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April 11, 2006
Tony Jackson
Hi all. Sorry it has taken me so long to get this thing started, but I'm not terribly computer literate, and I actually had to wait for someone to fax me the instructions. Anyway, the Dodgers have a 5-3 lead over the hapless Buccos here in the top of the fourth at PNC Park, and as I watch Jason Repko poke another single through the right side and then steal second base easily on the velocity-challenged Ryan Doumit, I am struck by just how far Repko has come as a player in the past 12 months. We tend to criticize teams for rushing players, especially in the year when they are being rushed. But the Dodgers clearly are reaping the benefits now of having been essentially forced to rush Repko last year, when he was in the majors for all but about 10 days and hit .221.
This year, the Dodgers have a polished major-league player. Not a finished product, by any means, but a guy who has learned to handle his role and who might be playing himself into a bigger one. Kenny Lofton is due off the disabled list on Friday, at which point he will supplant Repko in center field. But Repko will still see considerable time there, because Grady Little is going to be cautious with the aging Lofton. Don't be surprised if Repko also sees a lot of time in left on days when Lofton plays center. Jose Cruz Jr., who was 7 for 13 in the Atlanta series, is 2 for 19 since and was scratched from the lineup tonight with a cold.
Cruz has never been a favorite of this regime. Ned Colletti hadn't even been hired when Cruz signed the one-year, $3.21 million deal that had been largely negotiated by Paul DePodesta before he was fired and finalized by Kim Ng afterward. The next couple of weeks should be very interesting.
I'll try to post every couple of days. Again, sorry for the delay.
Posted by Tony Jackson at April 11, 2006 05:04 PM
Comments
thanks for the post. I found the info about Cruz very interesting. I could sort of tell he was not that popular with the executives.
Posted by: James DeLarme at April 12, 2006 09:07 AM
great post!
thanks!
Posted by: Butch at April 14, 2006 04:18 AM
THE DODGERS STILL NEED HELP ON THE MOUND.OLDMANDALIS PEREZ IS DONE,JAY SEO,BYE BYE,ARRON SELE STILL ALIVE?THE DODGERS ARE LUCKY THE WEST IS FILLED WITH WEAK TEAMS.I KNOW COLLETTI IS WORKING HARD ON THE OUTFIELD ISSUES BUT,THE STAFF WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO MAKE IT TO THE JULY 31 TRADING DEADLINE.HEY TONY, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO J.D.HOULTON AND OTHER YOUNG PITCHERS THE FARM SYSTEM HAS?
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