What I Wish For…

I started LA Dodger Talk over 16 years ago as a place where Dodger fans could come and share their hopes and dreams, tears and fears.  Over time, it evolved into a site where no matter what I said, four or five people said the opposite… just because.  Yeah, just because! I even proved it by later taking the other side only to have them disagree again.  That prompted me to leave for a year, but I am back with a new attitude and new expectations. That will never happen again.

Here’s how this all works:  The first time you post here, the comment is held in “moderation” and once I approve it, the rest of your comments will be immediately posted.

  1. We have a huge readership, but not that many commenters.  I know some of you are not all into commenting, but I would like to know you are reading and if you like it.  Let me hear from you.  It makes it all worthwhile knowing you are reading. Just say “Hi” if nothing else, or tell us why you are a Dodger fan.  That’s what I wish for.
  2. I like perspective.  We all have a different one.  Share yours.  No one will roast you for it. If you disagree, tell me so and explain why. I’m cool with that. That’s what I wish for.
  3. Share as much or as little as you want.  That’s what I wish for.
  4. No trolls.  Some people live for that.  Not here. Not now.  Not ever!  That’s what I wish for.
  5. I haven’t been to Spring Training for 4 years.  I wish I could do something about it this year, but I’ll be there next year.   I have an idea that I think some of you will love.

OK, are you ready for the Dodgers Opening Day Lineup?  I am assuming that LH Clayton Richard starts.  If he doesn’t, all bets are off.

  1. Logan Forsythe  2B  (R)
  2. Corey Seager  SS (L)
  3. Yasiel Puig  RF  (R)
  4. Justin Turner  3B (R)
  5. Scott Van Slyke  1B  (R)
  6. Yasmani Grandal  C  (R)
  7. Franklin Gutierrez   LF  (R)
  8. Clayton Kershaw  P  (L)
  9. Joc Pederson CF  (L)

Let’s have some fun.

THat’s why we are here. Let’s talk some Dodger Baseball!

Todays Music

 

This article has 30 Comments

  1. Hi Mark:

    I haven’t posted on your new site but I do read every day. Much improved with respect to content and the general tone of the comments (yours included).
    I couldn’t take the negative vibes and narcissism of a few on the other site.

  2. Mark – I’m enjoying the new version of LADT & the more conciliatory tone.
    I’ve had my perceptions changed by well made arguments, and of course I’ve been right about things too. Sometimes things need to play out before you can make a judgement on whether something was right or wrong.
    I think the key is to be open to alternative ideas and not be too blinkered. We all have our opinions, so live & let live.

    Saw something I thought you might like regarding our old friend Zack Grienke & it adds credence to your view of “Boat Anchor” contracts,

    https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/03/nl-notes-phillies-greinke-carpenter-nats.html?fv-home=true&post-id=87046

    1. Watford, I read that article this AM, and had to chuckle. I liked Greinke, but I was glad that he was not re-signed from the beginning. He is still a gifted pitcher, but I cannot see the DBacks getting anything close to his contract value, with the last three years being an anchor the size of a cruiseliner. I know it’s easy to criticize for the Kaz and McCarthy contracts, but when their contracts are up, Greinke will still have three years and $100M plus to go, right when the 2018 FA class comes up. Greinke’s and Kazmir’s 2016 seasons were relatively close, and if either Kazmir or McCarthy can muster one decent year each out of team not two, they could very well match Greinke’s value for 2017 & 2018, and not worry about the residual $100M remaining.
      .
      I wouldn’t worry too much about the drop in velocity, even though it does seem to concern Greinke. He was never an upper 90’s type pitcher. He always relied on that accuracy. He has been compared to Greg Maddux, and while not HOF worthy, the comparison in style is genuine. But it is the shoulder that has to be of some concern. Is that why the velocity is down? If so the next 5 years are going to be tough for a small market team to meet the demands of Pollock and Goldy when they come up for FA after the 2018 season.

  3. I enjoy the “Words of Wisdom” but never listen to the music.
    .
    Sometimes, most of the time, its not what one says but the way someone says it that sets the tone of a reply. I suspect one of the reasons I have not warmed up to Grandal was because someone over hyped him and maybe suggested that anybody that couldn’t see how good he was, was of less intellect 😉
    .
    People have said things in here that were not well thought out but I don’t see too many replies that slam those comments in here. That is refreshing. I say things that sometimes are far fetched to add some spice to the conversation. I sacrifice myself in that way from time-to-time. Jump in looky loos. Say something. No one has to know who you are.
    .
    I can live with that lineup. Joc gets some protection but has hitters in front of him that have the lowest OBP on the team and that means less RBIs.

  4. Hi Mark, I read your site often. I like the positive approach to what is supposed to be an enjoyable sport.
    How did I start following the Dodgers? As a child we were neighbors of the Duke in Compton CA. He was playing in Brooklyn then but when he came home to visit in the offseason he would join us sometimes on our baseball field (we played year round of course). He would show us how to improve our play but what we really loved was just sitting and talking with this really nice man. I recall reading on another site that the stories about Duke playing stickball in Brooklyn with the kids were a lie-that he was not that kind of guy. My experience was that he was indeed that kind of a guy!

  5. I wish that I lived and worked among Dodger fans. But it was my own choice to settle down and live in the San Francisco Bay Area so I get the opposite. Lots of haters up here. Even if it gets ugly arguing/debating among Dodger fans here at LADT, it’s far better than the crap I take on a regular basis from Giants fans. At least on this site, we are rooting for the same team. We might have different opinions of how they get better, but we share the same goal. I can’t talk baseball with many Giants fans because they are blinded by their bias and hate towards the Dodgers.

  6. Mark,

    Have been reading your blog for many years and have always enjoyed it. Thanks for bringing it back

    I became a Dodger fan in 1970, Bill Grabarkewitz was my guy as a kid.

    This year could be the year we break through and get to the series. If not for the Cubs and their healthy dose of destiny it could have been last year.

    It’s going to be strange not having Vin calling home games, that’s for sure. We’re setup for a great season, though- as long as they stay somewhat healthy.

    Anyway, keep up the good work, and I look forward to coming to the site and chatting this year.

  7. Mark
    I am really glad you decided to bring back LADT. I missed it. I am a long time Dodger fan who was born in Brooklyn and went to the 55/56 World Series as a young lad.
    I really enjoy how you stir the pot to drive the discussions. This is the first site I visit every day and I occasionally will post. Please keep the messages coming and enjoy the few negative nellies who keep the blood flowing.
    Keep the music and the videos. Today’s Vinnie was memorable.
    You’re the best.

  8. Mark, I appreciate the improvement in the tone of this site along with the fact that baseball is spoken here!

    You can disagree without being disagreeable.

    It’s helpful if posters are knowledgeable and reasonable and almost everyone here is.

    Keep up the good work!

  9. I visit the site daily, but rarely post since I am a very slow typist and not the best speller! I became a Dodger fan in 1951 at the age of 8. Living in Jupiter, Fla I went to many spring training games in WPB and Dodger Town in Vero. As a long time Dodger fan I remember the old “wait til next year” mantra. This could be “next year!”

  10. I have read the site for awhile now and the other one too. I am glad you brought it back and rarely visit over there anymore. I posted for the first time here recently and now chime in from time to time and enjoy the well thought out comments, especially from always compete and dodgerrick and bumsrap who I all see today have commented-appreciated along with everyone else! I became a fan during the 1963 World Series sweep watching at a relatives house in color (rare in those days) with all the men and I was hooked! I was devastated when Koufax retired and watched Don Drysdale’s remarkable run as the only reason to follow the team for a few lost years. The Tommy Lasorda era brought the team back to relevance culminating in World Championships in 81 and 88. I finally feel like the team has become the force they once were-contenders every year and a threat to go all the way. This year feels like 88: a scrappy bunch with a few stars and a great manager who never quit in any game. Here’s hoping we find the magic again, the only bittersweet feeling would be Vinny not being there, but I’m sure he would approve!

  11. I love the feeling I am in a Senior Center for old Dodger fans. Lots of Duke Snider fans. Lots of fans that started being Dodger fans when they were still in Brooklyn.
    .
    It took me awhile to adjust to Lasorda. I liked Alston.
    .
    I like this team:
    C Campanella, Piazza
    1B Hodges, Loney, Bellinger (snuck that last name in)
    2B Robinson, Lefebre,
    3B Cey, Turner
    SS Reese, Russel, Seager
    LF Tom Davis, Lou Johnson
    CF Duke, Joc,
    RF Furillo, Fairly, Smith,
    P Erskin, Newcomb, Koufax, Drysdale, Sutton, Valenzuela, Kershaw, Hershisher,

  12. I am actually a pretty easy-going person. At work, people rarely see me get mad or even upset, but when pushed too far I can go off with epic intensity. Some of the blowups by me in the past were the result of months, weeks and years of incessant bickering, bitching and backbiting. I checked that baggage at the door and it will not come back in.

    PEACE!

  13. I like the inspirational thoughts and music.

    I became a Dodger fan growing up because I liked Tommy Lasorda’s passion, consistent contenders, and the optimistic SoCal vibe they always seemed to have. I also love the organization wide commitment to winning over the decades. It’s great to root for one of the best sport franchises in the world.

  14. Mark, So far so good! I am excited to have LADT back! Others have already said it but, the contention and name calling at other sites took all the joy out of blogging… thanks Mark. I saw the bullying you took, it was the work of small minded people who chose to believe only in their own false pride. Carry on brother!

  15. Love how the site is going Mark. Don’t miss the pettiness and closed-mindedness. I had the feeling FAZ could have found a way to combine the 27 Yankee lineup with 2 Kershaw’s, 2 Koufax’s, a Drysdale with 3 Jansen’s and 2 John Franco’s in the pen and some people would still complain. How baseball is played today is gong to be different from how it was played in the 70’s and 80’s. We’d all love to have a lineup we could run out there every day but we have players who have shown they need to be platooned so FAZ is doing that. As an example – I’m all for giving Peterson a chance to show he can hit lefties this year, and hopefully he will, but at some point they’ll need to make a decision if he can be an everyday player or not. If he doesn’t improve they need to platoon him because that’s what’s best for the team. It’s entirely up to each player.

  16. So you know I have been a long time reader and don’t comment very often. Although, I believe I had the last comment at your previous incarnation when I thanked you for your efforts and stated: “you can’t leave yet, your work is not finished”.

    I’m glad you chose to bring LADT back and again thank you for your time, efforts and service to provide a place for DodgerTalk, especially without the annoying ads. Thank you for your generosity in doing so. And please stick to your guns about the obnoxious. If I want to hear Rachel Maddow and Chris Mathews I’ll go to MSNBC but I don’t want to hear it continually dumped into my DodgerTalk.

    I don’t know how I became a Dodger fan. I’ve just always been one even though no one else in my family was even a baseball fan. I guess it’s just like being American, I’ve just alway been Pro-American and the Dodgers became my team.

    Here’s one of the sayings that I’ve always liked, although this one is a bit unusual: “If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else”. I’ve used it as a compass to try and keep destinations and goals in mind while I enjoy the journey, so I don’t end up “somewhere else”.

    Best to you Mark and DodgerTalk. You have a lot of great posters now and I will be happy to just keep reading. Hope that Spokane Bob (different poster than “Bob”) will come by again and that Boxout7 will show up more frequently along with all the others now posting regularly.

    1. THANKS DDM,

      I will never let this site turn into anything except what it is.

      I do appreciate your comments.

  17. When I get up in the morning, I read for two hours, starting with NY Times, AM Costa Rica, and LA Dodger talk. I don’t post often because I am still learning MLB, though I have been looking at Dodger box scores since 1949. When I had a quarter, I got some inside information from the Sporting News. I was drawn by the excitement of Jackie Robinson breaking the racial barrier, but loved all the Dodgers, (I lived in Southern Illinois 100 miles east of St Louis, and learned a little baseball from Harry Carey who was the Cardinals’ announcer in those days.)

    I liked Bumsrap’s lineup above, except he did not include Billy Cox. He was a sweet 3rd baseman.
    So I read several other blogs, but Dodger Talk is batting lead off in my lineup.

  18. Good afternoon everyone. Found Marks site in 05 and have been a daily reader ever since. I was born in the mid 70’s so I really started to pay attention to the Dodgers in 85. Man that Jack Clark broke my heart. I cried all the way home from that game. I really respect and enjoy everyone’s opinions. Mark I’ve told you in the past , I really enjoy and appreciate what you write, keep up the good work. Always Compete, you give us awesome info all of the time. Thanks man, very appreciated. I try to live my life very positive so really don’t pay any attention to the negative. I’m glad you got away from it Mark. I’m still angry Mark so I stay away from a couple of sites. Anyway Great weekend everyone. Dodgers 4 life!

  19. Franklin Gutierrez got his first hit of the spring against a LH, Cole Hamels – a two-run opposite field bomb.

    Puig also hit a 2-run jack!

  20. Sooo, it turns out that Corey Seager’s back problem is really an “oblique.”

    That probably ain’t good!

  21. I like reading everything on your site and even the comments. I just don’t comment on your site, but enjoy reading it everything every day. I am vey happy your back Mark.

  22. I WAS JUST WATCHING SNLA, SPORTSNET LA, AND A YOUNG BOY CAME UP TO KERSHAW AND ASKED, CAN YOU DO ME A FAVOR? THE KID ASKED. CAN YOU WIN THE WORLD SERIES THIS YEAR? WOW!!!!

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