Last night had a happy ending, but it looked bad for a while as Rich Hill gave up 4 runs in the first three innings. He threw 103 pitches. 75 of which were strikes, and his curveball was amazing. It really was a good outing and the two HR were (in my opinion) just one of those things. Hill pitched a strong 6 innings and kept the Dodgers in the…
I want to address a few issues today. Yasmani Grandal The Front Office and Sabermetrics Calling players Choke Artists Yasmani Grandal When the Dodgers acquired Yasmani for Matt Kemp, I thought it was a great trade for the obvious reasons: (1) It was a salary dump that needed to be made; and (2) I thought Yasmani Grandal would be an All-Star Catcher who was capable of 30-35 HR a year. …
I like Caleb Ferguson and Dylan Floro a lot, but Caleb is just learning how to handle the pen and Floro is just learning how to handle his improved stuff. Dylan used to have pedestrian stuff and now he has very good “stuff” but next he has to learn to utilize it. A pennant race is a bad time. It all goes back to the hitting… or lack thereof! An…
2018 has been a season full of challenges and in no small part, the challenges were created initially by the decision the Dodgers made (and still denied by them) to not exceed the Luxury Tax Threshold (“LTT”). Many fans don’t agree with the decision, but on every level, except my RFL (“Rabid Fan Level”), I agree with it. I actually thought they would get below it in 2017, but it…
That the Dodgers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory is obvious. However, the implosion of the bullpen (Chaggy in particular) is a symptom, not the disease. The symptom manifests itself when the disease is active. The disease is “FailureToScoreRunsItis.” Last night, Dodger hitters left 12 runners stranded (combined). At the trade deadline, FAZ acquired two of the biggest bats on the market in Machado and Dozier. Add in a…
Except for bad pitch selection (4 fastballs) to his last batter, Rich Hill was again terrific. No blisters = a very good pitcher. This is the pitcher the Dodgers are paying for and if he keeps it up, he’s a bargain! Blisters have been his kyrptonite! The bullpen was very good again: Floro, Alexander, Chargois and Jansen handled a hot A’s team. Oakland has the 4th best bullpen ERA in…
I have identified ten (10) Dodger players who are most vitally important to the Dodgers winning the NL West, NLDS, NLCS and World Series. It’s not Manny Machado – he will get his. It’s an adjustment, but he will be fine, great! It’s not Brian Dozier – if Doc lets him play everyday, he will put up MVP-type numbers the rest of this season. It’s not Clayton Kershaw – I…
Just a couple of years ago at age 18, Julio Urias was the Dodgers Top Prospect. He was off-limits in any trade discussions. He was the heir apparent to Clayton Kershaw as the Dodgers Ace. As a rookie, he was much better than Clayton – not even up for debate! The Dodgers handled him with kid gloves… and then the unthinkable happened. He was injured and had anterior capsule surgery…
Yesterday Mark made a good argument as to why the Dodgers might want to stand pat. Today I would like to make an argument as to why the Dodgers should consider another move or two. I understand the thought that with how the Dodgers are built right now they can compete and win the NL West. I understand why many believe the team should stay as is and let the team…
Maybe this is what happens at the trade deadline: Rotoworld Injury Updates Hyun-Jin Ryu (groin) pitched two innings in a simulated game on Wednesday. Next up is a three-inning simulated appearance Saturday in Los Angeles. The left-hander will likely begin a minor league rehab assignment after that. Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Julio Urias (shoulder) is a serious candidate to work out of the club’s bullpen down the…