Questions That Need Answering

Is this a big game?

Yes, it's the difference between being 1.5 and 3.5 out, and no more games with the Padres remain. It's the biggest game of the year, in any case. But as long as the Dodgers are reasonably alive for a playoff spot then maybe each new game becomes the new biggest game of the year, so far.

What does it mean when David Wells is your pitcher in the biggest game of the year?

I don't know, but if the Dodgers win today and keep reasonable hope for a playoff spot alive, then we may yet be asking this question about Loaiza a week from now. I think the answer then will be a lot more depressing than the answer to this question today. But at some point you can't worry about who the pitcher is anymore. The pitching rotation is a wheel of fortune. Where it stops, nobody knows. Maybe Broxton should start whipping throws toward Loaiza? Paging Jason Repko, a pop fly is about to land near where Loaiza is warming up! ;-)

How do the Dodgers win against Greg Maddux?

Swing at the first pitch. Really. Opponents this year are hitting 0.398 off the first pitch against Maddux, much better than off of any other count. If the first pitch is not hit batters are hitting just 0.247 off of Maddux. Maddux has only walked 21 this year, so it's not as if anyone should come up thinking he'll draw a walk off him.

How do the Dodgers lose to Maddux?

Swing at the first pitch. Ugh. If the Dodgers make a lot of first pitch outs, then they're extending Maddux's effectiveness. He's markedly worse once he hits 75 pitches thrown. He almost never even makes more than 90 pitches. In 30 starts he's gone above 90 pitches only 6 times. So only swing at the first pitch if you'll get a hit off of it. Sound advice, no? This is my favorite kind of advice --- impossible to argue against, impossible to follow. Classic baseball advice, really. I, too, could be a baseball coach.

Is Grady Little slowly losing his mind?

Probably not. But some of his decisions make me wonder.

Is Grady Little making me slowly lose my mind?

Yes.

How many Dodger blogs questioned Little's decision not to hit for Loaiza with the bases loaded down 4-0 on Tuesday?

Four, by my quick count. Dodger Blues, Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, Cranky Curmudgeon Tony Jackson, and several commenters on Dodger Thoughts. And I was thinking that Little should hit for Loaiza at the time, well before I saw any of these other posts. In other words, this was an easy insight to come by. Almost anyone who gave a moment's thought to the situation realized that hitting for the completely ineffective Loaiza with a rare scoring chance against Peavy on the line and a deep, rested bullpen available was the correct choice.

What was the best headline related to the Loaiza incident?

Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness with "Is He Really Our Manager, or Just a Tourist Who Keeps Sneaking In?"

Well, which is it?

Hmmm ... tourist, I think. That would explain why he rarely wears the uniform top, but instead seems to favor that blue jacket. My wife hates that jacket --- she calls it his "old man jacket". She thinks it inspires the team when he wears the proper uniform.

Will James Loney hit a home run tonight?

Is the Space-Pope reptilian?