OK, lemme get this straight for a second...your free agent splash in the off-season, who also happens to be the highest paid pitcher on your staff, is your third starter? Yes, apparently the way the Dodgers are ordering their rotation of Derek Lowe, Randy Wolf, Jason Schmidt, Brad Penny, and Brett Tomko. Now why exactly would they do that?One explanation is this rotation allows the Dodgers to mix up their looks -- righty, lefty, righty. Another explanation is that they want Schmidt to start the home opener. Or, a third reason, could be that the Dodgers want Jason Schmidt to duck his former team, the Giants.
Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt told the Los Angeles Times that Schmidt would open as the club's No. 3 starter mostly to line him up for the home opener April 9. But Honeycutt also acknowledged the benefit of keeping Schmidt from facing the Giants in his second start after joining the archrival Dodgers as a free agent this winter.What kind of horse bleep is that?!? How can you tell me that the guy brought into be your ace will open up as your No. 3 starter? This sure as heck sounds to me as though the Dodgers are playing chicken."It could be a distraction," Honeycutt told the newspaper.




