The Yankees and Red Sox have their eyes set on the same catcher reports ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Via his Twitter page, Olney writes that the Yankees are “taking an aggressive approach” in negotiations with Russell Martin, who batted just .248 with five home runs, 48 RBI and 45 runs scored in an injury plagued 2010 season. He wound up with only 331 at bats, which was a career-low for the Dodger backstop.

But while the Bombers may be aggressively pursuing Martin, Olney said Thursday that the Red Sox were still the favorites to land him. The Blue Jays are also in the mix, as is least one other unidentified team according to Rotoworld.com.

The Yankees want to make Jorge Posada their full-time DH, which would open up a spot for Martin behind the plate. If they were to acquire him, Jesus Montero would likely stay at Triple-A in order to gain more seasoning.

Martin’s numbers have steadily declined since 2009. That year, he slumped while hitting only .250 with seven home runs in 143 games, which were the weakest totals in his four-year career. In August last year, he suffered a torn labrum in his right hip while trying to avoid a tag at home plate in a game against the Padres and he missed the rest of the season with the injury.

Seeing as how he’s only 27, he has plenty of time to turn around his career and maybe a change of scenery would do him well. That said, changing leagues is no easy task for a hitter that has played his entire career in the National League.

In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

Last up is the NL West.

1. Colorado Rockies (7)
Before I wax poetically about the youthful Rockies, I have an axe to grind about the television broadcasting crew of Drew Goodman, Jeff Huson and George Frazier. Those three form one of the most biased, nonobjective broadcasting teams in baseball history. I’m not kidding. The Rockies never get the same calls as their opponents do. The Rockies never get the national recognition like everyone else does. The Rockies are the greatest team to ever walk the planet and if they played a roster compiled of Jesus, Moses, God and the 12 apostles, Colorado should win 5-4 in extras nine times out of 10. If not, the Rockies beat themselves, because there’s no way Jesus and the gang were better. Don’t believe me? Just ask Goodman, Huson and Frazier. All right, now that that’s out of the way – the Rockies are a damn fine club and should leapfrog the Dodgers in the division this year. Their core – Troy Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart, Chris Iannetta, Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez – are all 27 years old or younger and that doesn’t include 26-year-old stud Ubaldo Jimenez, who is absolutely filthy when he’s on. Throw in key veterans like Todd Helton (a perennial .300 hitter) and Jeff Francis (who could win 15-plus games filling in for the departed Jason Marquis), and Colorado has the tools to make a deep run. The question is whether or not starters Francis and Jorge De La Rosa will keep their ERAs below 5.00 and the young offensive players can move forward in their development and not backwards. But outside of the ultra-annoying broadcast team, I love the Rockies from top to bottom this year and believe they can do some damage in 2010.

2. Los Angles Dodgers (12)
Dodger fans are probably thinking to themselves, “Hey clown face – nothing has changed. This is the same team that won 95 games last year, so what’s with this second place nonsense?” And they would be right to think that – I do have a clown face. But whether fans want to admit it or not, owner Frank McCourt’s divorce from wife and former CEO Jamie McCourt will have an affect on their club this season. In fact, it already has seeing as how the Dodgers’ spending was limited this winter. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake should keep L.A. competitive throughout the season and there’s likely to be a knock down, drag out fight between them and the Rockies for first place. But what happens when Kershaw, Billingsley, Vicente Padilla, Hiroki Kuroda and James McDonald start making trips to the DL? Ownership certainly isn’t going to spend money on replacements, so experienced players may have to step up and that usually spells trouble. Plus, if guys like Rafael Furcal, James Loney and Russell Martin don’t rekindle the magic they had earlier in their careers, Kemp, Ethier and Blake may find it harder to keep the club afloat by themselves. Don’t forget that Manny only hit .255 after taking a pitch off the wrist in late July last year, so his best days are likely behind him as well. Do the Dodgers boast the same roster as the one that was so successful last year? Yes, but the power has seemingly shifted in the division.

3. San Francisco Giants (15)
Watching the Giants on a nightly basis is like watching a unicorn, in all its mythical wonderment and greatness, frolic around an empty field for three hours, only to be intermittently beaten by some idiot caveman with a club. Only, the ironic thing is that the caveman doesn’t really know how to use the club, so he just flails at the unicorn for three hours until both of them tire out and collapse. San Fran’s pitching staff, in all its mythical wonderment and greatness, is outstanding, but its offense continues to be a cross between a used baby diaper and hot garbage. Reigning two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum is the best pitcher in baseball and 25-year-old Matt Cain is a Cy Young-contender in the making. When his heads on right, Jonathan Sanchez can be equally frustrating to hitters and his ’09 second half (which included a no-hitter) suggests that he has a bright future. Barry Zito will never live up to his contract, but he was productive and reliable for the first time in a Giants’ uniform last year and fifth starter Todd Wellemeyer had a great spring. The problem is that GM Brian Sabean hasn’t a clue when it comes to positional talent. With exception of the fun-loving star-in-the-making Pablo Sandoval and future prospect Buster Posey, the Giants don’t have any hitters that will keep opposing pitchers up at night. The offseason additions of Mark DeRosa and Aubrey Huff, as well as the re-signings of Freddy Sanchez and Juan Uribe should help, but all four of those players are complementary pieces on a good team. On the Giants, they’ll all be counted on as key contributors, which is a problem. This club won 88 games last year – more than any team that didn’t make the postseason. Their starting pitching, Sandoval and their bullpen are rock solid, but if the G-Men hope to make the playoffs this year, then guys like Aaron Rowand, Bengie Molina, Edgar Renteria and Nate Schierholtz (who will finally have the opportunity to play full time) have to step up in a big way. We’ll see if Sabean did enough this offseason to give the Giants a shot.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks (19)
In Brandon Webb and Dan Haren, the D-Backs have an outstanding 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation but the problem is that Webb isn’t healthy. He hopes that his shoulder injury will heal soon and is targeting a late April return, but that might be a little optimistic. Edwin Jackson was a nice offseason pickup, but ‘Zona has to hope that he’ll pitch closer to his first half production of last year (2.52 ERA) and not his second half (5.02). If Webb returns quickly and Jackson pitches well, then the D-Backs have enough pitching to challenge anyone. But there’s a ton of question marks surrounding the rotation (outside of Haren obviously) entering the season. Offensively, youngsters Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds will supply plenty power, while the return of Conor Jackson and newly acquired Adam LaRoche should boost the offense as well. But the key might be outfielder Chris Young, who had a great September after being demoted to the minors earlier in the season to fix his swing. If his September production wasn’t an anomaly, then Arizona certainly has enough offense to compete for the Wild Card. I just don’t trust the pitching and for as good as the offense could be, the D-Backs have several hitters that struggle to get on base on a consistent basis. If Webb were healthy, I could envision this club finishing higher than this. But I don’t think they’ll get out of the gates strong and it could sink their season.

5. San Diego Padres (24)
For a team that was forced to cut costs, the Padres finished a respectable 75-87 last season. Adrian Gonzalez, Kyle Blanks, Chase Headley and Everth Cabrera comprise and solid offensive core, but the problem is that their starting pitching is beyond suspect after the club traded Jake Peavy to the White Sox last year. Mat Latos may soon assume the No. 1 role, but he his little big league experience and there’s just not an ace among Jon Garland, Kevin Correia and Clayton Richard. Those three can certainly eat innings, but none of them are the top of the rotation arm that the Padres need to replace Peavy. The bottom line is that the Pads could surprise this season, but if Gonzo is traded at the deadline like many expect, then San Diego will sink to the bottom of the NL West. And even if he isn’t dealt, the Padres might still fail to get out of the West basement due to their starting pitching (or lack their of).

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/03/27/2010-mlb-preview-nl-west/feed/ 3 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/07/06/ten-infuriating-mlb-players-to-watch/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/07/06/ten-infuriating-mlb-players-to-watch/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:28:16 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=20989

Whether it’s that reliever that always seems to blow tight games in late innings, that batter that leaves runners on the bases, or that starter that walks seven batters an inning, every team has at least one player that as a fan, you’d rather set your eyelids on fire than watch trot onto the field for just one more inning.

I’ve compiled a list of 10 infuriating, punch-a-hole-through-your-wall MLB players to watch. Granted, this list is by no means all-inclusive (and I implore you the reader to list the guys that drive you nuts in the comments section). But these are the 10 that seem to make my blood boil on a consistent basis, whether they’re playing for my favorite team or not.

Julio Lugo, OF, Red Sox
I would lose the respect of all Boston fans if I didn’t have Lugo’s name on this list. It’s not only that Lugo can’t field and flails at pitches like a schoolgirl trying to swat away a bee on the playground, but also that he’s being paid $9 million a year to look so bad. He has zero range defensively and he also has a knack for turning double plays at a snail’s pace. Granted, he’s been delegated a backup behind Nick Green at short, but just the mere idea that Lugo is still on the roster must make BoSox fans want to toss their last meal. Whenever the BoSox do decide to get rid of him, Boston fans might try to make that day an official holiday.

The Cubs’ outfield collection of Alfonso Soriano, Milton Bradley and Kosuke Fukudome
Nothing says overpaid and overrated like the Cubs’ outfield. Whether you love brutal defense, swing-at-everything offense, or just plain stupidity, the Cubs’ outfield collection of Soriano, Bradley and Fukudome have it all. Soriano can’t judge fly balls and even when he does, he’s always prone to making an error with his unnecessary hop, skip and a jump catch. Bradley has turned out to be one of the worst offseason signings of the year while failing to produce at the dish, fighting with manager Lou Piniella and forgetting how many outs there are in an inning. Fukudome is fine defensively, but his mini-tornado batting approach is almost laughable to watch sometimes. Whenever the trio is in the outfield at the same time, you’d swear you’re at the circus instead of the “Friendly Confines.”

Chris Duncan, OF, Cardinals
Despite currently owning the best record in the NL Central, the Cardinals actually have a couple of players that fans wouldn’t mind taking on a tour of the Arch, only to leave them at the top with no way down. Reliever Dennys Reyes is one of those players, Joe Thurston is another, but Duncan takes the cake. Not only is he brutal both offensively and defensively, but he also continues to bat in front of superstar Albert Pujols and not produce. Pitchers give him hittable pitches on a nightly basis knowing that Pujols is behind him, yet the best Duncan can do is produce a sub-.250 batting average and a paltry five home runs. Couple that with his brutal defense and it’s amazing that he still has a starting job. (Although he can thank a rash of injuries for that.)

Edgar Renteria, SS, Giants
At least twice this year I read that Renteria was a solid offseason signing for the Giants by two different media outlets. If by solid they meant that the Giants once again overpaid for a free agent, then yes, Renteria was a solid signing. Watching him trying to go to his left on a ball hit up the middle is like watching an insect trying to scramble to get out of water after you flushed it down your toilet. Unless the ball is hit right at him, he can’t move and God help the first baseman when he tries to rush a throw. He’s still okay with the bat at times, but Bruce Bochy refused to move him out of the two-hole for most of the first half despite Renteria’s willingness to suck. At No. 6 or No. 7 in the lineup, he’s serviceable. At No. 2, he’s maddening.

Melvin Mora, 3B, Orioles
Whether it’s at the dish, in the field or on the base paths, Mora seemingly makes a bone-headed play at least once a game. He’s 37 years old, his production is almost non-existent and he doesn’t have much of a future in Baltimore past next year. Yet he continues to take up space in the middle of the O’s lineup because manager Dave Trembley refuses to play youngsters over the vets. It’s bad enough that Baltimore fans have to succumb to watching their team lose on a regular basis. But to also make them watch old, crusty vets lose is just downright cruel.

Johnny Damon, OF, Yankees
Don’t get it twisted – Damon is a fine offensive player. I have no idea how he can still hit over 12 home runs almost every year despite his age, but he does and he’s been a very good offensive player for the Bombers. But his chicken wing has always been an issue and Yankee fans must cringe every time a ball his hit into left field. He used to be able to make up for his little league arm with his speed, but he’s definitely lost a step over the years and he has trouble making adjustments on balls hit over his head. The Yankees will take his offensive production, but they’d probably be better off with a scarecrow set up in left field.

Scott Kazmir, SP, Rays
Granted, Kazmir is starting to slowly turn things around since coming off the DL a couple weeks ago. But he’s got to be one of the most frustrating supposed-aces in baseball and what’s maddening is that he has outstanding stuff. But he can’t stay healthy and he’s way too inconsistent to be counted on as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. If he were a No. 3 or No. 4 starter being paid No. 3 or No. 4 money, fans could deal with his ups and downs. But he’s Tampa’s highest paid pitcher (fourth highest player behind Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and the equally-frustrating Pat Burrell) and his ERA is almost 7.00 this season.

Magglio Ordonez, OF, Tigers
This is obviously in correlation to this year, because Maggs has been outstanding for the Tigers since he was acquired from Chicago in 2005. He’s supposed to be a significant bat in Detroit’s lineup, yet he’s batting just .266 with four home runs and 28 RBI. Worse yet, he’s still collecting a massive paycheck (he’s the currently the Tigers’ highest paid player) and he’s frightening to watch in the outfield. Maybe he’ll bounce back and I’ll have to eat my words but until then, he has to be driving Detroit fans nuts right now, even with the Tigers in first place.

Russell Martin, C, Dodgers
What the frack happened to this kid? Once one of the most promising catchers in all of baseball, Martin is hitting just. 248 this season with one dinger. At 26, he still has a ton of potential and maybe with Manny Ramirez back in the Dodgers’ lineup he’ll turn it around in the second half. But once a promising player with a decent amount of pop, Martin now he hits like Chone Figgins without the high average.

Bob Howry, RP, Giants
I went to a Giants-Cardinals game in St. Louis recently and wound up making small talk with a Red Bird’s fan next to me. The game eventually went into the tenth tied 1-1 and San Fran had two relievers warming up in the pen: Brian Wilson and Bob Howry. I turned to my new Cardinals friend and said, “If Bruce Bochy puts Wilson in we’re looking at more baseball. If he puts the black angel of death in, you’ll be sucking down a cold one enjoying a Cards’ victory in no time.” Lo and behold, Bochy put Howry in and against his first batter, he gave up a walk off to St. Louis centerfielder Colby Rasmus. Granted, Pablo Sandoval dropped a pop up in foul territory during the at bat and the umpire squeezed him on a pitch that would have struck Rasmus out, but nobody is better at blowing late inning games than Howry. Cub fans, you know what I’m talking about.

Those are my ten…which players infuriate you the most?

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Offseason Movement: The Dodgers were mostly quiet this offseason outside of adding Orlando Hudson, Guillermo Mota and Randy Wolf. Oh yeah, and after 4,958 days of painful back and forth negotiating, L.A. GM Ned Colleti was able to re-sign outfielder Manny Ramirez to a two-year deal.

Top Prospect: James McDonald, RHP
The Dodgers have a couple of top prospects, including OF/1B Andrew Lambo and INF Ivan DeJesus Jr., but McDonald is the closest to making the big league roster. The club has been in search for a fifth starter all spring and they could tab McDonald for the role if he continues to pitch well in exhibition games. McDonald doesn’t overpower hitters (his fastball only tops out at 92 mph), but he has a nasty curveball and his command is solid as well. It’ll be interesting to see if L.A. gives the 24-year old the fifth spot in the rotation or sends him down to Triple-A for more seasoning.

The Big Question: Is this a postseason-caliber pitching staff?
For as good as the Dodgers’ lineup is, the starting rotation and bullpen looks like a potential mess. The supposed ace Chad Billingsley only has two full years of starting experience, while young sensation Clayton Kershaw hasn’t even seen his 21st birthday yet and there is no clear fifth starter. Hiroki Kuroda is expected to be the Opening Day starter and he went 9-10 with a 3.73 ERA last year. Making matters worse, the bullpen lost a decent piece this offseason when Joe Beimel signed with the Nationals. Closer Jonathan Broxton has a ton of talent, but he’s still inconsistent at this point in his development and if the Dodgers expect to get by with mediocre relievers like Guillermo Mota, then they’ll probably be in for a rude awakening.

Outlook: The good news is that the Dodgers’ lineup is absolutely rock solid from top to bottom. There simply aren’t any holes and if Rafael Furcal can stay healthy, then he gives L.A. one of the best table setters in the NL. Joining Furcal and Manny Ramirez in the lineup is stud catcher Russell Martin, promising outfielders Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, as well as quality hitters James Loney, Orlando Hudson and Casey Blake. But the problem with this club lies within its unproven pitching staff, which includes the bullpen. The Dodgers are definitely a postseason contender in one of the worst divisions in baseball and also have a manager that always gets the most out of his players in Joe Torre. But their pitching will likely keep them from making a deep run if they do reach the playoffs and even though many pundits handed the division to them the moment they re-signed Manny, the boys in blue still have to get past a good Diamondbacks team, which boasts one of the best starting rotations in the National League.

Projection: 2nd NL West

All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

There’s an unwritten rule among intelligent fantasy football drafters that goes a little something like this: Don’t draft a quarterback before Round 5. That’s because unless you land Peyton Manning, there’s not a huge difference between the No. 2 rated quarterback and the No. 8.

A similar rule can be applied to catchers in fantasy baseball. Chances are if you selected Victor Martinez (the No. 1 rated catcher in most draft rankings in 2008) early in your draft last year, you punched a whole through one of your walls by the All-Star Break.

If you selected a guy like Joe Mauer in the fourth or fifth round, you probably were quite satisfied by his .328-9-85-98 production. But what if we told you that you could have had taken Bengie Molina much later and still wound up with .292-16-95-46 production out of your catcher spot? Sure, you would give up runs and sacrifice average, but you almost doubled your home runs and gave your RBI numbers a boost as well.

What we’re saying is – don’t overvalue the catcher position. Let someone else jump on Brian McCann’s potential or Russel Martin’s stolen base production while you’re concentrating on bolstering the other positions that don’t have the amount of depth that the backstops do.

As we pointed out, there just isn’t much of a difference at the end of the day between guys like Mauer and Molina. Plus, don’t forget that nowadays most teams like to keep their catchers as fresh as possible – especially the contenders.

So unless a stud drops into your lap in later rounds, take a look at the backstops below to address your catcher position. You can thank us later.

Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants
Yes, Molina runs with about as much grace as a cement truck and he won’t cross the plate too many times, but his average usually hovers around .285 and he’ll hit 15-plus home runs. Batting cleanup also helps his RBI production and now that young Giants Fred Lewis and Pablo Sandoval are starting to develop, he should have even more opportunities to drive in runs. Consider yourself fortunate if you’re able to pluck Molina off the board late in your draft while addressing other positions in earlier rounds.

Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh Pirates
Doumit is an injury risk, but he’s coming off a breakout 2008 season and at only 27, his ceiling his high. Considering he hit .318 with 15 home runs and 34 doubles last year, he would be an outstanding value late in the draft and although he’s still a bit of an unknown, Doumit nailed down the starting catcher position last year so you don’t have to worry about him splitting time (unless of course he goes into a tailspin in the first half of the season). Like Molina, Doumit will also bat either third or fourth in the lineup, which will give him plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.

Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies
Could this be Iannetta’s breakout year after blasting 18 home runs in 2008? He went from a sleeper last season to a bona fide top 10 starting catcher and his potential is awfully intriguing after he drove in 65 RBI and scored 50 runs in just 333 at bats last year. He only hit .264, but he certainly has the potential to sniff the .300-mark hitting at Coors.

Jorge Posada, New York Yankees
A lot of fantasy pundits are down on Posada this year after he had shoulder surgery last year, but even at 37 he still has a lot of value. He won’t play more than 125 games this year, but he should see some at bats at DH, especially with Hideki Matsui continuing to battle a bad knee. Posada hits in one of the best lineups in baseball and if he can stay healthy, he has the potential to hit well over .300 and chip in 15-plus home runs and 85-plus RBI.

Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels
Don’t expect much in the batting average department, but he has 20-plus home run potential and could have a breakout season in 2009 if he fixes the various holes in his swing. The only problem is that he’s a good bet to be a platoon player and if his average dips too much, his playing time could plummet. Still, he’s a candidate to drive in 70-plus runs, score 60-plus runs and even swipe anywhere from 8 to 10 bases this season.

Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles
Weiters is a potential sleeper and if you’re in a keeper league, he’s definitely worth a long look. He’s only 22 years old, but he posted a .355 batting average in two minor-league stops in 2008 and could be a tremendous steal late in your draft. Keep an eye on him in spring training because if he earns the starting catcher position in Baltimore, he’s unlikely to relinquish it.

Ramon Hernandez, Cincinnati Reds
Call this our bargain bin special. Hernandez hit 15 dingers last year in Baltimore, but jumps to a hitter’s park this season in Cincinnati. He probably won’t sniff .280 in the batting average department, but he’ll give you more than enough pop to keep you happy and you could always grab a young sleeper like Pablo Sandoval (who also qualifies as a first basemen) or a trusty vet like Yadier Molina later in the draft if you wind up pulling the trigger on Hernandez.

Below is our official ranking of catchers. You’ll see that there is plenty of depth after the top 5, including the guys ranked after the ones we went into detail above.

1. Brian McCann, ATL
2. Joe Mauer, MIN
3. Russell Martin, LAD
4. Geovany Soto, CHC
5. Victor Martinez, CLE
6. Bengie Molina, SF
7. Ryan Doumit, PIT
8. Chris Iannetta, COL
9. Jorge Posada, NYY
10. Mike Napoli, LAA
11. Matt Wieters, BAL
12. Ramon Hernandez, CIN
13. Jarrod Saltalmacchia, TEX
14. Kelly Shoppach, CLE
15. Jeff Clement, SEA
16. Gerald Laird, DET
17. A.J. Pierzynski, CHW
18. Kurt Suzuki, OAK
19. Yadier Molina, STL
20. Dioner Navarro, TB
21. Chris Snyder, ARZ
22. Brandon Inge, DET
23. Jason Varitek, BOS
24. Jesus Flores, WAS
25. Kenji Johjima, SEA

At times, it’s tough to be a Dodger fan. Besides the Yankees, the Dodgers make more transactions involving blue chip players than any other organization. Their starting lineup one day may be completely different the next, as a smorgasbord of future hall-of-famers and one-time greats jump in and out of the lineup. Colletti has taken huge risks in spending enormous sums on big-name players. Manny Ramirez is proving to be his first untainted success after the unfruitful acquisitions of Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra, Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, and Brad Penny. Colletti is paying each of these guys at least $5 million a year and is hearing about it every day.

Then there’s Andre Ethier. After signing a one-year $425,000 deal for the 2007-08 season, Ethier has quickly matured into the Dodgers’ most economic star. Actually, forget “economic.” He is the Dodgers’ best all-around player and will soon become the face of their organization if Colletti plays his cards right. Keep in mind, Ramirez came aboard more than two-thirds into the season. At 36 years-old, Manny is a future hall-of-famer with only a few years remaining. As much as the Dodgers and their fans would love to keep the free-spirited slugger, his contract is up at the end of the season, and all signs point to Manny in pinstripes.

Ethier is only 26 and just finishing his third professional season. He has an unbelievable arm, can hit for both power and average, and has avoided injury. On a roster that contains five capable outfielders—Ethier, Jones, Kemp, Ramirez, and Pierre—Ethier has undeniably earned a starting slot. He leads the Dodgers in homeruns (20) and batting average (.299), is tied with Matt Kemp in doubles (36), and is second in RBIs (71) and triples (6). Ethier is a free agent at the end of this season and, as these numbers show, he’s proven more valuable than those other cash cows.

The Dodgers are finally breaking away from the Diamondbacks and are running a blue streak towards the pennant. This current success can be found in the bats of the veteran Ramirez and the youngster Ethier. Next year, the Dodgers are likely to look much different. (Manny Ramirez, Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp, Greg Maddux, Chad Billingsley, and Derek Lowe are all up for contract renegotiation.) Hopefully, Ned Colletti will follow those same instincts he had in 2005 and focus on youth by re-signing Andre Ethier.