I'm going to be a contributor for Chad Moriyama :o

Hey folks. I'm going to be doing some writing over at Chad Moriyama's blog, Chad Moriyama. I'll be covering mostly the minor leagues over there, but I'll also chime in on the Dodgers from time-to-time.

What does it mean for this blog? Well, not a whole lot. I'll still be writing here and posting excerpts of what I write over there. Admittedly, the posts here might not be as frequent, but I still hope to put out some quality work here. And I'll definitely continue doing the weekly podcast with Jared Massey of LA Dugout.

I just want to give a big thanks to Chad for giving me this opportunity. I am humbled and grateful for the chance. Look for my first post soon.

The 'Godfather' of Dodger bloggers

This is not one of my standard Dodger Blogger Profiles (though, it's on the way), but this is a profile I wrote about Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts.

This is actually a piece I wrote for my column writing class in November 2009. I've been wanting to share it with the readers for awhile.

So anyway, here it is. Weisman has agreed to answer my questions for the profile series, so that should be up in the next couple weeks.

Enjoy.

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Every true Los Angeles Dodger fan's dream is to some how, some way meet or have a chance to meet a living legend -- Vincent Edward Scully. Lord knows it's my dream.

Not only did Jon Weisman meet the man affectionately known as "Vin," he had the privilege of writing a column about Scully on Sports Illustrated's Web site just over two years ago.

Weisman, 41, was kind enough to reply to some e-mail questions.

When asked about his favorite piece, he recalls the afore mentioned Scully column.

"I do enjoy thinking about a column I wrote about Vin Scully for SI.com, when I compared his call of a game in the late 1960s to his call of a game 40 years later," Weisman said.

Weisman writes a blog, Dodger Thoughts, for the Los Angeles Times. However, it did not start as a Times' blog.

"I was just doing my own thing," Weisman said. "After a few years, when the site showed some real growth, it didn't seem quite so unlikely. But it wasn't my be-all, end-all ambition."

Dodger Thoughts, started by Weisman in July 2002, was picked up by the Times in February.

Weisman is no rookie when it comes to journalism, though.

"I sold my first story to the Los Angeles Times in 1986, while in college," Weisman said. "I did a detour into screenwriting for much of the 1990s, but I've done a lot of journalism work this decade."

Weisman, who attended Stanford University and Georgetown University, earned his bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1989 and master's degree in 1993, respectively.

Despite his passion for Dodger baseball, Weisman has been an associate features editor with Variety since September 2006 after doing freelance work for the publication for the previous three years.

However, he said he plans to stay in journalism for awhile, especially a paying job.

"My day job is as a features editor with Variety. I figure to remain in the business for some time; I haven't planned any major career shifts of anything."

Like many journalists, Weisman got started early.

"The very, very first thing, I believe, was I was asked to write an article for my high school newspaper on a production of a live Doonesbury show I was attending," he said. "I enjoyed doing that and looked for more assignments, and was committed to the newspaper for the rest of my high school and college life. I decided fairly early on in college that I wanted to be a sportswriter after graduation."

Weisman is the father of three children -- a daughter and two sons -- and is married.

As a life-long Dodger fan, like Jon, I am jealous and envious of his accomplishments. I hope to be able to lay claim to some similar accomplishments in my journalism career.

His most memorable moment, meeting Vin, was "unforgettable."

"It wasn't my best interview, but it was the one that had the most meaning for me."

I'm sure Weisman isn't the first, nor will he be the last journalist to utter a such a phrase.

Dodgers' news from around the Web

Other than the Dodgers being $573 million in debt, there isn't much going on right now. So, I'll link to some posts from other Dodger blogs.

But first, chew on this from the L.A. Times' Bill Shaikin:

"McCourt owes $573m in team debt, $131m to ex-wife, up to $200m on tax liability. That's up to $904m, with any Stow liability TBD. #dodgers"

Frank McCourt is nearly $1 billion in debt. That's mind-blowing. After the sale, which Bob Nightengale of USA Today predicts will be $1.73 billion, McCourt could still live comfortably for 25 lifetimes, despite debt. Insane and unfair.

Around the Web

Evan Bladh of Opinion of Kingman's Performance has a great post about my all-time favorite Dodger, Mike Piazza. He recalls when Piazza was traded to the Marlins and when he returned to Los Angeles for the first time as a Met in 1998. There is absolutely no way the Dodgers should have traded Piazza.

Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness reminds us all of the glorious fact that McCourt has 100 days (hopefully less) as the Dodgers' owner.

Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts, inspired by Bladh's Piazza post, looks at every other team's Dodger MVP.

Jared Massey of L.A. Dodger Report announced he's moving over to Scout.com to be a Dodger contributor there. Best of luck to you, Jared!

Scott Andes at Lasorda's Lair wonders if the Dodgers should bat A.J. Ellis at leadoff. The answer to this question is absolutely not, but it's an interesting question to ponder. If anything, he could bat in the 2-hole, but his lack of speed would really hurt him there. He'll likely bat seventh or eighth the entire season.

Happy New Year and thank you

First off, Happy New Year to everyone out there. Everyone please be smart and safe while celebrating tonight.

It's been a good year for the blog, even if it hasn't been the best year for the Dodgers. Things look bleak for the Blue in 2012, but things will get better... eventually.

And thank you to all the readers of my blog. Since I started this blog in July 2009, I've not had more pageviews and written more posts than I have this year. Without the readers, this blog would just be a self-serving medium. I enjoy getting comments from people here or on Twitter and writing my opinion about the Dodgers. Here's hoping the blog can reach more people and can build a bigger following in 2012. With that comes the responsibility of writing better, more thought-provoking posts, which I fully intend to do.

This year also saw the blog partner with the Yardbarker Network. This helped increase the traffic exponentially. But also posting more, posting more quality and using social media also helped drive traffic to the blog. It's always nice to reach new readers, and I hope to reach many more in 2012.

Most-read posts for 2011 (according to Blogger analytics):
The Dodgers inexplicably trade away Trayvon Robinson - July 31, 2,312 pageviews
2012 Los Angeles Dodgers Top 50 prospects - Nov. 21, 1,345 pageviews
Gorman 'Griff' Erickson, the Dodgers' best catching prospect - Aug. 3, 1,321 pagviews
Prince Fielder is ripe for the Dodgers' taking - Dec. 29, 981 pageviews
The Dodgers need to trade Andre Ethier - June 20, 883 pageviews

So, here's hoping for a great 2012 on the blog and hopefully a surprising one on the field. Maybe Prince Fielder can deliver us from the certain evil of the 2012 season; but don't hold your breath.

Matt Guerrier vs. Jesse Crain and why the Dodgers chose wrong

I haven't bitched about Matt Guerrier for a while, so I figure it's time (you're next, Juan Uribe).

Everyone and their mother was surprised when the Dodgers signed Guerrier to a 3-year, $12 million deal. Needless to say, I was not a fan.

"On the surface, Guerrier looks like a decent pickup. Then you factor in his age (32), the number of games pitched (most in baseball after Pedro Feliciano) and his low K/9 rate (5.9 for his career) and it isn't a great deal.

And most of all, the contract. Why on God's green earth is Guerrier getting a 3-year deal? It's not like right-handed middle relievers are rare. This just makes no sense.

Ned Colletti strikes again. There is absolutely no need to dump $4 million a year (though I'm sure some will be deferred) on a middle reliever. Guerrier has a nice ERA for his career (3.38), but his peripherals are not great.

The only good thing is Guerrier has been better the past two seasons than he has his entire career. He has a 2.75 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7.0 H/9, 2.3 BB/9 and 2.34 BB/9 in his last two seasons. However, his K/9 is less-than ideal (5.4)."

Guerrier has done little to prove me (and others) wrong. He owns a 3.90 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8.6 H/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 1.85 K/BB ratio. He has struck out batters at a better clip in his first 32 1/3 innings as a Dodger (6.7) and has yet to allow a home run, but that's about it. He's been mediocre, something which many expected.

Which leads me to Jesse Crain, Guerrier's former teammate with the Twins. Crain, who is three years younger than Guerrier, signed a 3-year, $13 million deal with the White Sox. I'm not advocating the signing of middle relievers to 3-year deals, but if the Dodgers were so hellbent on signing a reliever to a 3-year deal, it should have been Crain, not Guerrier.

Crain has performed much better than Guerrier while pitching in a tougher hitter's league and a hitters park.

Crain bests Guerrier in almost every major pitching category:

• 3.10 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 5.0 H/9, 8.7 K/9 and a 1.87 K/BB ratio

Not only that, but Crain's pure stuff is much, much better than Guerrier's.

I know, hindsight; shoulda, woulda, coulda; I get it. But this just shows the ineptitude of the mustachioed one making personnel decisions for the Dodgers.

I'm hoping Guerrier can improve, but this is probably what Dodger fans should expect for the next two-plus years.

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A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about Garrett Gould and how he was back. Well, he's done nothing to make that post look foolish. Gould is one of the best pitchers in the Midwest League and could very well be in line for a promotion after the league's All-Star Break.

When I release my midseason top 15 prospect list in a few weeks, Gould is almost certainly going to be in my top five after starting the season at No. 13.

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Old friend and former Feelin' Kinda Blue mancrush Cory Wade was released by the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday and was signed Monday by the Yankees. At first, I thought Wade might have been released due to performance, but was alerted that he had been pitching well in Triple-A:

• 2-1, 1.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 8.3 H/9, 1.5 BB/9, 8.3 K/9, 5.67 K/BB ratio

The Rays have one of the best 'pens (statistically) in baseball, so why release a guy who is dominating Triple-A? Wade had an opt-out clause for June 15. If the Rays didn't add him to the active Major League roster, they would have to release him.

Well, the Yankees wasted no time scooping him up. He should get back to the majors sometime this season.

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Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wrote on Saturday it's time to give A.J. Ellis a chance. It's a good read and makes a lot of sense.

Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. wrote Aaron Miles has "the emptiest .300 batting average in Dodgers' history."

Roberto Baly of Vin Scully is my Homeboy has all the coverage you need on Vin Scully's damaged Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Kenny Shulsen of Lasorda's Lair has a nice interview with former Dodger Tommy John.

Andre Ethier is still in fourth place, Matt Kemp fifth among National League outfielders in All-Star balloting. Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday are leading the way. No other Dodgers are in the top five at any position (unsurprisingly).

Thanks to other Dodger blogs

I just wanted to thank the following Dodger blogs for adding me to their blogrolls. Some have done it recently, some did it a while ago. Regardless, I thank you for doing so.

DodgerCodger
DodgerBobble
Lasorda's Lair
NEW MEXICO FAN
Opinion of Kingman's Performance
Plaschke Thy Sweater is Argyle
True Blue LA
Vin Scully is my Homeboy

Thanks much and keep writing awesome stuff about the Blue! If I forgot anyone, please let me know and I'll add you to this post.

Fox advances McCourt money + Dodger blog news - Winter workout, Sax, Plaschke, $1 billion?

Something that came down today from California Sportswriter of the Year Bill Shaikin (L.A. Times) is Fox is advancing Frank McCourt money on the remainder of the current television deal.

Oy vey.

Other than that, not a whole lot is going on right now. A brief rumor mentioning the Dodgers and Johnny Damon, but that died quickly.

So, here's what's going on with other Dodger blogs.

A couple Dodger blogs were at the Dodger winter workouts for prospects this week.

• Roberto Baly of Vin Scully is my Homeboy posted a slew of photos, videos and analysis.
• Jared Massey of L.A. Dodger Talk recounted his time at the workout.

Dodgerbobble got to meet my first favorite Dodger, Steve Sax, at an appearance on Sunday.

Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness asked how you would assemble the Dodgers' batting order.

Sons of Steve Garvey absolutely destroyed Bill Plaschke's column on the National Championship Game. When Plaschke gets trashed, it's an automatic win.

If the Dodgers were put up for sale by McCourt, the bidding could be reach $1 billion, writes Mike Ozanian of Forbes.

My Hall of Fame ballot

Again, since there's so little going on in Dodger land, I thought I'd do my own Hall of Fame ballot, as many baseball writers are doing around this time.

Last year's close calls

Bert Blyleven, who has been on the ballot for 14 years, just missed the required 75 percent vote, coming in at 74.2 percent.

Roberto Alomar garnered 73.7 percent after his first year on the ballot.

The next closest player was Jack Morris, who had 52.3 percent, followed by Barry Larkin at 51.6 percent.

Without further adieu, here is my ballot... if I had one.

RHP Bert Blyleven
- The guy should have been in many years ago. He has the 43rd-best Wins Above Replacement total of all-time at 87.6, which ranks him No. 13 amongst pitchers. To put it in perspective, every player in the top 50 is a Hall-of-Famer or future Hall-of-Famer (Alex Rodriguez 101.9; Randy Johnson, 89.6; Albert Pujols, 83.8). He also ranks No. 14 all-time in innings pitched (4970).
Most impressive season: 1973, Minnesota: 20-17, 2.52 ERA, 325 IP, 1.12 WHIP, 3.85 K/BB (led AL), 25 CG, 9 SHO, 158 ERA+ (led league)

2B Roberto Alomar
- I grew up with baseball in the 1990s, so Alomar was a prominent player. He might be the best second baseman I ever saw. He would have been a first-ballot guy for me. Despite playing a defense-first position, Alomar ranks No. 64 all-time in offensive WAR and No. 87 overall. He made 12 consecutive All-Star appearances and won 10 Gold Gloves in that time. He also had a career .814 OPS.
Most impressive season: 2001, Cleveland: .336/.415/.541/.956, 20 home runs, 100 RBI, 150 OPS+

OF Tim Raines
- Aside from Rickey Henderson, Raines is the best leadoff hitter of the last 50 years. Batting first, he had a slash line of .294/.385/.427. Surprisingly, he spent a lot of time batting second and third in his career (2841 plate appearances), but he will always been known as a leadoff guy. He had a four-year stretch from 1981-84 in which he led the National League in stolen bases -- 71, 78, 90, 75 respectively. In '81, a strike-shortened season, he stole those 71 bases in 88 games.
Most impressive season: 1987, Montreal: .330/.429/.526/.955, 18 home runs, 68 RBI, 50-for-55 in SB, 123 runs scored, 149 OPS+

SS Barry Larkin
- Much like Alomar, when you thought of shortstops in the '90s, Larkin was one of the first guys you thought of. Not only was he a solid defender, he was pretty good with the bat -- so much so that he took home the 1995 NL MVP. He was a consistent hitter, putting up a career line of .295/.371/.444 and was the face of the Cincinnati Reds franchise for the better part of 13 years.
Most impressive season: 1996, Cincinnati: .298/.410/.567/.977, 33 home runs, 89 RBI, 36-for-46 in SB, 117 runs scored, 154 OPS+

SS Alan Trammell
- Trammell is a lot like Barry Larkin. When you think of the Tigers in the '80s, Trammell is the first guy you think of. He, along with Cal Ripken, were the first two guys to redefine the shortstop position, as they were offensive (the good offensive) players. However, they didn't sacrifice defense for offense. From 1983-90, Trammel had an .813 OPS as a shortstop. In a time when shortstops were "glove-only" guys, it was almost unheard of. He also has the 72nd-best WAR of all-time (66.9), 0.2 points in front of Dodgers' Hall-of-Famer Pee Wee Reese. He's also 0.2 points ahead of former Dodger Eddie Murray.
Most impressive season: 1987, Detroit: .343/.402/.551/.953, 28 home runs, 105 RBI, 21-for-23 in SB, 155 OPS+

Then you have a few cases of standards. How does one sort out the so-called "Steroid Era"? How does one determine the value of a designated hitter and closer?

I'm talking about Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Bagwell, Edgar Martinez and Lee Smith.

McGwire and Palmeiro have been busted for performance-enhancing drug use and some people believe Bagwell used, despite lack of evidence. I like Bagwell, but he wouldn't be a first-ballot guy for me anyway. Bagwell was one of the most dominant players of the '90s and I'm sure he'll get in eventually.

Is it fair to hold PED allegations against Bagwell even though he's never been busted or admitted to using? Of course not. Unfortunately, that is the way it is today. People are going to suspect and convict certain players in their own courts (their minds).

Martinez came up as a third baseman, but injuries relegated him to DH duties. He made it count, as he put up a .314/.428/.532/.959 line as a DH in his career. And he wasn't just a good hitter, he was a great hitter. From 1992-2003, he had a .319/.431/.548 line in the middle of that potent Seattle Mariner lineup. In many ways, he, not Ken Griffey, Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson, was the Seattle Mariners. He wasn't the most charismatic or flashy guy, but he did his job and did it well.

That being said, I'm an NL guy and I think the DH is a joke. Still, it's hard to argue with results. He got 36.2 percent of the vote last year. This is Martinez's second year on the ballot and if my vote counted, I probably wouldn't vote Martinez in on the first- or second ballot, but he'd get a vote from me eventually.

Smith was once the all-time saves leader -- a statistic that has lost value over the years. He had similar and sometimes better numbers than Hall-of-Famer Rollie Fingers, but I'm not sure he deserves to make it. It's his ninth year on the ballot and his percentage has been increasing. I'm not sure he'll get enough to make the Hall before he is off the ballot.

So, there's my ballot. Feel free to chime in with your own ballot or if you think I'm off my rocker.

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The Dodger blog world

You may have noticed Jack Morris did not make my ballot. Well, Mike Petriello of Mike Scoscia's Tragic Illness can be thanked for that. His post about Morris and Orel Hershiser pretty much sums it up.

DodgerBobble posted a bobblehead of one of my favorite Dodgers of all-time, Shawn Green. His 2001 and 2002 ranks among the best Dodger offensive seasons of all-time.

Chad Moriyama of Memories of Kevin Malone posted a nice recap of the Dodgers in the Arizona Fall League.

Dingers' Blog posted two great reads about subtle racism in baseball from 2010. Read them here and here.

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Former Dodger closer Takashi Saito signed a 1-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, Ken Rosenthal reported.

Saito had a bounce-back 2010 with the Braves after a somewhat rough 2009 season with the Red Sox. He had a 2.43 ERA for the Red Sox, but he also had the highest WHIP of his career (1.35), H/9 (8.1), HR/9 (1.0) and BB/9 (4.0). He also had the lowest K/9 (8.4) and worst K/BB (2.08) ratio of his career while in Beantown.

In Atlanta, he had a 2.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 6.8 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 2.8 BB/9, 11.5 K/9 and 4.06 K/BB ratio.

This is a fantastic signing by the Brewers. He could definitely step in at closer if rookie standout John Axford falters.

If only Colletti would have brought back Saito on a 1-year deal instead of signing Matt Guerrier for three years.

Around the Dodgers' blog world

Not much happening in Dodger land right now. The Brewers acquired Zack Greinke for four prospects on Sunday and Ken Gurnick says the Dodgers have contacted Marcus Thames and Scott and Jerry Hairston about the left field vacancy.

I said in my last post I'd take a flier on Thames. At the time, I didn't realize his defense was so God-awful. But could it really be any worse than Manny Ramirez loafing around left field every day?

One spot of good news: Ken Rosenthal reports that the Anaheim Angels are interested in Scott Podsednik. This is possibly the best Christmas present Dodger fans could ask for -- Podsednik and his scrappiness ending up in Anaheim instead of Los Angeles. Here's hoping it happens.

The news also prompted a few of nice tweets:

@truebluela: "Go Tony Reagins! #Pods"
@MikeScosciasTI: "YES! Pods! Go Angels!"
@jay_jaffe: "Dear Baby Jesus and/or Santa Claus, please give Scott Podsednik to the Angels for Christmas instead of the Dodgers."

News and notes from other Dodger blogs:

Mike Petriello of Mike Scoscia's Tragic Illness throws out an intriguing option for the Dodgers' left field opening. It's so intriguing that General Manager Ned Colletti would never even think to make such a move.

Roberto Baly of Vin Scully is my Homeboy, which is the best name for a Dodger blog out there, writes he would have brought in Orlando Hudson or Japanese import Tsuyoshi Nishioka -- both of whom signed for less money than the great Juan Uribe.

Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts lays out the Dodgers' payroll as of now, including predictions for the arbitration-eligible players. The paryoll is approaching $110 million, including all the deferred money -- $17.35 million.