DODGERS ADD ZILCH; NEITHER DO THEIR RIVALS.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Minutes after the major leagues' non-waiver trading deadline of 1 p.m. PDT PDT abbr. Pacific Daylight Time PDT Pacific Daylight Time PDT n abbr (US) (= Pacific Daylight Time) → hora de verano del Pacífico PDT Sunday, the Dodgers e-mailed an urgent news release to reporters covering the team. ``All-Star Closer Eric Gagne,'' the headline read, ``to Host Inaugural Bowling Extravaganza.'' So that's how they plan to win the National League West. With a lineup of rented shoes. With a bullpen of half-empty beer bottles. Well, at least bowlers stitch their names on their shirts so we know who's who Who’s Who biographical dictionary of notable living people. [Am. Hist.: Hart, 922] See : Fame . I went into trade-deadline day searching for consistency in a Dodgers front office that would shake up the team when it was in first place last year and wouldn't make a move to improve a team when it's four games out this year. Now I get it. If you rolled the dice last year by making over a good team, you gamble this year by going into the stretch run with a mediocre team. ``Sorry I didn't have something more fun (to announce),'' Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta Paul DePodesta (born December 16, 1972) is baseball front-office assistant for the San Diego Padres. He has also served as general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from February 16, 2004 to October 29, 2005. said after briefing reporters on, well, a lot of nothing. In fact, the Dodgers' front office did contribute to the fun as the season swung into the final two months. So did the Padres', Diamondbacks' and Giants' front offices. How much fun would it have been if one of those clubs had made the sort of trade that might have given it command of this anybody-can-win-it division race? Not much fun at all. Instead, there wasn't a pivotal trade among the four NL West contenders - or anywhere in baseball in the days before the deadline. And so this weirdest of division races trips onward, entertaining in spite of itself, likely all the way to October. The Padres made small deals to acquire pitcher Chan Ho Park and catchers David Ross David Ross refers to:
The Diamondbacks got 40-year-old left-hander Buddy Groom The Giants got outfielder Randy Winn Dwight Randall "Randy" Winn (born June 9, 1974 in Los Angeles, California) is an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Winn is a switch hitter, and throws right-handed. . The Dodgers made no moves. That's no moves unless you counted it as adding a hitter when manager Jim Tracy
Jeffrey Charles Weaver up to pinch-hit for reliever Giovanni Carrara Giovanni Carrara [car-RAH-ra] (born March 4, 1968 in Anzoátegui State, Venezuela) is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who most recently pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Carrara bats and throws right handed. He has established himself as a valuable middle relief man. in the 11th inning Sunday after running out of position players. Weaver struck out, and the Dodgers lost to the Cardinals 7-5, after Tracy's decision to have Milton Bradley  This article or section is written like a personal reflection or and may require .Please [ improve this article] by rewriting this article or section in an . sacrifice in the ninth ruined a two-on, none-out rally. Who could have predicted that DePodesta would refrain from making a deal? He said he tried, talking with about a dozen teams in the past few days, but concluded that deals for big-name players would have cost too much and ``we weren't going to do something just to do something.'' Who could have imagined that his division counterparts would find the trade market just as tough, given the variety of holes they have to fill after a regional epidemic of injuries? With the Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Giants within 5 1/2 games of each other with less than 60 games to play, each has to think it can steal a pass to the playoffs in what might turn out to be the weakest division in the format's 37-year history. At 47-58, the Dodgers matched their season low at 11 games under .500 heading into a Washington-Pittsburgh trip beginning Tuesday. Let's assume the stat experts at baseballprospectus.com are correct, and it will take 82 games to win the division. The Dodgers must go 35-22 the rest of the way, while the Padres could get by with 31-26 and the Diamondbacks could make do with 30-25. At least the Dodgers are fielding the best lineup they've had in weeks, having activated Bradley on July 23 and Jose Valentin on Sunday, having called up catcher Dioner Navarro Dioner Favian Navarro (born February 9, 1984 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball catcher and switch-hitter who plays for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Career In 2000, Navarro was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent. and reliever Jonathan Broxton to improve the defense and bullpen. The big pieces missing are J.D. Drew, due back in a month or so, and Gagne, out for the season and thus free to host the Dodgers Dream Foundation bowling event Aug. 8 at Lucky Strike Hollywood. ``We've probably done as much to help the club in the last eight days as anybody,'' DePodesta said, referring to the Bradley and Valentin additions. But when you're playing from behind, is doing ``as much'' good enough? ``It was nice to think we might have a big name in the clubhouse on this next road trip,'' pitcher Odalis Perez said. ``But, for now, we have to go out there with the players we have. We have good potential here. If we stick together, we can be fine.'' I can't imagine anything more embarrassing for the Dodgers than losing this division. Of course, I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if their bowling league is any good. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The Dodgers did add to their lineup Sunday, activating Jose Valentin from the disabled list. Matt Sayles/Associated Press |
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