It’s ALMOST Time!

September 10, 2019

Yesterday someone wrote this: I would want to see us put together rosters which are the best in baseball, at least in some of the seasons. Why should a franchise with this large and fervent fan base, and the second largest media network in the country, not have that? Well, they don’t have that because as we have repeatedly seen, over 70% of these big, fat contracts become boat anchors….

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Player Development (Part 1)

September 9, 2019

I have always had a fascination with the development of baseball players.   It started when coaching youth ball, and continued on to high school baseball.  But what happens after a player gets drafted and signs that contract?  Are these young men receiving the best possible instruction? Are the teams creating an environment for those players to maximize their abilities? How exactly do you accomplish that?   Strictly through Sabermetrics?   Is it…

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Dodgers Most Improved Minor Leaguer for 2019

September 4, 2019

Who is your favorite minor league player in the Dodger pipeline? I suppose we shouldn’t have favorites as every player has the same goal and is doing all he can to reach the highest level he can, hopefully, MLB. I have a lot of players I follow but I expect my number one favorite is Zach McKinstry. I also expect my perception of Zach is out of the mainstream and…

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Some Quick Random Thoughts on the Passing Season

September 3, 2019

I’m very grateful to Mark T. for covering for me yesterday.  I spent the last 4 days in Las Vegas at a Trial Lawyers Conference, attended by approximately 3,500 attorneys.  Some people might think that being surrounded by this many attorneys is as close as you can possibly get to hell on earth but, alas, it’s my profession and I survived unscathed.  As Willie Nelson sang in “Me and Paul”…

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What Do You Like?

September 2, 2019

I wish that the Dodgers had traded for Nicholas Castellanos who has been “transformational” for the Cubs since being traded to them. He is hitting .336 with a .373 OB% and a 1.062 OPS to go with 9 Doubles and 11 HR in 119 AB’s. However, to be fair, I have to wonder how he would do in LA. AC pitched DJ LeMahieu as the Dodgers 2B and he is…

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What Do You See?

September 1, 2019

“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.” ― John Lubbock, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live…

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My Opinion on Opinions

August 31, 2019

I have come to a stage in my life in which I just want to enjoy life, the winning, the losing, the draws. My love for the team and the game is not diminished by a loss. It is disappointing but if disappointment is my big issue for a day I am having a pretty good day. In my many years, there has not been even one day in which…

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Legends of the Fall

August 30, 2019

I love the movie, Legends of the Fall and so with the kickoff of the Arizona Fall League, I always use this as an excuse to play this Ending Scene from the movie: The Arizona Fall League begins play this year on September 18, and there are a plethora of Top Prospects invited to play. Here is the Dodger list so far (it could be added to) for the Glendale…

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Is Keibert Ruiz Trade Bait?

August 29, 2019

For a couple of months, some Dodger fans have been saying that Keibert Ruiz will be traded with the rise of Will Smith and now Conner Wong. Dirk Calderwood said it best: “So Dodgers will trade the best most talented hitter in their farm?” He asked that question like it was totally absurd and it turns out he 100% is right. It’s at least as absurd as trading Alex Verdugo,…

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Minor League Bites & Bits

August 28, 2019

The minor league season is quickly drawing to a close. It seems impossible but it is so. The good news is that five of the Dodgers affiliates will extend their season a bit by competing for the league championship. Those five affiliates are AZL Dodgers Mota, Ogden Raptors, Great Lakes Loons, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, and Tulsa drillers. End-of-Season All-Stars to date: Some leagues have not yet announced the All-Stars. Twenty-year-old…

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