7.01.2010

The Lasorda Code

Welcome off-day refugees. VORP classic round 3 is officially underway.


I was home for a typical evening game. Lasorda was up in the booth giving this bombastic speech about all time Dodger greats like Sax and Nomar.
Who? Did he just misspeak?

Meanwhile, Loney picked a short hop for the second out of the frame. His story soon moved to Manny Mota’s pinch hitting then Alex Cora’s memorable marathon at-bat.

“Just my hearing, I guess.” I made a mental note to get it checked out.

But then, in an inexplicable moment, he was rambling about Kazuhisa Ishii!

Is my mind playing tricks on me? What about Jim Gilliam or Kirk Gibson? Even Beltre had the one great year! I doubt I’m alone in wanting to remember Piazzas as opposed to the Dreiforts of Dodger history. Now, Vin, he can make even a Jeff Shaw interesting. Or even Andy Ashby if he really worked at it. The man had called games seasons even before Jesse Orosco was born!

That got me thinking. Was the skipper really trying to teach me that being able to see one like Don Drysdale in Dodger blue, it’s worth waiting through 100 Guillermo Motas? “Hey, that’s deep for such an old blowhard,” I thought. So, will there be some eventual cosmic payoff for watching the game when Park served up two slams in an inning?

“Better be damned good” I muttered.



The answer to the puzzle is a Dodger. Comment freely in the thread, but if you have the solution, please don't give it away to everyone in the comments section. Instead, do the following:
  • Email me with the first and last name of the Dodger player who is the answer, along with your reasoning. Partial credit may be awarded at the discretion of the board of directors. Please include your screen name somewhere in the email.
  • Post in the comments notifying me you have mailed you solution attempt.
You have until 11pm PT tonight to submit your answer. The solution will be posted tomorrow. Good luck!

57 comments:

Josh S. said...

My lead is in jeopardy. I have NO IDEA where to start.

Steve K said...

If anyone takes the lead, it's definitely not going to be me.

Greg Finley said...

Answer sent!

Nostradamus said...

Anybody working? I'll post some clarifications and a hint at 10.

Nostradamus said...

No dice, Greg.

Nostradamus said...

Hint 1:

There are 3 distinct parts to the puzzle.

1. Figure out what the players Tommy's talking about have in common.

2. Use the information for step 1 to interpret the text.

3. Answer the resulting question.

Greg Finley said...

Only the players that Tommy explicitly mentions? Or also include the players Mr. C is watching and thinking about?

Nostradamus said...

@greg

Every player or former player mentioned in the text is relevant.

Greg Finley said...

Vinny, too?

Steve Sax said...

answer sent

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Question sent

Nostradamus said...

Sorry, Sax. Step 1 is correct, though.

Greg, Vinny doesn't qualify.

MR.F said...

I'm not quite sure I'll get to this today. Work sucks.

Dusto_Magnifico said...

... So, we have weathered 2 Guillermo Mota's. Does this mean we have to see 98 more before the Darren Dreifort mistake is remedied? or 98 more before we see another Darren Dreifort?

Nostradamus said...

@dusto

Philosophically speaking? I'm only saying that seeing that one moment of brilliance validates those 1OO mediocre perfomances.

That does not directly relate to the solution to the puzzle, however.

Josh S. said...

I need further clarification on your answer to Greg's question. I know all the players are relevant to the puzzle, for part 1 specifically do I need to focus only on the one's Tommy mentions?

Josh S. said...

How did the apostrophe get in there?

Nostradamus said...

@josh

The players names all specifically relate to step 1. Any that are mentioned in the text, not just in Tommy's diatribe.

Dusto_Magnifico said...

Answer sent. And it is THE answer. Because that is the only solution I can come up with in the 15 minutes I gave myself to answer it before I have to actually do some work.

Nostradamus said...

Sorry Dusto.

It was AN answer.

Josh S. said...

I know Vin's name isn't included, but is Lasorda's?

Nostradamus said...

@Josh

Lasorda qualifies.

Nostradamus said...

Hint 2 for step 2 posted to the main text.

Steve K said...

If only I were on Step 2 yet...

Nostradamus said...

Are most people stuck on step 1?

I'll post the third hint for that part around 2p.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

Answer sent.

Josh S. said...

Breakthrough then stuck again.

About halfway through step 2, I figure.

Jason said...

Answer sent.

Nostradamus said...

MLASF, Jason, and Sax are all at the exact same point. Someone should finish soon.

Nostradamus said...

Hint 3:

(Part 1) I was not watching this game on KCAL. It was on neither ESPN nor was it a FOX game of the week.

Nostradamus said...

MLASF, Sax, and Jason

You all have part 1 correct, and a portion of part 2. Continue the same pattern.

Nostradamus said...

Josh is also halfway through Step 2.

Nostradamus said...

Clarification for part 3: decade, not century.

Jason said...

Question sent.

Nostradamus said...

I am getting a very uneasy feeling now that so may of you are so close an aren't hitting. If I miscounted, I will be horrified. Going back for a recount now.

Josh S. said...

Progress and possible answer sent.

Nostradamus said...

*Head on desk*

Where did it all go wrong?

I will surely be punished in a future life.

Nostradamus said...

Hold the phones, I've committed a KFP-like baserunning error. If I could only figure out how or why...

Josh S. said...

And now we wait...

Nostradamus said...

*weeps silently*

I really liked living in this country under my real name.

Josh S. said...

If it's FUBAR, I'm willing to give you a pass. I don't know about the rest of the gang, though.

At least I know I'm right up to a point.

Nostradamus said...

Alright. I am a complete fuckup, So I have already decided to award credit to those that reached step 2 based on the time of their e-mails, but I'm trying to find out HOW and fix it, fer the love of Christ.

Dusto_Magnifico said...

I WAS RIGHT!!!

I mean, if you were wrong, I was right... right?

haha.

Josh S. said...

Yay credit!

Boo to (I think) being the last to reach Step 2!

Steve K said...

Josh, I'm still trying to figure out Step 1...

Nostradamus said...

Sorry to delay corrections, but if I got those wrong, I'd need witness protection.

Nostradamus said...

*sigh*

Corrections in italics...

Worst part of all was Sax being so nice about ending up with gibberish at a certain point.

*facepalm*

Josh S. said...

Uh...even more confused e-mail sent.

Josh S. said...

Ignore that. I goofed.

Nostradamus said...

@Josh

That's what we do here.

Dusto_Magnifico said...

Still trying to figure out part one.

Nostradamus said...

I am a broken man right now.

How many times did I check that?!

Josh S. said...

Crap. I have to leave. I hope I'll have time to solve this at some point.

Jason said...

I seem to still be missing the last few letters in the question for step 3 and I've got to head out. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this was to create so you won't get any crap from me, Mr. C. No need to assume another pseudonym for your pseudonym.

MR.F said...

Don't worry about it, Mr. C. It's all good.

Steve Sax said...

Waiting for my umamiburger order...

No worries from me either, Mr C. I can't imagine how difficult that was to concoct. I'm just happy that we are all sniffing the same glue.

Eric Karros said...

Just read through this comment stream (I wasn't able to actually attempt the puzzle, and in fact am a little scared to do so) and I totally commiserate with you Mr C. Messing up a puzzle construction is one of my great fears. For several terrifying minutes I thought I f'ed up the puzzle where the Cub wanders through the forest looking for Jasmine by sunrise, and couldn't get to the internet to verify or correct...god that was an awful, awful feeling.

So I'm with you Mr C. I'm sure it will happen to me at some point (if it hasn't already and I've conveniently blocked it out of my memory).