I’m Just Along For the Ride

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1. I’m responding to Carlos. Yes Friedman has had some misses. All GM’s do. Check out what Epstein has done to the Cubs. Friedman hasn’t hamstrung us with any bad long term contracts. He shies away from big bullpen contracts which is a crapshoot and usually disastrous. Kelly is not a big contract. Does he get any credit for Taylor in 17 , Morrow in 17 or Muncy in 18. What other organization has found these kind of dumpster diamonds? And Zaidi are you kidding me. He might be the brightest mind in all of baseball. AF has held onto the best of our prospects and maximized the ones he’s traded. He has consistently made big bold moves at the trade deadline to improve already good teams. He gets an A in my book. And don’t get me started on Roberts!

   1. I’m being guilty of not researching the validity of this comment but weren’t a couple of Friedman’s Cuba signings the result of flawed input from the scouts that Friedman wound up firing? Those scouts were inherited.

      The one Cuban player I coveted was Moncada and I now think that the Dodgers saved their international money for Alvarez. Moncada took a lot more time to make the MLB than I thought he would but looks he is there now.

2. OK, I’ll bite.
   1 – Bellinger and Pederson are hitting out of their minds. It’s unsustainable but fun to watch for now.
   2 – Pollock, Seager and Turner will heat up later.
   3 – Verdugo has been fun too.
   4 – The starting pitching will stabilize. But Maeda should be in the pen and Stripling should start.
   5 – Catching will be a weakness.
   6 – I still don’t trust the bullpen. Jansen looks mortal, Wild Man Kelly will be unreliable, they will continue to struggle to find a “bridge” to the 9th.
   7 – They should win the West but haven’t been great against other contending teams so far. This will have to improve. World Series again this year? Maybe. I wouldn’t bet against it.

   The issue with Roberts is that he’s not a manager in any traditional sense. Today’s managers are messengers for the front office and Roberts is no different. There is a reason that teams are hiring the least experienced, least prepared, men that are least likely to have their own beliefs or systems. I can’t imagine the likes of Durocher, Walter Alston or Tommy Lasorda being willing to be told who to play, how long to leave pitchers in, etc.

   Roberts is a willing participant in the Braintrust’s schemes and is positive and a good communicator, but he’s not a manager in the sense that the Dodgers’ other Hall of Fame managers actually ran their own teams. He may be a communicator, may buy the Braintrust’s program and be a positive guy, but he doesn’t really manage anything. Tell me that he’s the equal of Alston or Tommy as an X’s and O’s guy – I dare you.

   1. DR said: “Today’s managers are messengers for the front office and Roberts is no different. ”

      Today’s game is partly computer generated, something that Durocher, Alston, and Lasorda did not rely on for their decision making. Other modern greats who did/do have access to computer generated models are LaRussa, Bochy, and Maddon. None of these mgr.s could be said to be ‘company men’ in the vein that Roberts is. This is the first Dodger team in history that has been built from the top down that I know of. Ownership, FO, MGR, are all in alignment with the mgr fitting into a well trained monkey role, with little to no responsibility for player development, choice, and real in-game management skills. He’s there to do the bidding of the FO. This can work as long as the FO is making smart decisions and in our case, they have. He’s sort of like Vanna White, a face. You could plug a number of others into his position with no real change as long as they do the bidding of the FO.

   2. I don’t think Roberts is the EQUAL of Alston and LaSorda. I think he much BETTER! Better because he has analytics. Every team is using them. The Yankees are the biggest and the Dodger, Astros and Red Sox are right behind. The Giants went down the toilet because they were not invested in analytics. Thus, the hiring of Zaidi. Basketball, Football and Auto Racing are very much into analytics. I recently toured Harding-Steinbrenner Racing and Andretti Racing (Clients) and they have as many as 15 people staring at computer screens on a trailer during the race.

      Like it or not, we are in the computer and analytics age and I believe Dave Roberts, with analytics, would beat Tommy Lasorda without analytics like a rented mule. It would not even be close.

      1. Try Roberts without analytics, managerial experience, etc. vs. Tommy, Smoky or Leo.

      2. You like to point to win loss record to prop up Doc. The fact that Tommy has 2 WS Championships and a Gold Medal doesn’t seem to hold much value to you? Doc is an idiot and can’t hold Tommy’s joc. Tommy’s teams were underdogs for Both Championships and the Gold Medal while Doc managed his way out of 2 championships with stacked teams. Sorry, no comparison at all. Doc is more like Mattingly, who also had a great record with Dodgers, but now you can see what his true colors are.

      3. But would analytics say use a gimpy legged player as a pinch hitter with 2 outs bottom of the 9 th game 1 WS?

         That’s the weird thing of sports. Analytics tell you the options based on statistics. Great for a long season but in win or go home playoffs, there is an element of luck.

         I support the FO and Roberts but sometimes things just don’t fall your way (i.e., 2017 WS) when we clearly could have won.

   3. I dare say that Tommy was not good with X’s and O’s. He was to Rah Rah as Roberts is to front office synergy.

3. Mark said: “I have NEVER seen a 6 year run like this, it’s incredible.”
   Have you forgotten the Yankees run of 5 World Series in a row? And, 7 World Series in a 10 year span?

   Postseason appearance streaks.
   Length Team Seasons
   14 Atlanta Braves 1991–1993*, 1995–2005
   13 New York Yankees 1995–2007
   6 Los Angeles Dodgers 2013–2018
   5 New York Yankees 1949–1953

   Or, maybe you were just talking about Dodger post season appearances not compared to any other club. Try to clarify these statements.
   Also, did you know the Dodgers hold the record for most lost World Series? 14. So far, this FO has good company in this category.

   1. Actually, Roger Askew said that. From the context it is obvious he was talking about the Dodgers. The Yankees or Braves were never mentioned.

      I did say this “I’m enjoying the ride… and it’s the best ride I can remember as a Dodger fan. ” … because it is. I can’t see what needs clarification. This is a Dodger blog. No other team was mentioned, but the Dodger’s were specifically mentioned by name.

      1. Correct Mark, I was talking about the Dodgers since I have followed them back in the 70’s. This run is remarkable one you sit back and look at it. Of course I would love to have the Braves run of 14 years, but I will take what we have now. Also, like you have always preached, the goal is to get into the play-offs and see who gets hot for two weeks. Usually the team with the best regular season record does not win it all. Seems like the underdog with lights out pitching and good mojo for two weeks always takes it. I am just so thankful that we are in the hunt every year instead of back in the 90’s when we were just lucky to finish above .500 maybe make a one year run.

   2. Well, they don’t compare to the Braves with postseason runs either.

4. I would never argue that Roberts is a great tactician. However, I think one can make the argument that he is a good (above average) manager. Time will tell whether he is great.

   The thing to remember is that you play (manage) in the era you are born into. Doc is very good at the skill set which is asked of current managers (communication). To compare him to those of other eras which required a different skill set (tactical skills primarily) is an apples to oranges comparison.

   I don’t have to like what is expected of current managers (I don’t), but that doesn’t change things.

   Got to run, some kids are on my lawn 😉

   1. LOL–Damn kids.

5. can you give me some examples where Tommy was such a brilliant tactician

   1. I happen to love Tommy, but you can’t use “brilliant tactician” and Tommy Lasorda in the same sentence. If anything, Tommy was a master motivator.

   2. Kirk Gibson HR. Game over. Mic drop.

6. Jeff, Thank you for so eloquently making my case. Here are the career winning percentages of all the managers you mentioned. Roberts leads the class… by quite a bit. You say that Roberts is a trained monkey and you say that the FO is inept. Yet, by listening to the FO, he is better than all the guys you said who didn’t. Maybe that FO is on to something, or maybe Roberts is better than you give him credit.

   Durocher – .540
   Lasorda – .526
   LaRussa – .536
   Bochy – .497
   Maddon – .541
   Roberts – .588

   1. you left out Alston .558. and that’s over 24 years, with good teams and bad and not just over a 4 year period where the team was stocked.

      1. The only reason I left him off was Jeff did not mention him. I was only comparing the ones he mentioned.

   2. Mark, I like how you leave your buddy Mattingly off this list because he shows how stupid your argument is. 551 winning percentage with the Dodgers, good for second on your list. 443 with the Marlins. This shows that record has little to do with managing ability.

      Everyone else on this list had to manage team through the good times and the bad. Roberts inherited a 92 win team which had already been a 90+ team three years in a row. As I’ve said many times, Robert’s win loss record is because of the front office. And really, the front office is still benefiting by players drafted by Ned.

      I’ll say it again, the Dodgers were huge underdogs against the A’s. Tommy’s Dodgers won. They were huge underdogs against the 81 Yankees, Tommy’s Dodgers won. They were huge underdogs against a pro Cuban team with a roster filled with minor leaguers and FORMER major leaguers. Tommy’s USA team won.

      So, don’t EVER imply that Roberts is a better manager than Lasorda. At least not until he wins a couple of WS and a Gold Metal while being severe underdogs each time!!!

8. Mark,

   We both know that Roberts has had no hand in shaping the team. He was brought on to a good club and which was getting better. Please quote a post where I said the FO were inept. I may have said there were areas that they have been inept in but that is not the same as calling them inept, in general. In fact, I’ve also sung their praises and think the FO have an excellent blueprint that the ownership has signed off on. Since no FO are perfect, mistakes will happen. Roberts is perfect for this FO. He does what he’s told. The wins he has under his manager’s hat are not because of him, but because of the team that the FO has given him. This is a huge difference. I don’t know if there is any reliable analysis that has been done or that can be done giving managers some kind of WAR number. This would be difficult to prove but I think Roberts is a very lucky guy to be given this job by the FO. He had no track record. But, I think there are many guys out there that could do what is asked of Roberts. I don’t see anything special about him, but I do see the specialness in the FO putting this team together. Those figures you came up with for the W-L% of managers are essentially useless. Most of those guys have been at it for at least 25-30 years and probably didn’t start with the team that Roberts inherited. Let’s be fair about this.

   1. I’m curious, how do you know that Roberts “has had no hand in shaping this team?” How do you know that “He does what he’s told? Why does he not get credit for any of the “wins under his manager’s hat”? Do Geren, Honeycutt, Lombard, Ebel, Prior, RVS, Brant Brown, Aaron Bates, Chris Gimenez have any input into what happens before or during a game? Or, are they just window dressing. How about Lasorda, did he not do what his superiors told him to do. How about Alston? Would he ignore whatever Campanis told him? I’m not, by any means, a Roberts apologist. I question some of his moves at the time they happen. However, I cannot bring myself to believe that he does not make in game decisions that help the team win. Nor can I bring myself to believe that if he chooses to pinch-hit for a particular hitter during a game that he only did so, because the direction to do so came from above. He’s a much better baseball man than that.

   2. No Jeff, you and Mark (and I) actually know NOTHING. Nothing about Roberts’ role, nothing about why he was hired, nothing about whether all he does is “do what he’s told, we know nothing about whether the wins under his hat are because of him or in spite of him. You and I know nothing about luck pertaining or not pertaining to his being hired.

      Chill with portraying assumptions as facts, and chill with the self-important monologues.

9. Minor League Report by DC Update Above!!

10. First my disclaimer. I am not a big fan of so much analytics. Let’s just play robo-ball. It is my feeling they are overly used taking away the human element from managers (gut feelings, intuition, experience) and playing by a number. They also sit players who are hot and seeing the ball so well, LH or RH, they could hit a golf ball.

    Having said that, I don’t think we can adequately compare the best teams Alston had, Lasorda had and DR has had. In my opinion winning percentage doesn’t win the debate. The eras are all so different: pre-expansion, DH, free agency, electronic surveillance (yes, it is surveillance), better medical care of players, vastly different rosters, etc.

    We can surmise Dave Roberts wins the 1988 WS with analytics which Tommy did by making the players believe. Maybe Tommy wins the 2017 or 2018 WS with motivation. I believe Walter Alston was a tactician. He used Clem Labine at any point in the game when it was in danger. The inning didn’t matter. He saw a game could be saved at ant time regardless of the inning. That’s why I see “saves” somewhat as a misnomer. He pulled Jim Gilliam out of LF in the 1955 WS championship game and put Sandy Amoros out there with his glove on his right hand to make a game saving catch.

    I say winning percentage doesn’t do it. Each manager stands on his own merits and Dave’s merits might never be known because he is tied to analytics and loses human creativity. I have no beefs at all with DR. I am not that smart. I very much like how he handles the players and deals with the press always having his players backs. Tommy had to lose two WS in a row before he won two. Walter Alston went 4-3 in WS play. DR gets his name up there with Tommy and Walter when he gets at least his second. If analytics are the clincher, then Dave got out-analytic-ed (it that’s a word) in the past WS. Tommy never got out-motivated and Walter never got out-steadied. Did they always win? No, but they were who they were, always.

11. Sometimes this place is a battleground with half full going against half empty guys. I like being a half full fan partly because I realize that it is very hard to have 25 players doing well all the time or for all 25 having a good year. There is not enough money to buy 5 aces, 3 closers, and 8 top 10 position players. There will always be strengths and weaknesses and it is the team that gets hot at the right time or finds ways to mitigate weaknesses and take advantage of strengths.

12. Dodgers are scoring 1.36 runs per game against lefties and 4.13 runs per game against righties for a total of 1.36 +4.13 = 5.49

    The devil is in the details but 73% of their at bats have been against righties.

13. I really loved having Tommy Lasorda as manager of the Dodgers. I loved this enthusiasm, his genuine love for the Dodgers, and how he cared so much about winning every.single.game.

    That said – there are some things that Doc and Tommy have in common. Early on as managers, they both took the Dodgers to the World Series… and lost. Then they followed that up by taking the team back to the World Series the very next year… and losing. There was no social media back in Tommy’s day but it there were, I’m sure people would have been posting about how Tommy Lasorda was incapable of leading a team to a world series victory. Ironically, Lasorda eventually won world series titles with teams that were less talented than the teams that lost the world series. Great motivator indeed!

    One thing Tommy did (that Doc does not) was leave his pitchers in way too long. I’m pretty sure Orel Hersheiser’s legendary career would have been different if someone else besides Tommy was managing. It also probably cost him surgery in the end. Doc tends to take his pitchers out way too early. Both had unshakeable belief in relief pitchers despite those pitchers giving fans so much heartburn – Lasorda had his Niendenfuer as Doc has his Baez.

    Lasorda didn’t have analytics but he effectively told Steve Garvey he wanted him to hit more home runs (modern translation “increase launch angle”) instead of bunting to get 200 hits a year.

    1. I hope you get the opportunity to ask Orel if he would do anything different in 88 when he set the record for consecutive scoreless innings at 59, beating another Dodgers great, Drysdale, in the process and winning the World Series in turn for possibly not having or delaying that shoulder injury. I’m betting Bulldog would do it the same and keep that ring on his finger and be part of the last Dodgers team to win a WS.

       Tommy had a philosophy with pitchers. Use them up. Why let them do it with another team.

14. Roberts can’t win. If Dodgers lose it’s his fault. If they win it’s because of the analytics. The simple fact is especially in baseball, players win and lose games. If Jansen closes out game two in 17 we win the series. If Kersh just pitched a poor game in game 5 of 17 we win the series. And that doesn’t even include the dumpster fire named Darvish. None of us can play the game but we all think that we’re brilliant managers and GM’s especially on Monday morning! But the fact is it’s 95% the players!

15. If it makes you Roberts fatalists feel better, Mark was all in for firing Doc last year.

    That said, it is a turnoff reading attacks on Friedman and Roberts.

16. My point about Roberts (I never mentioned the Braintrust) is that he’s one of a number of “new age” managers hired without any experience and for the sole purpose of being the guy who will administer the Braintrust’s wishes.

    Paul Lebowitz, a baseball analyst in Washington DC, wrote this last year when new Nationals’ manager Dave Martinez was struggling and his players scheduled a players-only meeting:
    “This while the inevitable and perfectly reasonable question is being asked as to whether the Nationals would be in this position right now had they not decided to move on from Dusty Baker for the younger, more pliable and cheaper Martinez.”
    “Martinez epitomizes the preferred manager in today’s game where collaboration takes precedence over competence and experience; where following orders is at or near the top of the job description when it wasn’t even included in the list of requirements before front offices took center stage as the hub around which entire organizations orbit.”
    “To blame Martinez, Mickey Callaway or Paul Molitor for the poor seasons of their clubs and to credit Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone or Gabe Kapler for a club’s success misses the point of how managers are handled – not hired – handled today.”
    “Martinez merely serves as the latest case study of why these new-age managers are largely interchangeable. His statement above is indicative of not knowing what to do while knowing what he’s allowed to do. He’s a figurehead and the players know it. The team meeting is a signal that they’re taking matters into their own hands to stack sandbags and prevent the flood from worsening because, judging by their history with Williams, they’ve seen this natural disaster before and are acting before it’s too late.”

    The Washington Post published an article in March about the soon-to-retire Bruce Bochy. They compared him to the new managers hired in the past 2 seasons:
    “The past two offseasons have seen 12 managerial changes, and in only one case — the Detroit Tigers at the end of 2017, going from 48-year-old Brad Ausmus to 60-year-old Ron Gardenhire — did the team choose an older man. In the other 11 cases, including all six this winter, the new managers were an average of 16 years younger than their predecessor; in 10 of those 11 cases, the new manager had no big league managing experience.”
    “The Roberts move in L.A. was near the start of the current wave of younger managerial hires, most of them made by analytics-focused front offices, which has inevitably led to criticism that what these front offices are looking for are clubhouse caretakers to do their bidding and transmit a data-based approach to the players.”
    “He’s a dying breed,” Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija told reporters in the wake of Bochy’s retirement announcement. “Unfortunately, after this you’re going to have 30 puppets out there.”

    So – in conclusion, Roberts does well at what he’s asked to do but please don’t compare him to the managers of the past who made their own decisions and ran their own teams.

    1. Maybe we should watch the Small Ball movie again that described Oakland’s transition to analytics and how their Manager fought the transition.

17. The fact is Rick you have no idea what the relationship is between Roberts and the front office. You assume he is an absolute puppet with no autonomy at all. I don’t think that is the case and I think it’s more of a colaborative effort. I think Robert’s makes in game decisions and he has said so himself. Call him a liar if you must

18. You all know we won last night, right!??!
    6 important games ahead of us (in my mind) to create a little seperation in the West…
    Can anybody tell me why Muncy at 3B??? He’s gotta make the Penguin wanna come out of retirement…
    Lets put a hurt on the Gigantes…
    P.S. All this FO/Mgr crapola is really old.Study after study shows a obscene phone caller gives up if you dont respond…

    1. I actually think that 3B is Muncy’s best position and that if left there, he would be solid.

19. Would Tommy have removed pitchers sooner if he had information that they were not as effective the third or forth time through the order?

    Of course, he would have.

    Would he have positioned players differently if he had information about certain hitters proclivities to hit the ball certain places?

    Of course he would have!

    Would he have platooned Willie Davis who hit 50 points lower against LHP?

    Of course he would.

    To say otherwise would mean that either you or him would be a moron.

    For Roberts not to use the information given him by the front office would be just as moronic!

    The game is/has changed and analytics have changed it. Any manager worth his salt is going to consider that. Some can’t evolve. Bochy comes to mind. Many old-timers hate analytics, but they ain’t EVER going away. Get over it!

    1. Apples, Oranges, Bananas – hypotheticals don’t apply to Tommy and Walter. They didn’t have analytics but they won anyway. Would they have used them, as they did with scouting info, most likely so. To me the whole point of the debate began with DR at the top of the heap because his winning percentage is higher. They won without analytics as we now know them so what could they have done with them? What would DR have done without them? We don’t know the answer to either question so we can’t really compare the three managers. Two have won with what was available at the time but DR hasn’t. And I agree, Kershaw and Kenley did do DR in. However, one wonders how Walter and Tommy got the best out of their pitchers but DR didn’t? Alston won the WS in his second year, Tommy in his fifth. Dave Roberts gets his ring this year, his fifth.

       My objection is in part that analytics tend to neuter the manager and get him stuck making decisions because of what is on paper. It negates his instincts, creativity, experience. The man stole a base when the whole world knew he was going and on instinct. I am not a DR fatalist. I like him, how he presents himself and how he represents the team. I have never spoken negatively about him. However, I can’t help but think that as much as analytics help him, at times they are a hindrance because that human element for himself and his players gets lost in computer notes. Would analytics have put Kirk Gibson in that game in 1988? He hit from the correct side but had one leg. I’m guessing no they wouldn’t.

       Of course, DR will use analytics, but for heaven’s sake does it mean he never gets to take the training wheels off?

20. Interesting conversation on Tommy Lasorda, who is one of my favorite managers and prior to that a very good and exciting third base coach. Mark has a right to his opinions as is everyone else. I happen to agree more with Mark’s though in this write-up. Question?…..does not Freese play 3rd base.? Was that his original position? Might be a better choice than Muncy.

    1. I agree about Tommy, he was the original ‘bleed Dodger blue’ guy and a master motivator. Muncy did have 3 hits yesterday and drove in 2 so made up for his error. Hill still should have kept the ball in the park though but settled down after that inning.

21. The Athletic released their Power Rankings and guess who is #1:

    1. Los Angeles Dodgers (19-11)

    While a great many teams are rebuilding, the Dodgers are trying a novel approach: Why not win and bring up the top prospects? Julio Urías, Walker Buehler and Alex Verdugo are three such prospects keeping Los Angeles at the top of the National League West (and our rankings).

    What about MLB.com? Glad you asked:

    1) Dodgers (2 last week)

    Cody Bellinger tied a Major League record with his 14th homer on Sunday, joining an exclusive group of sluggers who have hit that many homers before May 1. There have been only three others — Albert Pujols in 2006, Alex Rodriguez in 2007 and Christian Yelich this year. And the Dodgers are rolling, having won 11 of their past 14 games with terrific starting pitching that has posted a 2.44 ERA over that stretch. They’re also second in the NL with 49 homers and first with a .467 slugging percentage.

    The Athletic said this:

    In the National League, the first-place Dodgers are the leaders with a plus-31 run differential. Interestingly, the next-best team in that division has a winning record but is lacking in runs. The Padres are 16-12 but with a minus-8 run differential, which is probably not sustainable. The D-backs, in third place by a hair, have a much more reasonable formula of plus-20 to accompany their 16-13 record.

22. There’s the M word again! Face it. Muncy is just a liability defensively no matter where he plays. He has no range and no arm. He’s in the lineup because of his bat

    1. I think he’s better than most people think, but he’s a guy who needs a regular position. He’s no utilityman. The DH is coming… at least in 2 more years… hopefully sooner. His arm ain’t bad at all.

       1. But Mark, you promised the DH was going to be implemented this season. If I can’t trust you, who can I trust?

    2. I think Muncy’s a lot better than what Dodger fans (including myself at times) give him credit for. What I realize is that the Dodgers are setting a high bar for their lineup regarding defense. Turner, Seager, Keekay, and Bellinger are all plus defenders – Keekay and Bellinger arguably in the conversation for gold glove. In the outfield, Verdugo, Pollack, and Bellinger (when he’s not playing 1b) are all plus defenders. Joc runs good routes and has made some throws so he’s no slouch either. In Joc’s rookie year, he held down a respectable centerfield. You’ve also got CT3 who is strong as a middle infielder or outfielder (remember last year’s NLCS Game 7).

       From what I’ve seen of Muncy’s D, I would rate him below all these other players listed above. Does that mean he’s a bad defender? No. I’ve seen other starting MLB infielders who are not as good as Muncy on D. However, Muncy’s defense gets judged relative to other choices on the Dodgers roster and in that sense he will usually be seen as lacking defensively.

23. Comical. Tommy won because his ACE pitched like an ACE in 1988 and carried us . Doc (and Mattingly) haven’t won because their ACE, who is MUCH BETTER THAN Tommy’s ACE, has choked nearly every single year in the 6 year run (sans 2015 vs the Mets when he was actually good). Don’t give Tommy credit for how Orel pitched, and don’t blame Doc or Mattingly for Kershaw’s failures. Managers put stars in a position to succeed. Stars step up when it matters, and that is NOT on the manager, it’s on the stars. Our star has failed. Our star is James Harden in the playoffs.

    There is 1 person to blame the most for the Dodgers not having at least 2 rings this last 6 years, and that’s Clayton Kershaw. NOT the manager.

    Dropping a mic for a Kirk Gibson HR might be the funniest thing I’ve read on this board.

    1. What is different is analytics and advance scouting. I blame Kershaw’s stubbornness and his proclivity to throw the same pitches in the same situations. Analytics exposed him. Analytics may not have exposed Koufax because his stuff was violently filthy. Kershaw was just filthy.

    2. They also won because Tommy didn’t do anything stupid to make us lose. But, I agree that Kershaw has been a letdown in almost every post season.

       Now to you stupid retort to my comment. Cassidy asked for an example of a good Lasorda tactical move and I answered with the Gibson homer. It was tactical and it was great. It was the only AB Gibson had in the series and it crushed the opponent. What could be more tactical? Gibson was coached ahead of time to expect the backdoor slider in that situation in that situation and he delivered. To imply that Doc Mattingly is anywhere near Lasorda in any way is dim-witted at best. Don Roberts is a bad manager. Nomar and J-Hair call him out all the time.

       Plus there’s this…
       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzjWQF1oP2M

       I never get tired of it.

24. On more fun note, how cool would this be??

    https://dodgerblue.com/metro-board-of-directors-vote-unanimous-aerial-rapid-transit-technologies-dodger-stadium-gondola-system/2019/04/29/

25. You’re reaching MT… Muncy’s best IF pos. is 2B (13 errors in 62 MLB games at 3B)… My question was leaning toward why take out J.T??
    One of my favorite Lasorda moments was him walking out to the mound and telling his picher “Throw F’ing Strikes”, simple and to the point… Didn’t need to read lips either…

    1. Doc has said that JT was going to rest a lot this year. That’s all it is.

26. Yankees have a full DL and are 17-11 nonetheless. Scary!

    1. very!

27. What if the Cub’s lineup starts hitting and Heyward keeps plugging along!! Ouch..

28. Muncy has a Catchers body.

    Has anyone ever…

29. So what’s the verdict on the Hernandez-as-starting-2b experiment? Has it been a worthwhile move or do we regret not adding a full-time 2b to man the position?

30. I think AC wanted DJL

    DJL and Yelich would have both been Dodgers if AC was GM.

    Maybe if Friedman goes we could start a petition?

31. I would have been happy with Dozier there day in/day out… I like middle Def…
    I say give it to Kike H.
    Watford my man, you may be right, but our minor lg. system would look alot different today…. Looking back is a fool man’s wisdom…

32. Pete, hope the back is on the mend. I wasn’t advocating it, just pondering.

    I’m happy to see all our former top prospects flourishing.
    A team with Joc, Corey, Cody, Julio, Walker and Alex on it is good for me.
    A team is always better with a homegrown core.

    Very hard to get the balance right at the TD. I really thought that the Darvish acquisition would put us over the top, and until the WS he was good.

    Manny was also a bold move by the FO, and without him I don’t think we would’ve reached the WS last year.

    We have been very close.

    To achieve that, without giving up any of our top prospects is impressive.
    6 Division titles in 6 years should not be underestimated.

    If JT & Pollock can get going, we will be very hard to beat,

33. DJLM – .310 BA/.363 OB%/.793 OPS/.6 WAR
    Kike – .250BA/.343 OB%/.832 OPS/.6 WAR
    Dozier – .188 BA/.301 OB%/ .651 OPS/0 WAR

    Kike is 5 years younger than Dozier and 6 years younger than DJLM. There is a lot of time left, but Right Now, I would take Kike… HANDS DOWN!

    1. I am not sure where you get that Kike’ is 6 years younger than DJLM. Kike’ B’day is 8/24/91 and DJLM is 7/13/88. That is 3 years in baseball age. Kike is playing as a 27 year old, and DJLM is playing as a 30 year old.

       I take DJLM…HANDS DOWN.

       But to me it is not DJLM over Kike’. It was this winter and remains, DJLM over CT3. I was never in favor of taking Kike’ out of the Joc platoon and utility spot. The Dodgers would be better team with DJLM at 2B and Kike’/Joc platoon in Left and Kike’ utility 2B, SS, CF, RF.

       1. 5 out of 4 people struggle with math…

34. I can tell that a number of people do not appreciate Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts. I use the word appreciate liberally. Many of you are so mad with Friedman and his use of analytics that you could spit… and it has clouded your vision to these facts:

    1. The Dodgers are the only team in MLB who have been to back-to-back World Series and they are favored to go again;
    2. The Dodgers have a Top 5 Farm System;
    3. The Dodgers are in first place;
    4, The Dodgers have the best run differential in baseball;
    5. The Dodger have improved over last year in situational hitting and hitting with RISP; and
    6. The Dodgers are currently at the top of the Power Poll…

    Yet, some of you only want to try and denigrate Roberts and Friedman. Some of you are extremely bitter – your comments show it. That leads me to wonder why? Why, when the Dodgers are the envy of most other baseball fans? The thing is: There is nothing rational you can say.

    1. I agree with all but #4: The Dodgers have the best run differential in the NL at +31. Tampa Bay and the Yanks are at +44 and +37 in the AL.

       One man’s pleasure is another man’s pain and changing people’s minds is hard. I don’t get all the Muncy bashing but I’ll just root for him anyway. He is adjusting to how teams are pitching him this year and is getting better at going oppo when they pound outside and laying off breaking balls out of the zone.

       I am usually a glass half full kind of Dodger fan but even I can see some dumb in game moves, questionable lineups and batting orders and don’t agree with all of the off season decisions each year. However Freidman and staff know what they are doing and Doc is a positive for this group and no team is perfect. In the end all of us here want the Dodgers to win and should post what they want within reason.

    2. I like AF, it is Doc that sucks.

35. Pederson LF
    Seager SS
    Turner 3B
    Bellinger RF
    Muncy 1B
    Hernandez 2B
    Verdugo CF
    Barnes C
    Maeda P

    1. Good lineup-7 runs off the Shark and Company tonight.

36. Well Mark we still haven’t won a WS since 88 so still some work to be done. I think everyone from Walters on down won’t be satisfied until we do. Here’s a question for you. Better to be a one hit wonder like KC with a title or a Dodger with consistent almost got it done?

    1. That’s an easy one for me. I want to be consistent because when you are, you have a shot almost every year. When you are a one-hit wonder, you may never get there again.

37. I like this… We’re talking dodger baseball and slinging arrows of a personal nature!!
    Sweet.

38. I love Doc and have never called for his firing. I have been critical of the FO at times mainly because I agree with AC’s assessment that they could have been more aggressive in a pursuit of Gerrit Cole and Yelich and some of the suspect FA signings.

    I also love this blog which as defined by dictionary.com is a website or group of writer’s own experiences, observations and opinions etc. Don’t take it personal when someone offers an observation or opinion that is uniquely theirs. It’s just their opinion, not often grounded in research or fact, but just observation. No BIG deal when someone offers an idea or opinion based upon their own unique experiences and judgment.

    Agree to be disagreeable is the hallmark of LA Dodgertalk. Live it, love it!

    1. Has Mark ever called for Roberts to be fired?

       1. No, I don’t think so just referring to the comment that some of asked for his firing. I was just stating I wa snot for that but have pled guilty to being critical of the FO from time-to-time.

       2. Yes, I did – for a few days last season when they were in a funk. I thought he had lost the team and his mind.

          It turns out it was me who had lost my mind.

          Soooo, I’m not perfect either!

          1. You are homer for Doc, we all get it. Nothing wrong with that. Doc is the most over-rated manager in the league because of the talent laden team given him. He has lost 2 World Series and hopefully won’t lose another. If by luck we had a Great Manager, we would be going for a third straight, like the Oakland A’s. Doc is no Dick, as in Williams.

39. Not a big Vasseghe fan, because he can be pretty abrupt on his callers on DodgerTalk, but I totally agree with what he has been saying the past month. This Dodger team’s pieces just seem to fit better than last years team. Got a good mix of young, middle age, and experience. I think with the subtraction of Puig, Kemp, and Wood, the clubhouse got alot tighter. And if you noticed, all the old dogs(Kershaw, Hill, Turner) are starting to warm up to Verdugo and his enthusiasm. He was the one who gave Joc a Gatorade bath a few games ago with that walk off. He is starting to feel comfortable throwing his energy out there. This team is not going to need a whole lot of tweaks as far as trades go, outside of the proverbial bullpen help, which sounds like from what I ‘m reading, alot of teams have bullpen issues right now. Once again, enjoy the ride, we’re gonna be right there once again!

40. @ Giants I’d feel most comfortable Kershaw pitching. He enjoys breaking the hearts of their fans after they shout insulting things about his dog and things like. At least he’s able to give a heads up to the other pitchers and you can be certain when Clayton speaks the rotation listens. With Kershaw we have much more than an ace. None of the SP’s would do as well if he were not here. How do I know this?…… Eyes and ear test.

41. MLB OBP leaderboard

    1. Cody Bellinger .500
    . . .
    186. Yasiel Puig .219
    187. Ian Kinsler .218
    188. Josh Harrison .212
    [End]

42. Per Ken Gurnick @ mlb.com

    “Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles, on the restricted list while dealing with personal issues, has reported to the club’s Camelback Ranch-Glendale facility . . .”

    No other specific details

    1. Good to hear

       1. good to know, thanks

    2. Until the next time. Trade him as soon as possible. Get some pitching help in the Bullpen.

43. Puig would not have made that throw…. his windup is longer.

    THat was a laser.

44. Happy for Tolles. Hope he can get his career back on track!

45. Bobbie17, I’m guessing you’re at least reading here tonight, so how’s it going this season? You at least don’t have to put up with those bay area fans pestering you. They don’t seem as they support their fowl weather team with any gusto. At any rate, howdy.

46. OK, who predicted Doc wouldn’t pinch hit for any of the lefties????

    Look at our cute little manager evolving!

    1. Let’s face it Bobby. When you have a team with the talent and depth the Dodgers have, a mindless chipmunk can manage the team to a winning record by basically doing nothing. Just fill out a lineup card and send the guys on the field. Doc manages to actually LOSE games 🙂 but Mark loves that about him. I think Mark has some kind of money, kickback deal with Roberts. Keep promoting him as likable and great, for a bit cash on side 🙂

       1. I credit Roberts for bringing in Baez with bases loaded without influence of the FO. Some may think it was too much a gamble but even if that were true it’ll pay off big in what confidence it’s gonna have on Baez for future games. I can’t see it equally the same with having CT3 coming in for Verdugo though.

       2. Yeah, you are on to me…

          That’s why his record is so poor… be manages to lose!

          Have you ever watched Joe Maddon day-after-day?

47. Doc is giving some of his guys a chance to succeed. If Joc starts hitting lefties, friggin look out. Great hit the other way to left field.

    1. Doc did not give Maeda a chance to WIN. Once again a Starter is removed after 5 and the BP blows it.

48. Mark,

    Until it all pays off with a World Series Titles what you keep stating is meaningless. Yes it’s good numbers, but failing the final test is still failing. It is WAR. You lose, you are DEAD!

    1. LOL.

49. Turner and Seager can’t wait to turn the page on April. Can’t win a WS without those two being stars. So much for Stripling making our bullpen better! I think we’re better off with Stripling starting and Mazda in the pen. Can’t sacrifice what’s best for the team based on Maeda’s bad contract

50. Will Smith did not look good against the Yankees.

51. Will smith looked good tonite vs. the following:
    CT3 for Verdugo – 3 pitches… say good night#
    Joc – a joke…
    We’ll get em tommorow..

    1. Seager needs to moved lower in the order for now for sure. Freeze should get a start at some point you would think? Why else is he taking up a roster spot. Leadoff spot used to be a High OBP spot. What gives?

52. Dodgers fought Hard tonight. Belli looked great but can’t carry them every game. Maeda was going great. Giants are a tough Team.

    1. The 12 – 17 Giants are a tough team? they are 13th in the 15 team NL in runs scored, 15th in OPS. They are crummy and are picked by everyone to finish last in the division this year.

       The Blue HAS to beat the Giants!

53. That’s just a bad loss to a bad team! Interesting Doc didn’t use Pollock in the 9th. Pinch hitting Taylor is just giving an out away.

54. Pinch hitting ct3 for verdugo was the stupidest move of the year thus far. For the life of me I don’t understand that one

    1. Bobby,
       Doc seems like a nervous person to me. He has to fiddle with things. He’s compulsive and very fixed in his habits. Just look at the way he eats those sunflower seeds. Maybe chipmunk is a better word than monkey for him.

    2. Have to agree Bobby.
       Was parked up in Central London watching on my phone at 05.45 this morning and when Joe announced that Verdugo was due up first in the 9th I was delighted. Exactly the right person to get on base.
       The look on his face when Doc PH for him with CT3 was priceless.

       Taylor certainly didn’t do Doc any favours though did he? 3 pitches was all it took.
       Like you said, hard to fathom.

       Jeff, not too sure what your agenda is, but nothing personal, but your comment doesn’t sit well with me.

       1. Yes, you noticed too?

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