SB Nation - Chin-Lung Hu

Dodgers Week 25 In Review: Ohhh So Close

Eric Stephen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:47:52 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Previous Weekly Recaps: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24

The Dodgers had everything in place to clinch the division on Sunday, with a three-run lead in Pittsburgh in the ninth inning, but couldn't hold on, losing and putting the champagne on ice for at least one more day. However, rather than focus on what didn't happen this week, let's review what was accomplished.

The Dodgers clinched a playoff spot by winning on Saturday, for their third playoff appearance in four seasons. It is Joe Torre's 14th straight postseason, tying a major league record.

Clayton Kershaw is back, healthy and pitching again. He'll have one more tuneup start this week to get ready for the playoffs.

The Dodgers enter the season's final week on the verge of the division title, and in good shape to clinch home field in the National League playoffs, holding a 2½-game lead over Philadelphia and a 3-game lead over St. Louis.

Dodger Batter of the Week: If the top of the lineup needs a spark, Rafael Furcal provided a blowtorch this week, pounding out 13 hits while hitting .464/.483/.679 for the week. He scored five runs and had a team-leading seven runs batted in, and hit the game-winning home run on Thursday night in Washington.

Dodger Pitcher of the Week: Hiroki Kuroda was stellar this week, as he has been since his return from injury. He beat the Nationals on Tuesday, allowing just two unearned runs in six innings. Kuroda will get the chance to clinch the division as he gets the start on Monday morning in the finale in Pittsburgh.

Week 25 Record: 3-3
39 runs scored (6.50 per game)
26 runs allowed (4.33 per game)
.677 pythagorean winning percentage

Overall Seasonal Record: 93-63 (.596)
765 runs scored (4.90 per game)
585 runs allowed (3.75 per game)
.620 pythagorean winning percentage (97-59)

Blazing Hot: Rafael Furcal had a pair of four-hit games in the Washington series, finishing with 10 hits overall. Furcal was 10 for 14, and his .714 batting average was the second-highest in Los Angeles Dodger history for one series. Per the Dodger game notes, Elias tells the only Dodger with a better series was the Toy Cannon, Jimmy Wynn, who hit .722 (13 for 18) in a four-game series against the Padres in 1974.

Older Legs, Faster Legs: On Saturday in Pittsburgh, 40-year old Brad Ausmus pinch ran for 39-year old Jim Thome. The last time a Dodger that old pinch-ran for another player that old was July 6, 1978, when 41-year old Vic Davalillo pinch ran for 40-yeard old Manny Mota.

Worth The Wait: Jason Repko hit a sacrifice fly during the Dodgers' 14-2 rout in Washington on Tuesday, his first RBI since September 28, 2006.

Hu Are You?: Chin-Lung Hu, who got 129 plate appearances with the big club last year, made his first appearance of 2009, entering Tuesday's blowout in Washington. Hu struck out in his only plate appearance.

52 For 22: George Sherrill got the win in relief on Saturday, making him the 22nd Dodger to get a win this season. No Dodger team had ever had that many pitchers get wins in a season, and in major league history only a pair of Padres teams have had more (24 this season, 23 in 2002).

Transactions: There were no transactions this week.

Game By Game Results:

Upcoming Week: The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the division is still just one, so that will happen at some point this week. The Dodgers finish in Pittsburgh Monday morning, followed by a quick two-gamer in San Diego, before coming home to play the Rockies, who may or may not be fighting for their playoff lives. Saturday is True Blue LA day at the stadium.

Week 25 Stats

Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SB/CS	BA/OBP/SLG	OPS	BABIP
Blake	4	2	2	0	0	1	2	0	0/0	.500/.500/1.250	1.750	.500
Furcal	28	5	13	3	0	1	7	1	1/1	.464/.483/.679	1.161	.480
Loney	20	5	8	1	0	0	3	4	0/0	.400/.500/.450	.950	.471
Manny	16	5	4	2	0	0	3	7	0/0	.250/.500/.375	.875	.267
Hudson	9	1	2	1	0	0	2	5	0/0	.222/.500/.333	.833	.222
Kemp	27	3	6	0	1	1	5	1	0/1	.222/.250/.407	.657	.217
Martin	16	3	3	0	0	0	3	3	0/0	.188/.350/.188	.538	.214
Ethier	21	2	1	0	0	0	3	4	0/0	.048/.200/.048	.248	.063
Loretta	3	0	2	1	0	0	1	0	0/0	.667/.667/1.000	1.667	.667
Ausmus	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	.667/.667/.667	1.333	1.000
Belliard	20	7	9	3	0	1	2	3	0/0	.450/.522/.750	1.272	.500
DeWitt	9	1	3	2	0	0	2	0	0/0	.333/.300/.556	.856	.333
Thome	5	0	2	0	0	0	3	0	0/0	.400/.400/.400	.800	.400
Pierre	12	1	2	0	1	0	0	1	0/0	.167/.231/.333	.554	.167
Ellis	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	.000/.000/.000	.000	.000
Hu	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	.000/.000/.000	.000	-----
Castro	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	.000/.000/.000	.000	.000
Mientkiewicz	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	.000/.000/.000	.000	-----
Repko	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0/0	.000/.000/.000	.000	.000
Pitchers	11	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	.091/.167/.091	.258	.125
Totals	210	39	60	13	2	4	37	29	1/2	.286/.377/.424	.801	.311

Pitcher	G	W-L	Sv	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
Garland	1	0-1	--	6.0	6	3	0	1	6	0.00	1.167
Kuroda	1	1-0	--	6.0	4	2	0	2	6	0.00	1.000
Wolf	1	0-0	--	6.1	4	2	2	1	5	2.84	0.789
Kershaw	2	0-0	--	6.0	4	2	2	2	8	3.00	1.000
Billingsley	1	0-0	--	6.0	1	3	3	4	9	4.50	0.833
Padilla	1	0-0	--	5.0	5	4	4	3	6	7.20	1.600
Weaver	1	0-0	--	2.0	2	0	0	1	2	0.00	1.500
Troncoso	2	1-0	--	2.0	1	0	0	2	1	0.00	1.500
Elbert	2	0-0	--	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0.00	0.000
Sherrill	4	1-0	--	3.1	4	1	1	2	1	2.70	1.800
McDonald	2	0-1	--	1.2	2	1	1	3	2	5.40	3.000
Belisario	4	0-0	--	3.0	4	2	2	3	3	6.00	2.333
Broxton	3	0-1	1	2.1	4	4	3	1	2	11.57	2.143
Kuo	2	0-0	--	1.1	2	2	2	2	1	13.50	3.000
Totals	6	3-3	1	51.2	43	26	20	27	53	3.48	1.355

Dodgers Go For Sweep The Morning After

Eric Stephen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:25:19 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

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"Never leave a fleece blanket game night in September. Just saying."

-BHSportsGuy

Much like the 4+1 game, fleece blanket night meant a very happy ending for fans at Dodger Stadium last night, as Andre Ethier provided his walk-off magic yet again. And much like that September 18, 2006 game, the Dodgers' next game was against the Pirates.

Jim Peltz of the Los Angeles Times noted that Ethier's 21 home runs at home are "the most in a season by a left-handed hitter in the stadium's 47-year history." Ethier's is also the 47th season in Dodger history with 30 home runs, and the first since Adrian Beltre hit 48 in 2004.

Today's game is the finale of a series, an early 12:10pm start. Casey Blake, Russell Martin, and Rafael Furcal are expected to rest today. Might this bring the 2009 debut of Chin-Lung Hu?

Hiroki Kuroda takes the mound for the Dodgers, fresh off his great start Friday in San Francisco. His eight-inning performance yielded a game score of 73, which was Kuroda's second best of the season, just behind his masterful performance against the White Sox on June 23.

Since joining the Pirates at the trade deadline, Kevin Hart is 1-5 with a 6.46 ERA in seven starts, and opposing batters are hitting .329/399/.559 against him.

The last time the Dodgers swept the Pirates was June 23-25, 2006 at Dodger Stadium.

**********

Check out Xeifrank's simulation of today's game here.

Don't forget to RSVP for True Blue LA Day at Dodger Stadium, on the next-to-last day of the regular season, October 3 against the Rockies.

Get your guesses in for our today's "One, Two, Three Strikes, You're Out," here.

Game Time: 12:10pm

TV: Prime Ticket

Baseball Reference Preview

NL West Report: Hispanic Nicknames

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:00:39 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Article-subject language disagreement

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Earlier this season Giants, who played with a uniform featuring "Gigantes" across the front for Hispanic Heritage Night. The Diamonbacks utilized a similar tactic this weekend, taking the field with "Los D-Backs" emblazened across the front of their alternate black uniforms.

Unfortunately for Arizona, the Hispanic mojo didn't help them on the field, as they appear more like Los Lonely Boys in the NL West cellar after two terrible weeks. Or, as Jim McLennan from the Pit notes, the uniforms would be more apt had a "t" been added after the "Los."

The use of Spanish on uniforms got me thinking...what if the Rockies put on their uniforms and follow the lead of their divisional foes? There may be less of a Hispanic population in Colorado than Arizona or California, but it is certainly a noteworthy presence all the same. In addition, the Rockies payroll is increasing dramatically in the Hispanic sector. Tell me what you think in the poll.

NL West Report

Arizona (62-82, t5th, L3, 23 GB)

Last Week: 1-5. 1-2 vs Dodgers. 0-3 vs Brewers. Arizona was swept for the second straight weekend, sending them to three games below fourth-place San Diego after going 2-11 the last two weeks. The loss yesterday guaranteed the Diamondbacks of a losing season, quite the disappointment after being a popular 1st or 2nd place team in preseason predictions.

Pace: 70-92 (-2 from last week)

Divisional Change: Lost 3.0 games on LAD.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Padres, 3 game home series vs Rockies. The schedule doesn't get any easier for Arizona, who has to go to Petco to play a team riding a 6-series win streak before hosting all the awesomeness that is the Colorado Rockies.

News: Inside the D-backs: Decision on coaching staff to come later

Ken Rosenthal suggests Arizona third base coach Chip Hale or former manager Bob Melvin as a fit for the Nationals managerial position next year, though interim manager Jim Riggelman has a legitimate shot to retain his post.

Top prospect Jarrod Parker will begin a throwing program tomorrow. Arizona's 2007 first-round pick was shut down in July after feeling discomfort in his elbow. After reassessing him in coming weeks, the Diamondbacks will decide whether he requires surgery or not. Says Josh Byrnes:

"Anytime an injury doesn't respond, I think you have to consider surgery...But again there's reason to believe the conservative course will get him back to where he was." - Steve Gilbert, MLB.com

Jarrod Parker

#77 / Pitcher / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 180

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Nov 24, 1988

Kevin Mulvey, a waiver trade pickup from Minnesota, made his first career start Saturday. He struggled mightily in a 9-2 loss to the Brewers.

Transactions: Recalled OF Trent Oeltjen and C Luke Carlin.

Injuries: Activated LHP Scott Schoeneweis (depression) from the 15-day DL. Nothing new was found in recent bloodwork for Conor Jackson, but he's likely to miss the rest of the season, making it difficult for last year's cleanup man to earn his roster spot back for 2010.

Arizona Diamondbacks Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Chris Snyder	lower-back	08/23/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Chad Qualls	knee	08/31/2009
Conor Jackson	pneumonia	05/12/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

Los Angeles (85-59, 1st, L1)

Last Week: 4-2. 2-1 @ Diamondbacks. 2-1 @ Giants. Los Angeles failed to complete the sweep in both series after winning the first two games both times. It was a strong turnaround after failing to win either series the previous week agains the division's worst teams.

Pace: 97-65. (+2)

Divisional Change: Lost 0.5 game lead on COL.

This Week: 3 game home series vs Pirates, 3 game home series vs Giants. While the Rockies try to win a game at AT&T Park, the Dodgers can force the Rockies to be focusing on the wild card by sweeping the Pirates. It is the first time the Dodgers and Pirates have played this season.

News: Ronnie Belliard is providing an excuse for the Dodgers not to pay Orlando Hudson. In starting in place of Hudson 5 of the last 13 games, Belliard is robbing Hudson of the $10K/PA the starting second-sacker is due to receive per his contract.

Orlando Hudson

#13 / Second Base / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Dec 12, 1977

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Orlando Hudson	135	514	70	147	31	4	9	58	53	92	8	1	.286	.354	.414

Say what you will about a collapse - holding a divisional lead for practically the entirety of a season is something to be commended, and only a team with several strong contributors are capable of such a feat. So who is the MVP of the team? The answer from a few players may surprise you.

Brad Penny and Larry Bowa made amends in a private meeting this past weekend. The two were at ugly odds over several issues after Penny's departure from Los Angeles.

Ken Rosenthal also suggests the Dodgers may be interested in Dan Uggla.

Transactions: Called up IFs Chin-Lung Hu and Blake DeWitt.

Injuries: Activated RHP Hiroki Kuroda from the 15-day DL. Clayton Kershaw missed his Friday start with a bruised shoulder. He won't be on the DL and should return soon. Jim Thome is day-to-day with a right heel issue, and Randy Wolf is day-to-day with left elbow stiffness. He is scheduled to make his start tomorrow against Pittsburgh. Will Ohman is still attempting to return to the Dodgers this month after being on the DL since May 28 with a left shoulder injury.

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Randy Wolf	elbow	09/13/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Clayton Kershaw	shoulder	09/13/2009

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Will Ohman	shoulder	05/28/2009
Guillermo Mota	other-excused	08/30/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Xavier Paul	ankle	05/21/2009
Jason Schmidt	shoulder	08/06/2009

San Diego (60-78, 5th, L2, 22.5 GB)

Last Week: 4-2. 2-1 @ Giants, 2-1 vs Rockies. The Padres have become the ultimate spoilers. They have now won six straight series, five against the top seven playoff contending teams. Despite winning the series against Colorado, however, the Rockies mathematically eliminated San Diego from the division title Friday.

Pace: 70-94 (+1).

Divisonal change: No change.

This Week: 3 game home series vs Diamondbacks, First 3 games of a 4 game road series @ Pirates. Will there be a letdown now that they will be playing two of the three teams that are more than a game worse than them?

News: The Padres are out to thwart contending teams, and that is no joke. The only consolation for playoff teams is that they have been a thorn in every team's side, defeating every playoff contender they have faced in the last seven series two games to one.

Nick Hundley drove in a run in walk-off fashion, in his first career pinch-hit AB. And he didn't even have to make contact.

An AL Scout says Kevin Towers fleeced Billy Beane with the Scott Hairston deal, the trade in which he recieved RHPs Sean Gallagher, Ryan Webb and Craig Italiano. That's hard to argue against when Hairston has a worse OBP than any Rockie position player, including Omar Quintanilla.

Scott Hairston

#12 / Left Field / Oakland Athletics

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 25, 1980

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Scott Hairston	52	205	21	49	10	1	7	32	8	32	3	2	.239	.269	.400

Ken Rosenthal says the Padres' payroll could be as low as being in the neighborhood of $25million next year. For that to happen, Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell would have to be moved, along with Brian Giles leaving the payroll. Those three moves have a decent chance of happening.

Baltimore is averse to trading their top prospects, so they are out of the running for A-Gone, not that I saw much of a fit there to begin with.

Transactions: Recalled RHP Sean Gallagher and LHPs Aaron Poreda and Cesar Ramos from AAA Portland.

Injuries: Rookie OF Kyle Blanks will likely miss the rest of the season with a partial tear in his right plantar fascia (part of the foot). Kevin Kouzmanoff is still day to day with a strained calf.

San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brian Giles	knee	06/19/2009
Kyle Blanks	foot	08/29/2009
Mike Adams	shoulder	08/22/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Chris Young	shoulder	06/15/2009

San Francisco (77-66, 3rd, W1, 7.5 GB in Div, 4.5 GB in WC)

Last Week: 2-4. 1-2 vs Padres. 1-2 vs Dodgers. I would consider it a failure of a week to lose two games in the wild card standings in which you lose a home series against the Padres then fail to capitalize when the Padres swiped a series from Colorado.

Pace: 87-75 (-2).

Divisional Change: Lost 2.0 games in NL West (LAD), lost 2 games in WC (COL).

This Week: 3 game home series vs Rockies, 3 game road series @ Dodgers. If the Giants don't take advantage of their mound triumverate and at least win the series against Colorado, it will be hard to continue considering them in contention for the wild card, as they would be 5.5 games back at best with 16 games left.

News: Timcecum missed his last start but should be back tonight. He'll face Jason Hammel, who quite literally is the best fifth starter in MLB.

Several Giants are nearing career numbers, not greatly surprising given their youth. However, one player worth highlighing is Jeremy Affeldt, who raised eyebrows by signing a quick lucrative deal in the offseason. He has already shown why he deserved that contract. He leads the league in holds, for what you will make of that.

Jeremy Affeldt

#41 / Pitcher / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-4

Weight: 225

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jun 06, 1979

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jeremy Affeldt	1-2	65	0	0	0	0	0	53.0	40	13	11	2	28	45	1.87	1.28

I hate to point this out - I really do - but after beating the Dodgers last night, Brad Penny is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in three starts since joining the Giants' rotation. That's good for a 0.4 WAR, giving him a strong shot to pass Randy Johnson's three month body of work (0.5 WAR) in just a month. It is worth noting he won the Giants' only game against the Padres as well as defeating two strong offenses and two of the best teams in the National League.

Top prospect Madison Bumgarner made his MLB debut Tuesday. The promotion was a surprise but oddly mirrors the Rockies move to try out Esmil Rogers against the Padres in an effort to delay their hobbled ace for the Rockies series. Bumgarner San earned a no-decision, allowing two runs in 5.1 IP including five hits, two of them home runs.

Transactions: Called up LHPs Madison Bumgarner and Alex Hinshaw, RHP Joe Martinez and 2b Kevin Frandsen. Outrighted RHP Ryan Sadowski to AAA Fresno and DFA'd RHP Osiris Matos. The Washington Nationals claimed P Jesse English from the Giants on waivers.

Injuries: Activated Freddy Sanchez from the 15-day DL, finally. Tim Lincecum missed his last start with back spasms but is expected to take the mound tonight against Jason Hammel and the Rockies. Randy Johnson has seen no setbacks of yet in his attempt to return to action with the Giants in their bullpen.

San Francisco Giants Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Lincecum	lower-back	09/12/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Randy Johnson	trapezius	07/06/2009
Noah Lowry	ribs	03/27/2009
Kelvin Pichardo	shoulder	06/28/2009
Emmanuel Burriss	foot	09/01/2009
Henry Sosa	shoulder	08/05/2009

Poll

If the Rockies were to have a Hispanic Heritage Night, what would they put on their uniforms?

Las Montañas

51 votes

Los Rockies

28 votes

Las Montañas Rocosas

26 votes

Rockies

28 votes

Red

10 votes

Other/Tell me in the comments

4 votes

147 votes | Poll has closed

Dodgers Recall DeWitt, Hu

Eric Stephen — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:22:38 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Blake "Mr. Frequent Flyer Miles" DeWitt was recalled today, along with Chin-lung Hu.

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The Dodgers have added to their bench today, recalling infielders Blake DeWitt and Chin-Lung Hu from Triple A Albuquerque. The Isotopes' season ended on Friday night when they were eliminated by Memphis in the first round of the PCL playoffs.

This is DeWitt's sixth stint with the Dodgers this season. DeWitt, who started all eight Dodger playoff games at second base last season, has five hits in 32 at-bats with the big club in 2009.

This is Hu's first time with the Dodgers this season. Hu hit .294/.332/.393 in Albuqeurque this season.

This is a formality more than anything, but the fact that DeWitt and Hu were recalled means they can't be among the PTBNL candidates to complete the Jon Garland trade. That player will still almost certainly be Tony Abreu, but officially the Diamondbacks won't choose the player from the list provided by the Dodgers until October 15. DeWitt and Hu being on the roster eliminates them from consideration since a player to be named later can't play in the same league he is traded to in between the time of the trade and the time he is named.

The Dodgers now have 34 players on the active roster.

Dodgers Trade Deadline Preview

Brendan Scolari — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:55:33 -0000

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(Note: I actually wrote this article for MLB Daily Dish, but as the title indicates it's fairly relevant to Dodger fans. So without further ado...)

Buyers or sellers?

With the best record in baseball this season, there is just no way the Dodgers will be selling off any major league contributers. They will be in the same boat as last year, looking for veterans who can help the team reach the playoffs and then contribute if/when they get there. However, in 2008 the Dodgers were looking for bats (and they added Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake), this time around they will be looking for arms to add depth to the pitching staff.

Short-term need

With players locked in at every position around the diamond, the only way the Dodgers could really consider trading for another hitter was if an elite talent like Adrian Gonzalez became available. Even in that case a trade would be unlikely. The Dodgers have stuggled to find a dependable left-handed hitter off the bench but Doug Mientkiewitcz should be back before the postseason begins. In the rotation the Dodgers are looking for a back-end starter to replace Eric Milton, who was recently lost for the season. It's possible the Dodgers could get a decent arm to fill that role although ultimately not that important because the Dodgers already have four effective starters to use in the playoffs. A player like Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee would be a luxury but is in no way a need. Of more pressing importance could be the bullpen, where set-up man Ronald Belisario was recently put on the DL. With the injuries to Belisario, Hong-Chih Kuo, and Jonathan Broxton the Dodgers 'pen is thin. It wouldn't be surprising if an arm is added here, in fact general manager Ned Colletti has said it is the tea's number one priority.

Long-term need

It's hard to pinpoint many long-term needs right now because the current team is so stacked. Young pitchers are still plentiful in the minor league system but the starting rotation will probably need an infusion of talent in another couple years when Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf could be gone. With Russell Martin's struggles this year it should be a priority to find a player who can spell him more often than the Dodgers current backup catchers can and potentially replace him if he doesn't rebound eventually as his salary is escalating. At the corners the Dodgers don't have a lot of firepower and they could use a power bat there in the next few years. Other than that, they should be relatively set for the near future.

Big Leaguers on the market

Barring a trade for Roy Halladay or a similiar player, the only major leaguers on the market are the youngsters who are still trying to earn their place on the team. Even if such a trade were to occur, the Dodgers would have a tough (read: near impossible) time parting with guys like Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp who have provided huge boosts to the team this year. Blake Dewitt and James McDonald, youngsters who have been promoted a few times this year, could find their way into deals for a mid-level starting pitcher. Others like Scott Elbert and Xavier Paul have more muddled futures with the team and may be in trades for smaller upgrades.

Minor league strength

The Dodgers have two areas of strength in their farm system, middle infield and right-handed pitching. Excluding the aforementioned James McDonald and Scott Elbert, the Dodgers recent high draft picks have produced right-handed pitchers Josh Lindblom, Ethan Martin, and Chris Withrow. Withrow and Martin are years away from the majors but Lindblom could help out the bullpen this year if neccesary. As far as middle infielders the Dodgers have Blake Dewitt, Chin-Lung Hu, and the currently injured Ivan Dejesus all at Triple-A with the potential to help out major league teams. Hu's future is in jeopardy because of his abysmal hitting this year (.624 OPS), but both Dewitt and Dejesus have above-average starter potential. At the lower levels Devaris Gordon (son of Tom Gordon) has is toolsy but raw but could turn into a good player down the road.

Take on short-term money to win?

This shouldn't be a problem as the Dodgers play in the second biggest market in the country. However, last year the Dodgers had to add additional prospects to deals because they refused to pay the salary of either Casey Blake or Manny Ramirez. Manny's suspension saves the team about $2.7 million and given the drop in team payroll from '08 to '09, the Dodgers should be able to add a reasonable contract without too much trouble.

2009 Trade Deadline Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

Brendan Scolari — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:47:23 -0000

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Buyers or sellers?

With the best record in baseball this season, there is just no way the Dodgers will be selling off any major league contributers. They will be in the same boat as last year, looking for veterans who can help the team reach the playoffs and then contribute if/when they get there. However, in 2008 the Dodgers were looking for bats (and they added Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake), this time around they will be looking for arms to add depth to the pitching staff.

Short-term need

With players locked in at every position around the diamond, the only way the Dodgers could really consider trading for another hitter was if an elite talent like Adrian Gonzalez became available. Even in that case a trade would be unlikely. The Dodgers have stuggled to find a dependable left-handed hitter off the bench but Doug Mientkiewitcz should be back before the postseason begins. In the rotation the Dodgers are looking for a back-end starter to replace Eric Milton, who was recently lost for the season. It's possible the Dodgers could get a decent arm to fill that role although ultimately not that important because the Dodgers already have four effective starters to use in the playoffs. A player like Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee would be a luxury but is in no way a need. Of more pressing importance could be the bullpen, where set-up man Ronald Belisario was recently put on the DL. With the injuries to Belisario, Hong-Chih Kuo, and Jonathan Broxton the Dodgers 'pen is thin. It wouldn't be surprising if an arm is added here, in fact general manager Ned Colletti has said it is the tea's number one priority.

Long-term need

It's hard to pinpoint many long-term needs right now because the current team is so stacked. Young pitchers are still plentiful in the minor league system but the starting rotation will probably need an infusion of talent in another couple years when Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf could be gone. With Russell Martin's struggles this year it should be a priority to find a player who can spell him more often than the Dodgers current backup catchers can and potentially replace him if he doesn't rebound eventually as his salary is escalating. At the corners the Dodgers don't have a lot of firepower and they could use a power bat there in the next few years. Other than that, they should be relatively set for the near future.

Big Leaguers on the market

Barring a trade for Roy Halladay or a similiar player, the only major leaguers on the market are the youngsters who are still trying to earn their place on the team. Even if such a trade were to occur, the Dodgers would have a tough (read: near impossible) time parting with guys like Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp who have provided huge boosts to the team this year. Blake Dewitt and James McDonald, youngsters who have been promoted a few times this year, could find their way into deals for a mid-level starting pitcher. Others like Scott Elbert and Xavier Paul have more muddled futures with the team and may be in trades for smaller upgrades.

Minor league strength

The Dodgers have two areas of strength in their farm system, middle infield and right-handed pitching. Excluding the aforementioned James McDonald and Scott Elbert, the Dodgers recent high draft picks have produced right-handed pitchers Josh Lindblom, Ethan Martin, and Chris Withrow. Withrow and Martin are years away from the majors but Lindblom could help out the bullpen this year if neccesary. As far as middle infielders the Dodgers have Blake Dewitt, Chin-Lung Hu, and the currently injured Ivan Dejesus all at Triple-A with the potential to help out major league teams. Hu's future is in jeopardy because of his abysmal hitting this year (.624 OPS), but both Dewitt and Dejesus have above-average starter potential. At the lower levels Devaris Gordon (son of Tom Gordon) has is toolsy but raw but could turn into a good player down the road.

Take on short-term money to win?

For more coverage of the Dodgers, check out True Blue LA.

Jack Wilson Critical in Pirates' Defense

Charlie — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:25:52 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

Jack Wilson's defense has been critical for the Pirates this year.

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Well, duh. But WTM has a good article on the general role of defense in the Pirates' run prevention, and Jack Wilson's specific role in the Pirates' defense. I'd caution against taking some of the individual UZR/150 numbers too seriously--UZR is a very highly regarded defensive metric, as WTM notes, but it's subject to sample-size fluctuations just like hitting stats are, and those fluctuations can look really strange when you take a 50-game sample and pro-rate it over 150 games. So I wouldn't necessarily put much stock in the idea that, for example, Andy LaRoche's defense for the Pirates last year was 7.7 runs per 150 games better than average.

Despite all that, the picture UZR paints is very clear, and it's corroborated by the Pirates' improvements in defensive efficiency (which measures the percentage of balls in play the defense turns into outs), runs allowed, and observation. WTM uses that picture to stress Wilson's importance to the team. I'm fine with keeping Wilson, both because his defense is a big help and because the trade market for him has been almost nonexistent. If you can trade him for Jair Jurrjens, as Dave Littlefield could have done a couple years ago, that's one thing, but when the biggest name being thrown around is Chin-Lung Hu's, well, you should just hang onto him. In the grand scheme of things, I'm much less concerned with the Pirates' play in 2009 than with the moves they make to set themselves up later, but I do think it's possible that having an ace defensive shortstop can help the Pirates' young pitchers in ways that might conceivably benefit them in the long term.

WTM's post also shows yet again that the Pirates weren't likely to be a successful ballclub with an outfield of Jason Bay, Nate McLouth and Xavier Nady. As helpful as those players were to the 2008 offense, they were huge stumbling blocks for the team's pitchers, and the pitching's apparent giant leap forward this year would not have been possible had the Pirates not replaced Bay and Nady with better defensive players in Nyjer Morgan and Brandon Moss.

Arbitration Savings

Brendan Scolari — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:20:56 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

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After Will Ohman was put on the disabled list, it seemed logical that Blake Dewitt would get recalled from AAA Albuquerque. Instead, A.J. Ellis got the call, putting three catchers on the 25-man roster. One reason for this is probably that the Dodgers don't want to take away at bats from Dewitt. But another reaason could be the salary arbitration savings if Dewitt were to remain on the major league club. Arbitration was the process by which Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, and Jonathan Broxton all saw huge jumps in their pay during this last offseason.

When a player gets called up to the majors, their service time clock begins to run. Once they have six years of service time in the major leagues, they can become a free agent. Of course, if they get sent back to the minors, the clock stops for the time being. For a player's first three years in the majors they make the major league minimum salary (or close to it), but once they have three years of service time they can file for arbitration and thereby increase their salary. For the next three years their salary jumps until they finally reach free agency. There is also Super Two eligibility, which grants players in the top 17% of service time under three years arbitration as well. These players get four years of arbitration instead of three. A full season of service is 172 days, and players with 2 years of service and close to 3 years end up getting Super Two status. This nearly always ends up being players with 2 years and 130 days of service or more.

At this point in the season, we are just passing the point where there is no longer 130 days left in the season. This means that teams can call up their top prospects and not fear that they will get Super Two status, giving them an extra year of arbitration and consequently costing the team millions of dollars. We've seen Matt Weiters, the Orioles top catching prospect finally got called up, and this was the reason why. In the next few weeks we can expect to see a few other top prospects called up as teams now know they can get three years of service at the minimum salary out of them.

Which brings us to Blake Dewitt. Dewitt ended last year with 150 days of service and has been in the major leagues for 25 days so far this year, so he currently has 1 year and 3 days of service time. There are currently 126 days left in the season, so today marks the first time that Dewitt can be called up and remain indefinitely in the major leagues without likely qualifying for Super Two Status (he would only end up with 1 year and 129 days of service). This means that Dewitt will not be arbitration eligible until at least the 2012 season. It may not matter much right now, but he could end up being a starter as soon as next year. It would be nice to have a starter making the minimum as other young Dodgers see their salaries increase.

Russell Martin, Andre Ethier, and Jonathan Broxton will all be arbitration eligible again next year. On top of that, Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Hong-Chih Kuo will all be eligible for arbitration for the first time in their careers. All these pay increases will probably add $15-20 million onto the Dodger payroll, making up for the expiring contracts of Jason Schmidt, Randy Wolf, Guillermo Mota, etc. Luckily, these young players are all still under team control for three more years (with the exception of Broxton, who is only under control for two). It will be important to start locking up some of them to long term deals in the near future, both for the payroll relief and to ensure that we are able to keep most of them.

The next wave of players is in the same boat as Blake Dewitt, they'll have at least one year of service time after 2009 but won't end up receiving Super Two status. This includes Dewitt, Clayton Kershaw, Ramon Troncoso, and Ronald Belisario. These players will make the major league minimum until 2012.

After them there are tweeners like James McDonald (67 days of service), Chin-lung Hu (131 days), Scott Elbert (44 days), Brent Leach (31 days), Xavier Paul (26 days), and Jaime Hoffmann (11 days). The last four in the group would need to stay up for most of the rest of the year just to get to one year of service time. So they will likely make the league minimum salary for at least four more years. James McDonald could end up with a year of service time, but his recent demotion to the minors makes it unlikely. Chin-lung Hu would just need to get called up before September.

Finally we have the players who have not yet been called up to the majors but could end up being important pieces of the Dodgers' future, players like Josh Lindblom, Ivan Dejesus, and Andrew Lambo. All of these players could be called up for the rest of the year and stick with the major league club and still not be arbitration eligible until 2013. In the event that they are not in the majors full time next year it could be even longer until they get to arbitration. All of these players can be safely called up at this point without having to worry about them wasting their cost controlled years. Of course, with the team rolling right now it's better to having them honing their skills in the minors anyway.

Hu: Can It Be Now?

Eric Stephen — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:28:20 -0000

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

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Brewers (22-10-3) @ Dodgers (16-20), 7:10pm

Joe Torre is expected to announce the Opening Day 25-man roster after tonight's game at Dodger Stadium against Milwaukee. Chin-Lung Hu is one of the Men At Work vying for the final infield spot. Hu is fighting with two others, Blake DeWitt and Juan Castro, for this spot. The argument for keeping DeWitt is that he's the best hitter of the three; the only drawback is if the club feels there wouldn't be enough playing time for this spot, thus hindering DeWitt's development. But really, this position requires the ability to play shortstop, something DeWitt is new to. It's hard to expect DeWitt -- an excellent defensive third baseman -- to be able to hold his own defensively at SS.

That's where Hu steps in. Hu is a defensive wizard, able to play either middle infield spot with ease. I would argue the club doesn't lose anything defensively when Hu steps in for Furcal. Hu has overcome his vision problems, which led to a putrid 2008 at the plate, to become "the star of the spring," according to Joe Torre. Castro is the other option here, since he has the reputation of a defensive stalwart -- even though that is no longer the case. Factor in the .290 career OBP for Castro, plus the need to make a roster move to acommodate him, and it's clear if the club adds Castro, It's a Mistake.

Besides Hu, another Dodger hoping to avoid being sent Down Under is Ramon Troncoso. He's fighting for the final bullpen spot, and his spot on the 40-man roster gives him an advantage over someone like Tanyon Sturtze for that role (not to mention, the ability to pitch of course). Will Ohman will also have a spot in the pen, but he may require a week or so in the minors to get ready for the season (he hadn't pitched this spring until last week). So someone like Sturtze could still end up on the roster as a placeholder until Ohman is ready, although perhaps Scott Elbert would be a better choice given his southpaw status (and, again, the ability to pitch).

An important thing to keep in mind about these roster thoughts is that this is simply the 25-man roster to start the season. There will be many contributors for the Dodgers this season -- the Dodgers used 46 players last season, for instance -- as they attempt to Overkill their NL West foes.

Today's game brings us closer to the merciful end to the longest spring training ever. The Dodgers do in fact play one game in San Francisco tomorrow, but aside from fifth starter James McDonald, no regulars or semi-regulars are scheduled to make the trip north.

Clayton Kershaw starts on the mound for the Dodgers today, and is opposed by Dave Bush.

Clayton Kershaw

#22 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-3

Weight: 220

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Mar 19, 1988

Dave Bush

#31 / Pitcher / Milwaukee Brewers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Nov 09, 1979

The game will be televised on KCAL or, if you are not in the Los Angeles area, MLB Network (at least in theory).

MLB.com Box Score | Gameday

Know Your Foe: Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants

Poseidon's Fist — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:15:07 -0000

Happy Tuesday. Opening Day is 13 days away! That means it is time to evaluate who exactly will be representing our divisional foes on the field in 2009. This week I run down what the most likely 25-man roster will be for the Dodgers and Giants, and the D-Backs and Padres will follow next Monday.

Note on projections: All projections are courtesy of CHONE (except Steve Holm, which is a Bill James projection due to CHONE ignoring Holm's existence). Some bench players and bullpen arms were projected for quite exorbitant at-bats or innings, so they were scaled linearly down to reasonable numbers.

Note on format: Bold items represent locks. For example, all eight starters for the Dodgers are set, but Blake DeWitt and Delwyn Young are still fighting for a bench spot. And off we go...

Los Angeles Dodgers

Lineup:

All eight starters in the lineup are set, with only the batting order left to decide. Rafael Furcal will hit first, followed by Orlando Hudson, but the rest is yet to be determined.

Order	Player	Position	AB	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA
1	Rafael Furcal	SS	560	.284	11	51	.358	.412	.347
2	Orlando Hudson	2B	486	.276	10	54	.353	.407	.340
3	Andre Ethier	RF	489	.292	16	69	.366	.468	.365
4	Manny Ramirez	LF	483	.290	32	101	.399	.542	.408
5	James Loney	1B	527	.294	13	80	.355	.446	.352
6	Russell Martin	C	500	.286	14	74	.384	.434	.366
7	Matt Kemp	CF	498	.299	16	74	.353	.476	.365
8	Casey Blake	3B	490	.259	20	66	.336	.439	.341

This line-up would be expected to produce 5.332 runs/game as constructed (or a max of 5.410 with optimal orientation). This equates to 863.8 total runs during the season.

Judging by wOBA, the starting lineup features one elite hitter (Ramirez), zero very good hitters, seven above average hitters (Furcal, Hudson, Ethier, Loney, Martin, Kemp and Blake), zero average hitters, and zero below average hitters.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Dodgers are no longer punchless. In fact, their offense is quite scary. You might be surprised to know they are projected to score north of 11 total runs more than the Rockies projected lineup.

Bench:

Brad Ausmus was signed to replace Danny Ardoin as Russell Martin's backup. Ausmus should get more playing time than Ardoin, but Martin still hogs the plate like no other catcher. Loretta will be the chief pinch hitter, and Juan Pierre will be on the bench solely because his salary makes him untradable.

Player	Position	AB	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Brad Ausmus	C	186	.212	2	17	.299	.280	.269
Mark Loretta	IF	247	.262	2	23	.338	.342	.309
Juan Pierre	OF	222	.283	1	14	.328	.357	.312
Delwyn Young	OF	171	.262	5	24	.320	.429	.328
Blake DeWitt	IF	252	.252	6	30	.316	.378	.308

Delwyn Young is out of options, so expect him to fill in at the fifth outfielder slot over the recently signed Doug Mientkiewicz - he would also provide the main power threat off the bench. The final bench spot will go to an infielder who can play short. Blake DeWitt is the best offensive option, although he could struggle defensively at short. Chin-Lung Hu and Juan Castro are DeWitt's competition.

You just have to feel bad for DeWitt. Jeff Kent retired, Nomar Garciaparra and Casey Blake were free agents. After a solid rookie year in 08, DeWitt had a starting job...until GM Ned Colletti brought in three free agents that could push him clear off the roster.

Rotation:

Joe Torre has constructed his rotation for a RLRL beginning. Randy Wolf hopes to soften the losses of Derek Lowe and Brad Penny.

Player	IP	W	L	FIP	WHIP	K
Hiroki Kuroda	158.0	9	8	3.98	1.31	106
Randy Wolf	124.0	7	7	4.42	1.41	103
Chad Billingsley	161.0	10	8	3.68	1.33	156
Clayton Kershaw	115.0	7	6	4.28	1.44	102
Claudio Vargas	108.0	6	6	4.71	1.38	80

This gives Chad Billingsley the home opener. The fifth starter position is still a roulette wheel. None of the contenders have impressed, so James McDonald, Eric Stults, Eric Milton, and even 2008 2nd round pick Josh Lindblom has a longshot chance. In January, an additional game was added for April 7, so the Dodgers can't take advantage of the schedule to put off their decision.

Bullpen:

Jonathan Broxton will get his first shot as a full-year closer, though Hong-Chih Kuo has closer stuff. Guillermo Mota returns to LA, while 2008 pleasant surprsie Cory Wade is guaranteed a spot.

Role	Player	IP	W	L	FIP	WHIP	K/9
Closer	Jonathan Broxton	72.0	5	3	2.78	1.15	10.88
LH Set-up	Hong-Chih Kuo	45.0	3	2	2.69	1.18	11.00
RH set-up	Guillermo Mota	56.0	3	3	4.46	1.42	7.58
RH set-up	Cory Wade	53.0	3	3	4.00	1.25	7.30
2nd LHP	Scott Elbert	43.0	2	2	4.34	1.47	10.47
Relief	James McDonald	57.0	3	3	5.10	1.39	7.72
Relief	Jeff Weaver	50.0	2	3	5.19	1.41	5.59

Scott Elbert is has the lead in the LHP race, and James McDonald is assured of a relief role if he doesn't become the fifth starter. The final spot in the bullpen is likely between Jeff Weaver and Claudio Vargas, though Eric Stults, Ramon Troncoso, Brian Mazone, Tanyon Sturtze, Erick Threets, and Lindblom remain in contention.

Why the Dodgers will win the NL West:

The Dodgers boast exceptional lineup by divisional standards, with practically zero question marks. The bullpen is strong and capable of reining in strikeouts. With Manny Ramirez in the fold, they are the favorite in the division.

Why the Dodgers will NOT win the NL West:

This rotation is as weak as Los Angeles has fielded in some time. Kuroda and Wolf are decent rotation pieces, but LA will strongly be relying on the young arms of Billingsley and Kershaw. Then consider the disaster of a fifth starter and Manny's potential undoing, and it's easy to imagine a scenario where another NL West foe leapfrogs the defending champs.

San Francisco Giants

Lineup:

Emmanuel Burriss could replace Kevin Frandsen in the starting lineup, but the other seven starters are decided. The lineup has yet to be announced, but it could follow as such:

Order	Player	Position	AB	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA
1	Randy Winn	RF	563	.281	12	55	.341	.412	.336
2	Edgar Renteria	SS	534	.283	11	59	.345	.408	.335
3	Fred Lewis	LF	.446	.262	9	46	.346	.404	.335
4	Bengie Molina	C	453	.276	16	71	.314	.435	.327
5	Pablo Sandoval	3B	477	.283	11	68	.315	.426	.324
6	Travis Ishikawa	1B	431	.248	16	67	.322	.432	.331
7	Aaron Rowand	CF	523	.273	14	64	.338	.421	.335
8	Kevin Frandsen	2B	382	.288	6	44	.343	.411	.334

That line-up is worth a mere 4.448 runs/game (peaking at 4.473 arranged differently). That's the same as just 720.5 total runs.

Look at the wOBA like we did with the Dodgers. From that we can conclude that the starting lineup features zero elite hitters, zero very good hitters, six average hitters (Winn, Renteria, Lewis, Ishikawa, Rowand and Frandsen) and two below average hitters (Sandoval, Molina). Take your pick of statistical analysis - all project the Giants to have an abysmal offense.

Bench:

Rich Aurilia is all but assured of a bench spot, and Nate Schierholtz will earn one as well due to being out of options. Burriss will either start or find a spot on the bench, and Steve Holm is the only contender as the backup catcher.

Player	Position	AB	BA	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Rich Aurilia	IF	377	.263	10	43	.320	.398	.318
Nate Schierholtz	OF	311	.291	9	44	.331	.471	.348
Emmanuel Burriss	IF	323	.270	2	34	.331	.347	.308
Steve Holm	C	181	.238	5	21	.312	.365	.306
Andres Torres	OF	208	.251	4	19	.328	.388	.321

Eugenio Velez has attempted to learn OF to get the fifth bench spot, but it might not be enough. Juan Uribe, who signed this offseason, also looks to be an odd man out. Andres Torres appears to have a solid shot at the 5th OF spot with his hot spring; he is 31and spent each of the last three seasons in AAA with a different organization.

Rotation:

Player	IP	W	L	FIP	WHIP	K
Tim Lincecum	154.0	10	7	3.05	1.23	175
Randy Johnson	109.0	6	6	3.85	1.27	96
Matt Cain	189.0	11	10	3.84	1.32	166
Barry Zito	176.0	8	11	4.81	1.55	120
Jonathan Sanchez	120.0	6	7	4.02	1.39	116

By far the Giants' strength, the rotation has all but been set since Randy Johnson signed. Like Joe Torre, Bruce Bochy is constructing his rotation in a RLRL fashion.

Bullpen:

The Giants acted quickly to sign Affeldt and Howry, who will set up for Brian Wilson. Sergio Romo is currently sidelined with an elbow injury and won't be ready for Opening Day, but there will be a spot waiting for him when he returns soon thereafter.

Role	Player	IP	W	L	FIP	WHIP	K/9
Closer	Brian Wilson	65.0	4	4	3.71	1.38	8.72
LH Set-up	Jeremy Affeldt	79.0	5	4	3.70	1.35	7.86
RH set-up	Bob Howry	63.0	4	3	3.62	1.25	7.00
2nd LHP	Jack Taschner	59.0	3	4	4.20	1.44	7.78
Relief	Sergio Romo	60.0	4	6	3.76	1.20	9.15
Relief	Merkin Valdez	30.0	1	2	4.69	1.50	7.88
Relief	Luis Perdomo	56.0	3	4	4.99	1.41	7.71

Jack Taschner's familiarity card might trump the hand of Alex Hinshaw, but Taschner could be traded, opening up the possibility for Hinshaw to be the middle relief southpaw. Luis Perdomo is a Rule 5 pick from St. Louis, and his decent spring points to a possible spot in the pen. Non-roster invitee Brandon Medders and Merkin Valdez will battle for the other opening.

Why the Giants will win the NL West:

With the Cy Young winners in tow, San Francicso just might have the best starting rotation in the division - only Arizona is otherwise in contention. Then consider the emerging Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez. The bullpen will be decent, especially with the back end headed by All-Star closer Brian Wilson. The lineup has candidates to significantly exceed projections (such as Pablo Sandoval), so it is possible they could score just enough for the pitchers to lead them to the top.

Why the Giants will NOT win the NL West:

It remains to be seen whether Lincecum and Cain's arms can hold up after ridiculous abuse in 2008. A long term injury to either would be debilitating to their divisional hopes. Zito and RJ are tailing off in their respective careers. And then there's the offense. The lineup is constructed solely of veterans past their prime and unproven youngsters. Even with a helthy Lincecum and Cain, don't expect the lineup to produce enough for divisional aspirations.

Thanks to Eric Stephen and Grant for their assistance in achieving accuracy.