Kuzul

As I followed the Dodgers game against the Padres last night, there was something slightly different about things, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.Was I glad that baseball was finally back after a brief hiatus? Possibly, but that seemed unlikely.And then, everything clicked.As Mark Ellis, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier stepped to the plate in succession, my feelings were clarified: it wasn't that I hadn't seen baseball in a few days, it was that I hadn't seen these guys play baseball in so long.It always seems cliche to talk about off-the-field intangibles or thoughts and feelings that can't be quantified with an average or a number, but the feeling of knowing the Dodgers were healthy, finally, was almost tangible.The confidence I lacked with Adam Kennedy patrolling the middle of the order (or even playing at all) and Jerry Hairston as our best hitter had become borderline difficult ...

As the Dodgers lost their sixth straight game Friday night (and in impressive 9-0 fashion), rumors began swirling about a potential trade with the Houston Astros to land Carlos Lee.While insiders like Buster Olney and Ken Rosenthal flip-flopped on who was in the deal and who the Dodgers were receiving, midway through Friday's game, it appeared that Lee was the likely target. In fact, it appears that the only thing standing in L.A.'s way of receiving "El Caballo" is his waving of a no-trade clause.On the surface, the trade makes perfect sense. Lee remains a feared bat among MLB circles and plays a position (1B) that the Dodgers are desperate for help at. Furthermore, because of his large contract ($9 million remaining this season), insiders point out that trading for Lee wouldn't require anyone of the caliber of Zach Lee, the Dodgers' No. 1 prospect.Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they're quite ...

Watching your favorite team get no-hit in person on the road is one of the weirdest feelings in the world.At some point do you start rooting for a no-hitter? Are you required to remain loyal even in the face of history?Regardless of what was going through my mind and heart, however, nothing would change what was going on at Safeco Field on Friday night.As Kevin Millwood stormed through the Dodgers lineup early on, the expectations were low. I mean, this was Kevin Millwood after all.Then, the zeros kept coming.After a strained groin forced Millwood to retire early, the fate of the no-hitter was left on the shoulders of a series of unknown relievers: Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and Tom Wilhelmsen. Fortunately for Millwood and his relievers, their defense provided plenty of help behind them.Kyle Seager was the first Mariner to preserve history in the fourth when Dodgers ...

It all made perfect sense for Dodgers fans.With new ownership on its way and an underwhelming pitching staff to begin the season, the presence of Roy Oswalt in free agency seemed too appealing to pass up. Having not found a place to pitch by opening day, Oswalt announced he would wait a couple of months before deciding where he would play in 2012.While his numbers were still very good last season (3.69 ERA), two separate stints on the disabled list left some teams questioning how much he had left in the tank.For the Dodgers, their offseason pitching problem was solved by the signing of Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang, however neither pitcher brought much excitement to town. Capuano was a 33-year-old with two Tommy John surgeries in his past who had made just 40 starts since 2007.Even more alarming, however, was his lack of effectiveness in those 40 starts, posting ...