DODGERS NOTEBOOK: DODGERS LOOK AT BRIGHT SIDE.Byline: Tony Jackson
Anthony (Antonio) Jackson, best known as Tony Jackson Staff Writer JUPITER, Fla. - The eternal optimists in the Dodgers clubhouse - namely, manager Jim Tracy
Jeffrey Charles Weaver was the victim of bad luck, with three errors committed behind him and at least one other ball that should have been played and wasn't. He also gave up 10 hits in three innings and has a spring ERA of 8.47. ``This will sound silly, but that was the best-pitched game we have had this spring, by him definitely and maybe overall,'' Colborn said. ``He threw a high percentage of quality pitches, and (the results) are what you expect to see in spring training when guys aren't sharp.'' Weaver allowed a run in the first, two in the second and four in the third, and the Dodgers lost 11-1 to the Florida Marlins The Florida Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Marlins have played in Dolphin Stadium. on a windy day at Roger Dean Stadium Roger Dean Stadium is a baseball field located in a shopping district called Abacoa, which is in Jupiter, Florida. The stadium was built in 1998 and holds 7,200 people. . But Colborn was quick to point out that few of Weaver's pitches were hit hard. ``There was the home run by (Armando) Rios that went foul and a couple of line shots to center,'' Colborn said. ``(Weaver) is our most improved pitcher. His delivery has gotten sharper, and he has a better philosophy with his pitch sequence. And we're still learning how to call his pitches effectively. The bad part of it is that he isn't getting the positive reinforcement positive reinforcement, n a technique used to encourage a desirable behavior. Also called positive feedback, in which the patient or subject receives encouraging and favorable communication from another person. (despite) doing a whole lot of things right. That's the thing that is frustrating for me, and it's frustrating for him, too.'' Tracy said Weaver's spot in the rotation is safe. And besides, why should Tracy take Weaver out when Kazuhisa Ishii Kazuhisa Ishii (石井一久 Ishii Kazuhisa; born September 9, 1973 in Wakaba-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese Major League Baseball pitcher. and Hideo Nomo Hideo Nomo (born Aug. 31, 1968 , Osaka, Japan) Japanese baseball pitcher whose success with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995 created new opportunities for Asian players in Major League Baseball. have even higher spring ERAs? ``I haven't changed my position or my stance (on that),'' Tracy said. ``We couldn't catch the ball out there today.'' The Dodgers acquired Weaver from the New York Yankees  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. in the Kevin Brown deal last Dec. 13. The Yankees had gotten him from Detroit, where he was considered one of the best young arms in the game, but Weaver's struggles in the media glare of the game's most visible market led some baseball insiders to question his makeup. ``We heard a lot of things about him before he came here,'' Colborn said. ``But I don't understand any of that, because I see a different person than I thought I would see, a different pitcher and a different person.'' Both Tracy and general manager Paul DePodesta said Weaver's velocity climbed into the low-90 mph range for the first time Tuesday after topping out in the mid-80s earlier this spring. --Injury updates: The good news for the Dodgers came from the back fields of their complex in Vero Beach, where infielders Alex Cora and Jeremy Giambi got 10 at-bats apiece in a couple of minor-league games. The bad news was third baseman Adrian Beltre was out for the third consecutive day with tendinitis in his biceps. He received a cortisone cortisone (kôr`tĭsōn'), steroid hormone whose main physiological effect is on carbohydrate metabolism. It is synthesized from cholesterol in the outer layer, or cortex, of the adrenal gland under the stimulation of adrenocorticotropic shot on Tuesday and probably won't be back until at least Friday. Cora will make his long-awaited spring debut and Giambi his long-awaited return on Thursday night against Houston. The Dodgers have their only off-day of the spring today. --Mota update: One Dodgers player who isn't getting the day off is right- handed reliever Guillermo Mota, who hasn't pitched since March 8 because of tendinitis in his right biceps and triceps triceps, any muscle having three heads, or points of attachment, but especially the triceps brachii at the back of the upper arm. One head originates on the shoulder blade and two on the upper-arm bone, or humerus. . Mota finally will throw a side session today, with a second one tentatively scheduled for Friday. ``Hopefully, we can get him into a handful of games beginning Sunday, and then every other day after that,'' Tracy said. Tracy has contended throughout Mota's absence that Mota doesn't need many innings to be ready for the season, partly because he is a short reliever and partly because he pitched in the Dominican Winter League. Tracy now says the time Mota has missed might prove advantageous, citing the back injury that sidelined Eric Gagne for a couple of weeks last spring. A well-rested then Gagne won the National League Cy Young award by converting all 55 of his save chances. ``We always add up the total number of innings a guy has pitched at the end of the year, but what is rarely taken into account is the innings he threw during spring training,'' Tracy said. ``We want to start factoring that in.'' --Miscellany: The Dodgers reassigned left-hander Derek Thompson to their minor-league camp. ... Joe Thurston went 3 for 4 and now is hitting .429 (9 for 21) over his past nine games. Tony Jackson,(818)713-3675 tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): box Box: BEYOND THE BOX SCORE |
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