Tonight’s lineup … and a BIG announcement coming Thursday

That announcement is that the 2009 World Baseball Classic semifinals and finals will be held at Dodger Stadium, with one semi March 21, the other semi March 22 and the final March 23. The press conference will be held on Thursday in the Stadium Club, several hours before that night’s showdown with the Snakes. I’ll be contentedly chronicling the daily doings of the Dodgers in Glendale, Ariz., on those days — that’s right around the time the opening-day roster should be starting to take shape — but some people actually find this WBC thing interesting. MLB president and COO Bob DuPuy will be on hand Thursday, along with several Dodgers officials, broadcasters and players.

Here’s tonight’s lineup. Jones still sitting. Martin also is sitting because Joe wants him to rest for one game before the Arizona series, because he is playing all four of those.

Pierre. LF
Kemp. CF
Ethier. RF
Kent. 2B
Loney. 1B
Blake. 3B
Berroa. SS
Ardoin. C
Johnson. RHP