December 6, 200619 yr LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. ? (AP) ? Two-time All-Star Mike Lieberthal agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 34-year-old Lieberthal will serve as a backup to Russell Martin, who hit .282 with 10 homers and 65 RBIs as a rookie last season. Lieberthal's deal contains a team option for 2008. Lieberthal grew up in the Los Angeles area, graduating from Westlake Village High. Although his father, Dennis, was a scout for the San Francisco Giants, Lieberthal's family had season tickets for the Dodgers while he was growing up. "Mike is a veteran catcher who can help our club in a lot of different ways,'' Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "As a former Gold Glove award winner, he has a lot to offer Russell Martin and he'll be able to provide valuable leadership in the clubhouse. He's another local player who knows what it means to be a Dodger.'' Lieberthal, the third overall selection in the 1990 amateur player draft, had played his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he is the franchise leader in games caught. He was an NL All-Star in 1990-2000. He hit .273 with nine homers and 36 RBIs in 67 games last season. He was on the disabled list twice ? for a bruised left knee and a strained left hip. Before last year, he appeared in 100 or more games in seven of the previous nine seasons including a career-high 145 in 1999, when he hit .300 with a career-high 31 homers and 96 RBIs. Lieberthal, who made his big-league debut at Dodger Stadium on June 30, 1994, has a .275 career average with 150 homers and 609 RBIs.
December 7, 200619 yr Not bad, apparently the Dodgers know how to work the offseason. This year and last :mischief2
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