Initial bids for the Dodgers officially have been made. Tony Jackson covered it for ESPNLosAngeles.com, while Bill Shaikin was on it for the Times. Not much in the way of surprises in a process that still has some time to develop.
Sometimes, it sure helps to finish strong. James Loney has signed a 2012 contract for $6.375 million plus incentives, according to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com. That's an increase of $1.5 million (31 percent) from his 2011 salary of $4.
Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports on a conversation with James Loney about his November accident and arrest: ... Loney said he remembers colliding with the first car and hitting his head in the process -- he wasn't sure exactly what he hit his head on -- but he doesn't have a clear memory of what happened from that moment until he woke up several hours later in the hospital.
Dodger first baseman James Loney was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence on November 14. (The story was first reported by TMZ.) The incident by itself does not seem to have any direct effect on Loney's future with the Dodgers.
The setup: Patience was wearing thin for the 2002 No. 1 draft pick after his offense declined for the fourth consecutive season at age 27. He actually took an .803 OPS into the 2010 All-Star break, but floundered to .
How heated is the National League Cy Young competition? The top four candidates - Roy Halladay, Ian Kennedy, Clayton Kershaw and Cliff Lee (in alphabetical order) - have a combined September ERA of 1.
Just to illustrate the kind of season it's been for James Loney: On April 24, his on-base percentage and slugging percentage combined were .403. Tonight, after hitting a three-run homer for the second consecutive at-bat (in the first inning) and then doubling in the third of the Dodgers' 6-1 victory over Pittsburgh, Loney's slugging percentage by itself was .
James Loney's white-hot walloping has upgraded his Dodger future all the way from non-existent to tenuous. By doubling and hitting his ninth homer of the season (and third in four games) tonight in support of Clayton Kerhaw and the Dodgers, who beat the Padres, 4-1, Loney extended his swashbuckling slugging streak to 18 for 35 with five doubles and four home runs in eight games: a .
Unless someone served him breakfast in bed or left flowers on his doorstep, it's safe to say that Chad Billingsley's day got off to a gruesome start. It was as if he were Charlie Brown raking the same pile of leaves, and then Snoopy was jumping in and exploding them all over the yard, and Charlie Brown would get back to raking.
Ted Lilly giving up an early home run? Typical game. The Dodger offense struggling to put a single run on the scoreboard? Typical game. A six-run rally driven by two balks, a James Loney homer and a Dodger joining the 30-30 club?
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