Welcome Andy!

I know I'm a little bit late to the party here. Andy LaRoche has joined the team in a big way. In his first two major league games he has 2 hits, scored 2 runs and has 2 RBI's. Not to be outdone, Betemit woke up from his slumber to hit two consecutive pinch hit homeruns. In the meantime, the Dodgers do a bit of hedging by keeping Tony Abreu at thirdbase in Las Vegas. Either way a solution to our woes at third will be solved within the system. You gotta figure one of three will take the spot.

Boo! Ghost, Ghouls and Phantoms.. Oh My!

I just read the Inside the Dodgers blog post about ghost at the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel and spent some time this afternoon reading some of the stories. These are the kind of tales that causes the back of your spine to tingle. For the paranoid, could you ever get a good nights sleep in that place?

I was even more intrigued by the mention of a ghost that resides at the top of Dodger Stadium. Does anybody have more information about the lady in red in the upper reserve section?

Anyway, I have personally never experienced anything like the stories in "Haunted Baseball." I have not seen supernatural disturbances like a floating apparition or incessant banging during the middle of the night. Sure, I've been spooked like most of us have, but never have I truly been so afraid I just walked out in fear. Call me a skeptic.

On the other hand, I have friends who claim that my old home in Fullerton was haunted. It figures that the placed I lived in for nearly 7 years would have a resident ghost who refused to show his face to me, but was more than happy to scare my friends. Anyway, here is one of those brief stories.

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon as I drive up my street towards the end of the cul-de-sac. My home is on the right side near the end of the street. I park on the driveway and notice my roommate, Rob, quietly sitting cross-legged on the lawn. I get out of my car as Rob stands up from his seat.

"Hey! What are ya doin' out here?" I ask with a perplexed smile. In all the years he and I have been friends I had never known him to just sit on the grass when a perfectly good television was available for viewing.

"I didn't want to go back inside until somebody else got home," says Rob. I stare at him the way you'd stare at a kid who just told you, "I didn't go to the UK, but I went to London."

Rob proceeded to tell me that as he was perched on the couch enjoying a recent episode of Batman an unusual thing happened. The cupboards and closet door started opening and shutting at a quick and furious pace. Rob stood up, stared down the hallway and ran outside. An hour later I arrived.

I walked into the house and inspected the home with a watchful eye. I was happy to report to my friend that everything looked just fine. Rob sat down in front of the tube as I grabbed a couple of beers. That ghost didn't appear again that afternoon, but you should hear some of the other stories.

Rumor: Schmidt Situation Not Good?

A friend at work pointed me to a rumor he found on FanNation.

The Dodgers are worried that Jason Schmidt might not pitch again this season, according to a major league source. Schmidt, who signed a three-year contract for $47 million, has a bad shoulder and could be shutdown for surgery soon.

Oh Please. Say it ain't so!

The Franken-Friar is born

Tony Jackson introduces us to the Padres new mascot. Then, laments that he has not arrived. But have no fear he makes his entrance in this afternoons game.

Below is a video of the birth of Franken-Friar.



YouTube Link: gaslampball:
Video Hat Tip: Deadspin:

Here is another video of the undead Friar attacking the batboy.



YouTube Link: gaslampball:
Hat Tip: Gaslamp Ball:

Furcal Playing Hurt

We all knew that something was wrong.

Furcal admitted that the ankle, which he sprained during spring training and landed him on the disabled list, still hurts. It doesn't bother him all of the time and when it does, the pain isn't overbearing. But it does serve as a constant reminder that it's something he's going to have to get used to playing with.

"It's not 100 percent," Furcal said. "As soon as I get into a game, I try to forget it. I think it's not going to be 100 percent until the season is over and I can rest it. If you rest it right now, it's going to be more bad. I can play like that. It's not a problem."

His lack of offense attributed to the lack of playing.

"I don't feel so comfortable yet at home plate," he said. "Sometimes I feel like I'm jumping a little bit. I think that's coming as soon as I get more at-bats and play in more games. I'm getting in there and I'm working hard with (coach) Manny (Mota). We're seeing all of the video stuff and I'm trying to do the best I can."

Furcal's stretch of inactivity during the spring was compounded by his decision to not play baseball during the winter. He worked out to stay in shape and was hoping to get his timing back when he arrived at Vero Beach.

"Since the end of last year I didn't do anything," he said. "I just rested in the Dominican Republic and practiced a little. It's not the same practicing over there that it is over here. Then you come to spring training and you're doing more stuff. April always is a little tough for me. I try to do the best I can and it happens sometimes. It's a long season and I came to the season with less at-bats."

Furcal is downplaying his ankle injury as a reason for his slow offensive start. This good news. Afterall, we could expect more of what we saw last year. On the flip-side, if he is wrong and his ankle is to blame, then this season could very well be a long year.

Story Link: OC Register:

Israel Baseball League: Koufax Gets Drafted

Israel's first Baseball League just concluded their first draft.

Forty-one years after he retired from baseball, Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax was the final player chosen in the draft to stock the six teams for the inaugural season of the Israel Baseball League... “His selection is a tribute to the esteem with which he is held by everyone associated with this league,” said former big leaguer Aret Shamsky, who will manage the Miracle. “It’s been 41 years between starts for him. If he’s rested and ready to take the mound again, we want him on our team.”

If he can still pitch then lets' sign him up. You can never have too many Hall of Fame arms.

Photo Link: HOF:
Story Link: MSNBC:
Hat Tip: Net 54 VBCF: