next 12 hours. With many people unsure as to what the lineup will be. The Dodgers haven’t given up many hints and haven’t spoken to the press about it.

However with the lineup expected to not so much of a changed, we will give season ending stats and comments on every player currently on the MLB roster for the Dodgers.

LINEUP

Chin-Lung Hu – batted .316 with 2 HR’s. Hu started the season sharing the SS job with veteran Rafael Furcal, who is expected to be on his way out, however mid way through the season, Furcal wasn’t performing as he was expected to do, and the full time job was given to Hu, and since then Hu has performed brilliantly at leadoff hitter and SS. Hu was also a 2008 NL All Star player

Matt Kemp – batted .277 with 13 HR’s. Kemp was bumped up to #2 in the lineup with Pierre’s benching, and he performed to the expectations required of him, his performance with the bat in getting hits and hitting long balls is expected to see him being moved into the middle of the lineup in 2009, about 4th, 5th or 6th.

Russell Martin – batted .273 with 19 HR’s. Martin had a slow start to the season, but was able to improve as the season went on and led the Dodgers in RBI’s with 100, Martin continues to improve and is expected to be even better in 09. on a side note, Martin played in 161 of 162 games.

James Loney – batted .329 with 20 HR’s. led the Dodgers in batting AVG and was 1 of the top 10 players in the MLB with batting AVG. this kid played great at #4 and after an injury free 2007 and 2008, James is expected to be just as great in 09.

Andy LaRoche – batted .237 with 31 HR’s. Despite leading the Dodgers in HR’s by a fair margin, LaRoche didn’t perform as well with the bat as many would have liked, he ended april with an AVG under .100. Despite this slump year, his power with the bat helped level things out.

Tony Abreu – batted .281 with 8 HR’s. With not so much power with the bat many wondered why Abreu was at 6th in the lineup and why he played 2B when he is set as a 3B. However he let his performance do the talking, with a strong ERA he was able to make his statement on his season and despite a low HR count for #6 batter, he used his great contact ability to get on base for Andre Ethier and Delwyn Young and also to drive in the #2, 3 and 4 hitters. This kid is expected to be named the Gold Glove winner and will be even better in 09.

Andre Ethier – batted .269 with 19 HR’s. With trade talks looming over Andre, many expected he would leave to Chicago for Buehrle, but when the White Sox accepted to take Pierre he was safe in LA, and he performed as the Dodgers had hoped, with a far batting average and a double digit HR count.

Delwyn Young – batted .271 with 16 HR’s. The end of the lineup Young was a welcome addition to the starting lineup, in his 1st full season Young made great contact with the bat and had a better then expected HR count. Many were pleased with his efforts however some were very disappointed and thought that Ryan Ludwick should take his spot, however Delwyn Young was able to secure his spot in 08, as for 09, nobody is sure what will happen.

BENCH

Rafael Furcal – is expected to not have his contract renewed as he is asking for way to much.

Josh Bell – is still in the tricky situation with LaRoche as starter, may anchor a trade offer, but if not will do some fine work off the bench.

Ryan Ludwick – superb for the Dodgers, better then they expected, some call for him to be put into the lineup in replace for Young in 09, but nothing has been mentioned as of yet.

Nomar Garciaparra – was almost traded to Detroit but the Dodgers changed their minds and decided to re-sign Nomar for another year of back up services.

Jason Repko – coming back from injury the youngster batted fairly well off the bench, but he is unlikely to earn a starting job next season.

Mike Lieberthal – he is expected to announce his retirement when the Dodgers let his contract expire, they had already made it public of their intensions and wish Mike well and thank him for his services.

PITCHING ROTATION

Brad Penny – 20-8, had a superb year again as the ace of the Dodgers, looks on track to win his 2nd Cy Young award but he may fall short as Sasaki of the DBacks is expected to take the award in 2008, rumours say Penny will lose his #1 spot in 09 and be bumped down as far as 3rd.

Mark Buehrle – 12-13, had a great start in the Dodger blue, but slipped off the pace towards the end of the season, he is expected to be back again in 2009, but may fall a few spots in the rotation.

Derek Lowe – 10-8, has had a up and down 2008, not as many wins as people expected, he is expected to be dropped to 5th (Mop Up) for the Playoffs, and is expected to be knocked out of the rotation into the bullpen in 2009.

Chad Billingsley – 16-8, is expected to be the 2009 opening day pitcher for the Dodgers, Chad had a strong 2008 and will be in this years playoffs early then last year when he was injured and kept out until the World Series.

Clayton Kershaw – 12-10, the stud kept his place in the rotation and is expected to be 4th in the playoff rotation and is expected to placed at 2nd on the 2009 rotation after a promising 2008, leading the rotation in K’s.

BULLPEN

Takashi Saito – 43 saves, is expected to lose his closing job to Jonathan Broxton in 2009 and 2009 looks to be his final season in the MLB as he is expected to announce his retirement in 2009, had a promising 08, 3rd in the MLB for saves at 43.

Jonathan Broxton – is expected to be named the Dodgers closer in 09, had a pretty poor 08, with a 4.00+ ERA. Should do much better at closer in 2009.

Greg Miller – brought in halfway through the season, miller had his moments of brilliance but wasn’t much to mention about, he is expected to hold his job for 2009.

Chin-Hui Tsao – not much to mention about Tsao, however with Adkins and Leach looking like contenders for spots in 2009, Tsao may have to fight for his starting job in 2009, in the 2008 playoffs, how he performs there will most likely decide his fate.

James McDonald – the Dodgers version of a Joba Chamberlain. Didn’t do well in his small part of the regular season, Dodgers are possibly going to move him into #5 on the rotation if Derek Lowe is to be moved to the bullpen.

Jonathan Meloan – started off at middle relief however towards the end of the season he was moved to long relief. This guy has some power with his pitches, the only problem stopping him from being great is he is a relief pitcher and his contracts is a little off, however in 2009 he should be a even better player then in 2008.

The Dodgers would have to be tipped as the best chance to win the NL as none of the NL teams in the playoffs except LA was in the playoffs last season, so the current young lineup knows what it’s like in a high stress game.

Dodgers.com will bring you exclusive news on the 2008 NLDS Dodger lineup set to vs the Phillies and we will bring you our NLDS preview for Dodger fans.

Also later on our exclusive Dodgers.com interview with James Loney will be happening within 24 hours.

So every Dodger fan bookmark Dodgers.com and make it your homepage, we are your up to the minute guide on every bit of news coming from the Dodgers during the 2008 playoffs.

NLDS LINEUP & PREVIEW

The Dodgers announced their roster that will tackle the NL East champion Phillies starting Wednesday the 5th of October in Philadelphia.

The Dodgers only made 1 change to the lineup that finished off the regular season. And as expected Derek Lowe was sent from 3rd to 5th in the rotation, making him the mop up player and Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw were moved up 1 spot each to 3rd and 4th.

Here is a complete roster of the 25 players named to hit the 2008 Playoffs.

LINEUP

Chin-Lung Hu-SS
Matt Kemp-CF
Russell Martin-C
James Loney-1B
Andy LaRoche-3B
Tony Abreu-2B
Andre Ethier-RF
Delwyn Young-LF

BENCH

Rafael Furcal-SS
Ryan Ludwick-LF
Nomar Garciaparra-IF-3B
Jason Repko-OF-RF
Josh Bell-3B
Mike Lieberthal-C

PITCHING ROTATION

#1-Brad Penny
#2-Mark Buehrle
#3-Chad Billingsley
#4-Clayton Kershaw
Mop Up-Derek Lowe

BULLPEN

SR-Greg Miller
SR-Chin-Hui Tsao
MR-James McDonald
LR-Jonathan Meloan
SU-Jonathan Broxton
CL-Takashi Saito

Despite being Wild Card entrants, the Dodgers are tipped as favourites to reclaim the NL Championship title, however as for World Series tips. They are tied to 2nd with Detroit as Boston is tipped as favourites to win it all in 2008.

The Dodgers hope they can take advantage of the Phillies being distracted by other problems at the time being and take advantage of the situation. However the main key to victory is to shut down power bats Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, if they are take out of the picture, the Dodgers have a very good chance of advancing, especially if the rotation does what it does best and especially if the lineup can produce runs to help win games for the pitchers.

Despite all the talk, it is going to be a great contest, with it expected to go to a 5 game series.

Also to make the Dodger fans very happy, as they did last year the Dodgers have announced they WILL NOT be raising ticket prices for the Playoffs, the 1st home game in this years playoff is on the 8th of October, on Saturday. A sell out crowd is expected, so get your tickets now! Or else you’ll miss out to see our Dodgers attempt to return to the World Series.

GOOD LUCK DODGERS.

JAMES LONEY INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVELY ON DODGERS.COM

Interviewer (INT)

James Loney (JL)

INT- Hi James, thanks for joining us tonight, we know you have a busy few days before for your 2008 Playoff campaign begins, thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

JL- No problem, it’s good to be here, it’s my first interview for some time.

INT- Well as 2007 NL Champions the pressure was definitely on the Dodgers in 2008 to keep up the pace, how do you feel you went as a team and personally?

JL- Well I feel we played the best we could play, at times yeah sure we could have done better, July was a wake up call for us that we are beatable. On a personal note I think I had a superb season, I trained really hard in pre-season and I wanted to beat my 2007 batting average and I think if I’m correct I smashed my 2007 average.

INT- you finished the season tied for first with Arizona, with 92-70 records, however Arizona was awarded the NL West champs, how did the team take the news?

JL- of course we were devastated, we wish we could have won that final game in SF and won the West but not everything goes as you want it to go, but overall we are still extremely pleased we are back in the playoffs again.

INT- As you know your 2007 World Series opponents and winners the Twins missed out on this years playoffs and the Dodgers got in on a Wild Card entry, do you think that this is a sign that winning a World Series or just being there, means nothing in the next season?

JL- Definitely, sure you might be World Series champions 1 year, then the next season you could finish last in your division, sure winning a World Series is great, but you don’t want it to distract you heading into the next season.

INT- you recently signed a new contract, with was signed for 6 years at 5 Million per year with a No-Trade Clause, are you pleased that you will be in LA for 6 more years?

JL- sure, I love LA and I love the Dodgers, I don’t want to leave, and I was pleased that the Dodgers put me on their must re-sign list, because it means a lot when a team wants you for a handful of years, you feel very excited and accepted. Also I'm glad that my close friend Matt Kemp re-signed for 7 years, he's a great friend to have around the club.

INT- what are your thoughts on the 2008 playoffs? Think the Dodgers can go all the way this season?

JL- I would have the slightest idea, this year’s playoff teams are just as competitive and strong as last years. Obviously Boston is the favourite to take it all. But sure id love to get one of those World Series rings, who wouldn’t? I can’t wait for the playoffs to begin, I hope I can perform just as well as I did in the regular season.

INT- on a more relaxing note, any plans for the off-season before spring training?

JL- with my contract sorted out, the season soon to be over and spring training not for a while I plan on taking some time off, seeing relatives and catching up with friends in and out of the baseball world, I think Matt Kemp and I are going to take a trip to Australia, we hear its really nice down there and would love to meet Australian people and see their way of life, which I hear is very laid back for some people.

INT- one final question, predictions for 2009?

JL- as everyone says, I have no idea, I hope ill have a strong spring training and then with that be able to take my training into the regular season, and with the contracts sorted out, I feel I’ going to be a lot more relaxed in 2009, and hopefully play some great baseball.

INT- thank you for your time tonight James, and good luck in your upcoming series against the Phillies.

JL- Thanks, it’s been a pleasure.

Awsome, thanks again for all the work you did in this second season

NLDS REPORT
DODGERS VS PHILLIES

Dodgers are 1 step closer to another World Series appearance, as they were able to take care of the Phillies in 4 games, winning the series 3-1.

Delwyn Young was awarded the NLDS MVP award, he went 6 for 16, with 2 HR’s, 8 RBI’s with a .375 batting average.

Game 1
Delwyn Young’s 3 Run homerun was all the help the Dodgers needed in this one. Mike Hessman hit a Grand Slam in the 8th to bring the game to 7-5, but the Dodgers were able to close it out that’s to Saito.

Dodgers Lead 1-0

Game 2
A late Dodger comeback wasn’t enough for the Dodgers in game 2, as they fell to the Phillies 5-4 to tie the series. Andre Ethier was the only Dodgers to have a multiple hit game in this 1. On a good note for Dodger fans, Chase Utley was struck down with injury and will miss out the remainder of the series. The Series now headed back to the safe confines of Dodger Stadium, Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw were set to pitch.

Series Tied 1-1

Game 3
Ryan Howard got his only hit of the series, however his Phillies were knocked around in game 3, held to 5 hits in 7.0 innings by Billingsley as a Russell Martin home run and a 4 run 4th inning, the Dodgers got within 1 game of heading to the NLCS as they won 8-1.

Dodgers Lead 2-1

Game 4
An 8th inning comeback helped the Dodgers secure another NLCS berth with a 5-4 win over the Phillies, 2 home runs to Delwyn Young and Josh Bell in the 8th helped the Dodgers roll the Phillies in 4 games, as they now wait for the winner of ARI-STL which is currently tied at 2-2.

Dodgers Win 3-1

The Dodgers now are ever so closer to another World Series. The Key to their victory was some strong pitching and also the Dodgers were able to shutdown key players Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, with Howard being held to 1 hit in the whole series and Utley getting injured in game 2.

NLCS PREVIEW

The Dodgers found out they won’t be playing Division rivals Arizona in the NLCS, as they lost the series 3-2 to St Louis.

The Dodgers are still injury free which is far better then the Cardinals, who have some injuries that could affect the result.

The Dodgers are being tipped as favourites but as in the NLDS when the Cardinals were tipped to get hammered by Arizona, they won, so nothing is for certain.

The key to a Dodger World Series berth is again what it was in the DS, shutdown the bats, the number 1 target for that, Albert Pujols, soon to be crowed 2008 NL MVP, he is a key for the Cardinals if they are going to advance.

Pitching match ups

Penny vs Carpenter
Buehrle vs Wainwright
Billingsley vs Reyes
Kershaw vs Mulder

NLCS REPORT
DODGERS VS CARDINALS

The Dodgers for the 2nd year in a row will represent the best of the NL in the 2008 World Series as they beat St. Louis in 6 games to become NL Champions again.

Brad Penny was awarded the NLCS MVP, as he improves his playoff record to 2-0 in 3 starts, the 2007 Cy Young winner showing everyone that he should retain the title in 2008.

Game 1
2 runs in the 8th and 9th, helped the Dodgers overcome being down 1-0 from the first inning as they win game 1 2-1 against the Cardinals. Albert Pujols was hitless in his performance in a good start of shutting the hitter down. The Dodgers took the lead when starting SS Hu hit a single to left field, scoring Delwyn Young to give the Dodgers the lead, with Takashi Saito closing the match for the win and getting the save.

Dodgers Lead 1-0

Game 2
A disaster day for Dodger fans, as the Dodgers were crushed by the Cardinals. LAD never really stood a chance in this 1, as they trailed 3-0 after 1 inning, and would never tie the game for the rest of the match as St. Louis ran away with a 11-3 win.

Series Tied 1-1

Game 3
A Rick Ankiel home run in the 1st was all the Cardinals needed in game 3, as they took the game and the series lead with a 1-0 win against Chad Billingsley. The Dodgers were confused all day as by Reyes, managing only 2 hits for the whole game, despite Pujols bat being quiet again. The Dodgers couldn’t put together the offence. Kershaw needs a win in game 4 to keep the Dodgers in it.

Cardinals Lead 2-1

Game 4
Clayton Kershaw ran riot against the Cardinals in game 4, 8.0 inning’s pitched, 2 hits, 10 K’s, there were flashes of the 2007 playoffs, were Kershaw racked up the K’s and the W’s. The Dodgers did 3 major things in this game. 1. Albert Pujols had no hits again. 2. Held the dangerous STL offence at 2 hits. 3. Dodgers tied the series again at 2-2.

Series Tied 2-2

Game 5
Brad Penny made sure his game 1 no decision didn’t happen again, the ace for LAD pitched 8.1 innings and only gave up 3 hits. The Dodger bats came alive in game 5 winning 6-1. With 4 home runs hit by 4 Dodger players, James Loney, Chin-Lung Hu, Andre Ethier and Ryan Ludwick, who hit his first home run of the 2008 playoffs against his old club, in the post game conference Ludwick said “it felt good to the see the ball go the distance, it was a good feeling”.

Dodgers Lead 3-2

Game 6
The Dodgers are heading to the World Series to face Detroit, with a 5-1 victory in game 6 giving the Dodgers the 4th win and the series victory. After a terrible start to the playoffs, Mark Buehrle turned things around in game 6. pitched a complete game, giving up only 5 hits and 1 run.

Dodgers Win 4-2

Albert Pujols was shutdown in the series, being kept hitless in 5 of the 6 games, and with him quiet, the Cardinals were swept aside.

Up Next DETROIT!

WORLD SERIES PREVIEW
LOS ANGELES DODGERS VS DETROIT TIGERS

The Dodgers will play against another AL Central team, as they attempt to win a World Series on the 2nd try.

This is a huge match up.

Detroit’s Batting vs Los Angeles’ Pitching.

Both teams head into the match which no injuries to starting players during the playoffs, which is a huge advantage for any team, so it is sure to be a very even contest.

The Dodgers however will have 1 player that don’t need to worry about, with Ordonez still injured, however the Detroit bats have been very alive in the playoffs, so the Dodger pitching will have to pitch the games of their lives.

Takashi Saito is 4 for 4 in Saves these playoffs, and every player in the bullpen has an ERA of 0.00 except for James McDonald, and Jonathan Meloan who is yet to pitch in the playoffs in his long relief roll.

Players that need to improve for the Dodgers
James Loney
Tony Abreu
Mark Buehrle

The Pitching battles should have some close duels
Billingsley vs Santana – expected winner, Santana
Kershaw vs Verlander – expected winner, Kershaw
Penny vs Bonderman – expected winner, Penny
Buehrle vs Harden – expected winner, Harden

Dodgers World Series Roster (With 2008 Playoff Stats) -

LINEUP
Hu SS - .214 AVG
Kemp CF - .300 AVG
Martin C - .308 AVG
Loney 1B - .147 AVG
LaRoche 3B - .219 AVG
Abreu 2B - .167 AVG
Ethier RF - .394 AVG
Young LF - .286 AVG
Pitcher/(When DH : Furcal)

BENCH
Ludwick
Garciaparra
Repko
Bell
Lieberthal

ROTATION
Penny – 2-0
Buehrle – 1-2
Billingsley – 1-1
Kershaw – 1-0
Lowe (Mop Up) – No 2008 playoff appearance yet

BULLPEN
SR-Miller – 0.00 ERA
SR-Tsao – 0.00 ERA
MR-McDonald – 8.44 ERA
LR-Meloan – No 2008 playoff appearance yet
SU-Broxton – 0.00 ERA
CL-Saito – 0.00 ERA, 4 SV’s

If the Dodgers can get some wins in Detroit before heading home it will give them a strong advantage and possible chance of a World Champion Dodger team.

The odds may be against them, and they are tipping a Detroit victory, however the Dodgers will be heading into their 2nd World Series in 2 years with a lot of expierence and confidence for such a young team, so nobody will be sure to count them out, they certainly are capable of winning against an older team.

I think the Kershaw vs Verlander match up will decide who wins the World Series

well if it goes to a game 7 they are the 2 players expected to start, so i agree. Kershaw played great in the 07 game 7 decider, but lost, could he change fate this time? time will tell.

OFFSEASON REPORT

The Dodgers decided not make any changes to the team during the offseason, however the Dodgers almost had a deal with Detroit which would have brought Elijah Dukes to LA, but the deal fell through.

The Dodgers management believes that with such a young team with 2 straight World Series appearances is very close to finally winning 1 and making changes to a solid young group of kids would only damage the team.

The Opening Day lineup is expected have a lot of changes in the pitching department, Derek Lowe is 1 of the players suspected of losing his spot in the MLB roster, Takashi Saito, Mark Buehrle and Greg Miller have also been mentioned of possible cuts.

OPENING DAY ROSTER ANNOUNCED

As predicted the Dodgers made a lot of changes in the pitching department, and also bolstered up the youth within the bench with some new players.

Dodger players making the Opening Day roster for the first time in their careers:

Blake DeWitt-3B
Carlos Santana-C
James Adkins-RP

Only 2 players were dropped from the team, Derek Lowe and Greg Miller both lost their spots as they had poor performances in the NL Champion 08 team.

2009 LOS ANGELES DODGERS OPENING DAY ROSTER

Batting Lineup
Matt Kemp-CF
Russell Martin-C
James Loney-1B
Andy LaRoche-3B
Chin-Lung Hu-SS
Tony Abreu-2B
Andre Ethier-RF
Delwyn Young-LF
Pitcher-P/Ryan Ludwick-DH

Bench
Ryan Ludwick-LF
Jason Repko-OF
Nomar Garciaparra-IF/3B
Josh Bell-3B
Blake DeWitt-IF/3B
Carlos Santana-C

Pitching Rotation
1. Chad Billingsley
2. Clayton Kershaw
3. Brad Penny
4. James McDonald
5. Mark Buehrle

Bullpen
Chin-Hui Tsao-SR
James Adkins-SR
Jonathan Meloan-MR
Hong-Chih Kuo-LR
Takashi Saito-SU
Jonathan Broxton-CL

BILLINGSLEY STRONG ON OPENING DAY

Chad Billingsley had his 1st career Opening Day game, as he took to the mound against Prince Fielder and his Milwaukee Brewers.

Ben Sheets again hit the mound on Opening Day, hoping to use his experience to out duel Billingsley.

Andy LaRoche kicked his 09 season off with a double to right field to score James Loney and give the Dodgers an early lead.

Billingsley retired the side in order in the 1st inning and looked strong.

In the 2nd inning it was Delwyn Young, who was attacked by the media due to his complaint about batting 8th, he hit a single into left, which brought home Tony Abreu and Andre Ethier.

The Brewers would bounce back in the 2nd inning, with ex Giants player Bengie Molina bringing home J.J. Hardy, making the score 3-1.

The Dodgers again were able to take advantage of some sloppy pitching by Ben Sheets, as Tony Abreu brought home Chin-Lung Hu, making the score 4-1 after 3 innings.

That would be the end of the scoring until the 9th inning when J.J. Hardy hit Chin-Hui Tsao for a homerun, with the final score 4-2 Dodgers victory.

Chad Billingsley picked up his 1st win of the season, with a superb performance, 8 innings pitched, 7 hits, 1 run and 9 K’s and no BB’s. Chin-Hui Tsao picked up the save.

The key point of the Dodgers great pitching on the day was Prince Fielder going 0-3.

Ben Sheets pitched a very solid performance but his Brewer offence couldn’t do much, he picked up the loss pitching 7 innings, giving up 9 hits, 4 runs, 2 BB’s and only 3 K’s.

KERHSAW INJURED AFTER SLOW START

Dodger star Clayton Kershaw was moved up to #2 on the rotation, and his sudden injury may force the Dodgers to make a few changes to the rotation.

Kershaw had pitched 5 games, and his record was a poor 0-3, with a horrific ERA of 10.64!

He was struck down with an Ankle Stress Fracture, which will put him out of action for atleast 2 weeks.

He is expected to be replaced by dropped SP Derek Lowe or LR Hong-Chih Kuo, a decision is yet to be made.

The rotation is expected to change when Kershaw returns, he may go as low as 4th, but is expected to drop down to #3 behind last years Dodger ace, Brad Penny, who will move up to #2 behind Chad Billingsley.

APRIL REPORT

The 2 time defending NL Champions have kicked off their 09 season in strong fashion, finishing a 9-3 victory against the Reds, the Dodgers finish the month with a 16-10 record.

Dodger fans will be pleased with some of the changes to the Dodger Blue.

Chad Billingsley had been superb in his debut as the Dodger ace. In the 6 games he has pitched, the young gun has gone a terrific 5-0 in 6 games, and is certainly in All Star form.

Clayton Kershaw was bumped up to 2nd in the rotation but hasn’t been able to produce what was expected thus far, he is 0-3 in 5 starts and was struck down with injury towards the end of the month.

Claytons injury was the only for the Dodgers in a good month.

The Dodgers have got off to a good start, pushing teams away, the 1 team to cop the most damage has been Arizona, with the Dodgers winning 5 out of 6 against them so far, including a 3 game sweep @ Arizona, which these days is VERY HARD to do.

James McDonald seems to have settled into the rotation very well, despite losing his 1st game, the young gun has won 4 straight, to finish his April with a 4-1 record in 5 starts.

Mark Buehrle has disappointed Dodger fans again, with a less then attractive 09 so far, talk of his release are becoming more open throughout the media, Buehrle refused to comment on the rumors and said “I will continue to pitch for the Dodgers unless they say otherwise”.

Andy LaRoche is leading the Dodger offence at the moment, with a bag of 7 home runs through April, he seems to be settling well into the Dodgers new lineup, which only adjustment was Chin-Lung Hu bats 5th instead of 1st, and Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, James Loney and Andy LaRoche all move up to batting 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Reports so far seem to indicate this new lineup seems to be living up to expectations.

The Dodgers have a tough May, with series’ against the Reds, Braves, Marlins, Giants, Cubs, Phillies, Nationals, Rockies and the much anticipated World Series rematch, as the Dodgers welcome the Tigers back to the confines of Dodger Stadium, with Dodger fans hoping for revenge on last years World Series loss 7 games.

End Of Month Results
Dodgers, 1st NL West, 16-10 record, 1 game lead

End Of Month Injuries
Clayton Kershaw - 13 Days

Player Of The Month
Chad Billingsley - 5-0 in his 6 starts this year

BILLINGSLEY AND TSAO AGREE TO NEW DEALS

On the 16th of May, young gun Chad Billingsley and 27 year old Chin-Hui Tsao both agreed to new contracts offered to them by the Dodgers.

Both accepted contracts lasting through 2112.

Chad Billingsley accepted a deal which over the next 4 years will earn him $26 Million, he was only included in the long list of Dodger players on a No Trade Clause.

Chad said in a press conference “I was really pleased with the offer the Dodgers put forward; it really shows they are a committed team that looks after their players, I’m glad to be a part of that.”

Chin-Hui Tsao, the relief pitcher from Taiwan was signed to a 4 year deal at $6.55 Million per year. Tsao has been a solid replacement since the departure of Joe Beimel in 2008, and has impressed the Dodger office to keep him around for a few more years.

With Chad Billingsley at 24 years of age now signed to a No Trade Clause, he joins a growing list of players on that list, those people include:
Jonathan Broxton – RP – 24 years old
Brad Penny – SP – 31 years old
Matt Kemp – OF – 24 years old
Russell Martin – C – 26 years old
James Loney – 1B – 25 years old
Andre Ethier – OF – 27 years old

That list is expected to increase over the next 4 years with:
Clayton Kershaw
Tony Abreu
Andy LaRoche
Blake DeWitt
Josh Bell
James McDonald
Chin-Lung Hu
All expected to be signed with a No Trade Clause when there contracts are due.

The Dodgers are proving what they say they would do, that is keeping a young squad together as they mature more and with their experience and a solid sense of team unity should provide Dodger fans with much excitement for many years to come.

The Dodgers are currently on track to return to the playoffs again in 2009, and after 2 straight World Series appearances and no World Series Rings, the team is hopefully 2009 could finally be the year.

MAY REPORT

After a strong start to May it looked as if the Dodgers would hopefully break away from the rest of the west, however Colorado hit a winning streak and beating the Dodgers in 2 out of 3 games has helped the Rockies overtake the Dodgers in the West.

Clayton Kershaw’s return to the lineup hopefully would spark a change in his season, but it hasn’t kicked in yet, as his record dropped to a staggering 0-5.

The pitching just doesn’t seem to be able to keep up with the pace of the offence, with Matt Kemp and Andy LaRoche leading the offence in 2009, both are having great starts to the year, and Matt Kemp seems to have fitted into his new role as the leadoff hitter.

The Dodgers had a World Series rematch with the Tigers, however they were unable to win the series, losing 2 out of 3, however a highlight of the series was the Dodgers winning the final game of the series against Johan Santana as he was belted for 7 runs in 4.2 innings in an un Johan like performance.

The Dodgers haven’t really let the Draft coming up get in their way, and with a tough month ahead, it hopefully won’t.

The Dodgers in June have to face some playoff hopeful teams including, NYM, ATL, HOU, CLE and NYY.

End Of Month Results
Dodgers, 2nd NL West, 31-23 record, 2.0 G.B

End Of Month Injuries
Jonathan Broxton - 8 Days
Brad Penny - 1 Day

Player Of The Month
Matt Kemp - .330 AVG, 12 HR’s, 11 SB’s, 46 R’s, 29 RBI’s.