You know what the difference between an “off day” and a day off is? They sound the same, don’t they?  But trust me, the Dodgers know they are vastly different.

April 20th was a day on the schedule where the Dodgers didn’t play a game. A Day off, right? Wrong. That day was an “off day.”

If it were a day off, Casey Blake may have spent his time with his three daughters and newborn son. Russell Martin may have shopped for a new pair of shades and taken his girlfriend out for a nice dinner. James Loney may have cleaned up his room and did some laundry.

Those guys didn’t do any of that stuff because April 20th was an “off day” not a day off. They had to be at the ballpark by 10 AM, on the bus at 11 and on a flight to Houston by 1. Because the next day was the beginning of the 9 game road trip to Houston, Colorado and San Francisco that they just finished up. During that time there wasn’t an “off day” OR day off.

And now that they are back home to start an 11 game home stand in Dodger stadium where they have yet to be defeated, the next “off day” isn’t until Monday, May 11th.

Notice, I said “off day”….not day off.

That’s 20 games in 20 days.

So the next time the Dodgers don’t have a game on the schedule, Blake will kiss his wife and kids good bye, Martin will promise a nice dinner when he gets home, and Loney will clean up later. Because on that day, they will go to the park, get on a bus and then hop on a plane to Philly and then Florida.

Off day.

The next day off for your Dodgers is May 21st.

— Steve Lyons