Damn injuries!

Spring training has officially started. And with two games won out of seven, it is hardly something to be cheering about.  As the season begins to unravel, we are seeing where the Dodgers strengths and weaknesses lie.

On Wednesday March 5th, the Dodgers faced the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.  Not their best game to say the least.

 
Before the game started, there were already some issues. Left-hand pitcher, Hong-Chih Kuo, was not allowed to play after complaining of an irritation in the back of the elbow. The same elbow where bone chips were removed last summer.  

“I just felt a little sore,” Kuo said. “I’m just taking a couple of days off and I’ll be ready to go.”

 
Any injury to Kuo must be taken seriously. Kuo has been through four elbow operations, including two Tommy John reconstructions.

Manager Joe Torre said he wasn’t sure when Kuo would pitch again. But Kuo is optimistic saying, that he expects to throw a bullpen session today and possibly pitch in Saturday’s game against St. Louis. 

The injury could keep Kuo from making the trip to China next week and worse, possibly affect his chance at the fifth spot in the pitching rotation.

“It felt better after surgery, and this is just part of rehab I have to go through,” said Kuo. “I’ll be alright.”

 I hope so.

In related news, two days just before his 40^th birthday, Jeff Kent is showing signs of his antiquity.

During warm-ups before the game against the Mets, Kent strained his right hamstring.  Five sprints into his warm up, Torre said,  “he felt something grab.” 

Although we are still unclear of the extent of the injury, it seems medical staff and Torre are trying to down play it, saying that it isn’t more than minor pains and that Kent should be back in a week.

The soon to be 40-year-old second baseman said he didn’t think it was too bad.

Let’s keep in mind that last season, Kent led the Dodgers with 20 home runs. Not bad for his age. 

Come on Kent! Let's show these young players how's it done! 

So where do the Dodgers go from here?

Torre isn’t taking any chances. He knows what needs to be done to keep his squad healthy, and if sideling them until they get better is what he needs to do, he will.

On a side Dodger Blue note: The Dodgers will face the Boston Red Sox today at 10:05 a.m. (PT) on ESPN.  

GO DODGERS!

Welcome to Think Blue!

Trying to decide what I wanted my blog to be about was frustrating. I found that I had a lot of ideas but was not sure if I could keep up a blog on a particular subject for the whole semester. So I've decided to create this blog on the Los Angeles Dodgers. I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about this upcoming season.

So as the new 2008 baseball season begins to close in on us, I can't help but to think what a great asset Joe Torre will be to the Dodgers. After 11 years with the New York Yankees, Torre comes to the West Coast to make a much needed difference. With younger players such as Kemp, Either and Martin, Joe hopes that this year the Dodgers will make it to the World Series.

The Dodgers home opener is on March 31st and you guessed it...I will be there. The weather should be about 15 to 20 degrees warmer than San Francisco. Perfect weather to catch a baseball game, eat a Dodger dog and have three or four margaritas. This will be my third home opener and it never gets old. I drive up to Chavez Ravine two hours before the game, hang out in the parking lot enjoying the atmosphere of the die-hard Dodger fans.

I met many Dodger fans from L.A. through an online messageboard. Many of these fans enjoy traveling to see one of the largest rivalries in baseball history. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants rilvary extends back to the 1950s when both teams were based in New York. Before the big move the New York Giants had won five World Series titles, the Brooklyn Dodgers had only one.

When the Dodgers decided to move to California, the Giants followed. The big move to the west coast happened in 1958 and the very first game played in L.A. was on April 18th against

the now San Francisco Giants. The animosity between both teams grew greater that night when the Dodgers won 6-5. Dodgers-Giants Rilvary is a great site for more info if you are a Dodgers fan or Giants fan.

This blog will focus on the Dodgers, but will cover baseball in all aspects. With huge deals and signings during the off season and the ongoing steroids investigation, I am sure there will be more than enough to cover. Remember for all your baseball info and rumors make sure to check out this blog often.

Go Dodgers!