The Glade 4.0

I feel like I'm in some bizarre fantasy world...

The LA Dodgers have claimed both Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonsales off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. This has led to the structuring of a deal that would send Beckett and Gonsales, along with the injured Carl Crawford who cleared waivers last month and backup utility infielder Nick Punto along with cash to LA in exchange for James Loney and 3-5 top organisational prospects. The deal is very close according to multiple sources.

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

Gonsales and Punto just removed from the Sox lineup and summoned it the clubhouse... looks like it's going to happen...

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

I wonder if we could interest the Dodgers in Chone Figgens? Or perhaps Tarvaris Jackson? :p

Let me tell you, Midgen... I'm a life long Celtics fan, so it feels really strange, but I find myself thinking, "Thank God for Magic Johnson." That man appears to be about to eat 262.5 million in bad long-term contracts handed out to a guy who had Tommy John surgury on Thursday, a first baseman making 20 mil/yr. not named Pujols, an alchoholic malcontent with a body that's breaking down costing him 8-9 MPH on his heater, and a guy who bats in the mid .160's but makes up for it by fielding four positions poorly.

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

i agree.. this is a mind boggling transaction...

It looks like a basketball "deal" on paper. Ugh.

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As a Dodgers fan, I'm pretty ambivalent about this. Most of my fellow fans are slathering over it, perhaps convincing themselves that it's good. Lots of fried chicken and waffles jokes going around, too.

The LA Times Sports section today published a commentary by Bill Shaikin that had this for a sub-title: "A franchise changes its (pin) stripes — the Dodgers are now Yankees West".

I feel a bit dirty, have always liked the underdog idea. Teams that play well that shouldn't ... Like the 1988 Dodgers. Everyone was comparing this year's team to that team (at least when they were playing over their heads), but now that whole vibe is right down the toilet. I also worry about team chemistry, but everyone says that's not important, or that you create chemistry by winning. I dunno, was kind of looking forward to being in the playoffs this year with three guys in the middle of the lineup (Kemp, Ethier, and Loney) who'd already been through two years of playoffs together.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Oh, here's a fun one.

The Dodgers lineup two months ago:
SS Gordon
2B Herrera
RF Ethier
1B Rivera
LF Hairston
C Ellis
3B Uribe
CF Gwynn

The Dodgers lineup tonight:
LF Victorino
2B Mark Ellis
CF Kemp
1B Gonzalez
3B Ramirez
RF Ethier
3B Cruz
C A.J. Ellis

And, as someone on my favorite Dodger board pointed out, sure, we're taking on another $262 mil, but at least we didn't pay $254 mil for one player (even if he is Pujols).

_________________
This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

I am grateful to Dodgers ownership for taking on all of our problems at 95% of the cost and restocking our high minors in the process.

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Ezekiel 23:19-20 

If the Dodgers don't dominate their division and get a taste of a couple of World Series out of this, I think you have to look at it as a bust...

I'm pretty sure that is exactly what is going to happen...

Kemp's numbers should go crazy with Gonzo hitting behind him.

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"It is true that democracy undermines freedom when voters believe they can live off of others' productivity, when they modify the commandment: 'Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.' The politics of plunder is no doubt destructive of both morality and the division of labor."