Ahhh andruw jones ... honest question to people in this thread who would you rather want at the plate andruw jones or juan pierre? I swear this duke is given every opportunity to be embraced by us dodger fans but seriously, jones fell off the face of this earth.
What does he honestly provide to this team, enlighten me (waits for PMAC) ...
I saw this coming.
I'd go with Andruw. I mean, dude rocks Js, so he wins.
But seriously, the reason I'm still in Andruw's corner is because he sucks so bad that there's no way he doesn't improve. Juan Pierre is doingwhat he's doing now and management is praising him. Basically, if Andruw can be the Andruw of old, which isn't THAT far-fetched because we knowhe's not this bad, then he is exactly what this team needs: a power bat in the middle of the lineup. Pierre on the other hand, we know he's just notthat good, but he's getting paid more than Andruw, and has more years left. I know you disagree that he "sucks" but if Colletti signed Jones andmoved Pierre to 4th outfielder only a year after signing him to a 5 year deal then obviously Ned knows he made a huge mistake.
Basically, what it comes down to is, they're both horrible right now, but Andruw could possibly have a chance of contributing and being worth his contract.Pierre is never going to be worth his money. Colletti signed him, he had a fairly standard and expected year, but Colletti still felt the need to replace himand this year he's been worse so there's basically no hope for him. Andruw has a small window of hope because he still has power and can still drawsome walks. Get his avg to .250 and he helps out an awful lot especially with his defense.
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Martin gets second straight All-Star nod
Catcher will represent Dodgers on National League squad
By�Ken Gurnick�/�MLB.com
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•�Dodgers' Martin earns All-Star nod
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•�Dodgers can't capitalize to grab first
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•�Nomar, Andruw to get day off in finale
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•�Dodgers' Penny won't return before break
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•�Sarah's Take: Dodgers will surge
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Catcher Russell Martin has made his second consecutive National League All-Star team and will be the Dodgers' lone representative in the game to be played at Yankee Stadium on July 15. Cubs catcher Geovany Soto won the fan voting and will start behind the plate. [table][tr][td]
The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 5 p.m. PT. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage of the XM All-Star Futures Game.
The Midsummer Classic will be the fourth held at Yankee Stadium and the eighth in New York City. The Yankees previously hosted the All-Star Game in 1939, 1960 and 1977; the Polo Grounds held the game in 1934 and 1942; Ebbets Field was the site in 1949; and Shea Stadium hosted the 1964 tilt.
The 25-year-old Martin, voted by fans last year as the starter and first Canadian All-Star catcher, entered Sunday's play with team highs in batting average (.306), runs (47), walks (4and on-base percentage (.403) and tied for second on the club with nine home runs. He has eight stolen bases and won the players' vote.
"He's pretty darn important for us, no question," manager Joe Torre said earlier this year. "He does a lot of things to help us win. He catches, he hits, he runs the bases, and catchers usually don't have that ability. He has the ability to hit the ball to all fields. In [clutch] situations, the game doesn't speed up for him. He's had a lot of big at-bats for us."
Martin, who won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards for catchers last year, leads all NL catchers in batting average, on-base percentage, runs, hits, walks and steals. Martin was originally a third baseman in the Minor Leagues and appeared so comfortable at the position taking ground balls that Torre has started him there six times in the first half of this season.
The genesis of the experiment was the desire by Torre to give Martin a rest from the physical demands of catching without losing his bat from the lineup, the same dilemma that frustrated predecessor Grady Little. Martin said he could have done this last year.
"I didn't feel I was in position to ask anything," he said. "It was a little different situation last year. It's kind of gutsy. But they've seen me take ground balls and stuff. I was happy [Torre] had confidence to put me at third base. I know I can play there. It's natural for me; it's not weird for me there.
"When you're catching, it's not just physical; the mental part of the game is huge. You're always involved. So to get a mental breather by playing third base, for me, I like it. I played third my whole life before I got converted in 2002. That was my main position. I'm comfortable there. I take ground balls at short every day. You don't lose that defense. It's like riding a bicycle."
Martin was drafted in 2002, and his selection last year was a milestone in the rebirth of the Dodgers' scouting and player-development system. The most recent Draft to produce a Dodgers All-Star was 1993, when they took 25th-rounder Paul Lo Duca (Paul Konerko was drafted in 1994 and became an All-Star for the White Sox; Ted Lilly was drafted in 1996 and became an All-Star for Toronto).
Catchers Martin, Lo Duca and Mike Piazza are the only Dodgers drafted since 1979 to become All-Stars for the club. Martin is the first position player to be an All-Star in consecutive seasons since Lo Duca in 2003-04.
Originally Posted by Mr Jordan04
$%! is goin on with martin's haircut?
%$** if i was MJ i would have with the quickness word to Qrich and Dmiles
We're playing for this YEAR,
Damn, you better stop watching Dodger games along with all the Dodger fans that want the 'chip this season.
The team is being built, the foundation is being laid. This year is not the year, although it would be nice. However, no panic moves need to be made.
Hopefully Furcal will be signed to an incentive heavy deal, and we try to get CC (We have a good chance of landing him.)
Andruw is under contract for next year, so personally, I do care what he does next year.
What happened to Andruw's Jordans? did they kick him off Jordan Brand?
%$** if i was MJ i would have with the quickness word to Qrich and Dmiles
Dude's locker is stacked with those fugly Fusion V's that they gave him for this season. Clunky ol' things are probably weighing himdown,. He has the turf, molded and metal versions but like I said,they are heavy as hell. Think of the Fusion V's that are GR's and add a couple of ounces.
