Remember When…

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1. Friedman is either a genius or he was lucky other teams turned his trade offers down.

   Some trades the Dodgers didn’t make were not needed but could have still have made them better.

   I wanted more righty swinging bats and the two I would have liked to have were Haniger and Realmudo. Yes, I offered Verdugo, Barnes, and Ruiz plus various assortments of others like White.

   I have always been a huge fan of Smith but have had a hard time getting past Verdugo’s tats, big red sliding glove, red batting gloves, red shoes, and history of attitude. Funny how his excellence makes all those “old man” dislikes disappear.

2. I would still like to have signed LeMahieu. And I would not be opposed to trading Pederson, Maeda, Barnes, and Hernandez for the right pieces,

   1. I am with you in theory, rudybyrd. Even though I preach ‘do nothing’, I don’t preach ‘do nothing’ when an opportunity arises. The question is ‘has an opportunity arisen where trading any of those you mentioned has been turned down? I don’t mean a lopsided trade, but any trade that could have made our team more steely that AF has missed? This guy is on a magical roll.

3. Rosscup pitched 1.1 scoreless innings? Call him up!

   His ERA is down to 9.00!

   1. He is an AF wunderkid. Or maybe he is Zaidi’s and AF can trade him straight up for Smith.

4. I’m on your remember when list more than a couple of times! That’s why I run IT Infrastructure for a living and I’m not a GM. 😉 This team is so freaking fun to watch. Imagine how good they would be if Doc didn’t throw away 5-10 games with bad bullpen moves!

   I try not to get too excited over small sample sizes, but I can’t get enough of Will Smith. I sure hope he starts more games behind the dish.

   RVS is the MVP of this team. Sheesh, who would have thunk he would have this kind of effect?

   This team will be unbelievable after we pick up a late inning reliever or two.

   Verdugo and even Smith were both top prospects. Both are doing better than I would have thought. Sure, it isn’t outlandish to think Verdugo would hover around 300. Hell, a 352 OBP at this point in the season is completely reasonable from a rookie with his pedigree. His 489 slug isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. But, all the little things he does is off the charts! The defense, the routes, the arm, the clutch, moving runners, sac flies. This guy is everything you want in a ballplayer even if his stats don’t jump off the page. He’s quickly becoming one of my favorite players! Plus, he has the best walk up song, next to Will Smith of course!

   The other two rookies are the ones that I’m really surprised about. Beaty and Garlick are those blue collar types that you can’t help but be amazed with. I sadly wonder if one or both will be included in a deadline deal.

   June is almost done. Next up, D-Backs in the desert then off to Coors, where I’m always wary of injury. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we make it out of Coors healthy.

   Great Post MT!

5. Beaty and Garlick, our blue collar guys. Junior JT’s in the making. Just hope they don’t start growing their beards and getting funny haircuts.

   1. Aren’t they both shaved bald?

6. There is something good going on in the farm. These kids coming up are poised and ready to play Major League Baseball. Pitchers will adjust and then will our young players adjust. I think they will. This is great. Four rookies playing on the best team on baseball and contributing. Wow!

7. While I was all in on Kluber, I was certainly not for gutting the farm. A tad hyperbole?? But you are right I would have included Verdugo. I would still take Kluber, but always at the right price, and no Verdugo is not in that equation.

   I was all in on DJLM, and I still believe the Dodgers would have benefited with him. He certainly isn’t hurting the 2nd best team in MLB, and the Rockies miss him big time. Just because the Dodgers are winning and do not have DJLM does not mean that it was a great move to not sign him.

   I have already admitted I was wrong about Ryu, and wrote an article about it. I bow to all those who KNEW he would be this good. I have also suggested that the Dodgers try to extend him. He loves LA, he is comfortable in LA, and LA loves him. Sometimes money has to take a back seat.

   I was never for JTR, luke warm on Cervelli, but was an advocate for Yan Gomes. On the positive side, I was also an advocate for James McCann. But who knows how he would have performed with LAD.

   I was never against the Kyle Farmer trade, even though it included one of my favorite players, Alex Wood. It was a smart baseball move that opened the door for Alex Verdugo., and brought in two prospective major leaguers. I think Downs was thought of as the big prize, but I bet AF and his scouts were more impressed with Gray’s potential. You have to prune so that new sprouts will grow. That is why I am in favor of moving out a couple of players at AAA to move in Lux and Sheffield. Those AAA guys do not need to be released. For one, Shea Spitzbarth appears to be way overmatched at AAA. Move him back down.

   Many of our prognostications may not have turned out (or maybe they would have). But if GMs made all great moves all of the time, then we would have never heard the adage…”Some times the best trades are those that are never made.” In this case, I would much prefer to be wrong than right.

8. Rumor that Gonsolin is next man up. No word on who he might be replacing.

   1. My guess would be Caleb to OKC from the 25 man, and Cingrani to the 60 Day IL.

      1. Wonder if he spot starts tomorrow since called up today. That would give Urias and extra day rest even if he piggybacks with a Stripling start

         Suspect 5 inning is most would expect from any of those three so bullpen will pitch at least 4 innings in one of those games

         1. I think AF still wants to go with a 6 man rotation for another turn through the rotation. I agree with your assessment that Gonsolin would be paired with Strip. They have an open date on July 1. That should be enough for them to get through the AS Break where they can re-establish their 5 man rotation.

9. Being a die hard Blue fan, I’m elated..
   MT, you had a easy write today, in that looking back is a fool man’s wisdom…
   I’m still concerned with 2B!!! I know Muncy is doing great, but defense wins pennants…
   I’m a big Martin fan and especially his Pop who works the subways entertaining folks, but he is bad, real bad… I’d go with Smith till he can’t do it…
   Gotta have breakfast…
   Go Blue

   1. DJLM sure would have been a nice defensive 2B, although I do like Muncy’s clutch bat. Max and Freese at 1B would have been fine with me. Not a strict platoon, but with Freese as a role player.

10. In the seventies I grew up watching “The Infield” and loved Cey, Lopes and Garvey in that order. I was luke warm on Russell, but he definitely had an impact on that team. One by one they were traded off, except Russell of course. The heart breaker for me was Cey. I remember hearing the mantra “Better a year too early, than a year too late” at the time when trading away your players. That matra applies to Puig perfectly, if not better. AF traded him off at the perfect time and got a couple of kids that will help the team, one way or another, in the future. AF is smarter than all of us, and he’s damn good at him job. But, he needs to win the ultimate prize in order to seal the deal. Go get some bullpen help!

11. FYI; SI article on the state of bullpens inMLB

    https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/06/24/nationals-orioles-bullpen-record-home-runs

    1. Good article. Things are a changing…

       “Look at it this way,” said Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman. “If you bring four or five relievers into a game every night, what are the chances that one of them is going to have a bad night? Pretty good, right? And if you do use four or five relievers every night, there’s going to be an attrition factor. As hitters, we’ve gone back to the idea of ‘Let’s get into their bullpen.’”

       This is exactly my point about making a pitching change like we did the other night bringing in Ferguson after Yimi strikes out the only batter he faced. An unnecessary move to take out a reliever who did his job to bring in another reliever who may or may not be at his best.

12. Mark, let’s get tequila this time at the Ravine! Perfect timing too, as I return from Wash DC around the same time, so I’ll definitely see you when you’re in LA.

    It’s crazy to think that we’re 13 games up on Colorado, and it’s still June. We have about 14 weeks to go of this long pre-season until the real thing starts. In the meantime, I hope we give Will Smith a legit shot at building up a rapport with the pitching staff. Yes, I think a rookie catcher can lead us into October, but he needs the reps starting now.

    Kersh v Greinke tonight. Should be a fun one!

13. So, what I take from today’s post is that most fans are reactionary, don’t see the big picture and would do all kinds of dumb things if they were in charge. About covers it.

    1. There’s still hope for us. Maybe we can get a job as the Red’s GM.

14. I say two Smith’s on the playoff roster get a WS title for us this year!

15. Wow, is this Camelot or what. These rookies in the clutch make it easy to forget the fact that the Dodgers still need bullpen help with potential closer help. My thanks to Bud Black for walking Russell Martin who was having a miserable day. Dodger player development is awesome and I keep waiting for some of that to rub off on Kike’s bat. I don’t know if I would be doing too much tweaking of personnel despite their needs. This chemistry is so good. But, while this is fun, the brass ring is in October / November. It seems like this really has to be the year.

16. Mushers Pop posted an article that I was going to do tomorrow, but it’s a lot better than mine would have been. Essentially, most teams are having bullpen issues. That was the premise of what I was going to write. I think AF will get another arm. We will see Gonsolin and go from there.

    On Max Muncy: He is not a natural at 2B and he is even worse at 3B, but I think the best thing they can do it not move him around. Keep him at 2B and I think he will grow every game. He works very hard, but he’s not a glove guy naturally. If he only plays 2B, I think that by the end of the season, he will be above-average… and I can live with that. You can move Kike, CT3 and Cody around… Max is not that guy. Let him be and he will bloom where he is planted.

    1. I tend to agree about Muncy. I think he will settle in at 2B. I am concerned about turning two though. It’s one of the Dodgers weaker places defensively.
       ~
       I keep wondering if Joc at 1st is better than an OF of Joc/RH player, AJ, Verdugo with Bellinger at 1st. If he’s worse than Freese defensively he doesn’t belong out there in the playoffs. There’s definitely a drop off defensively in the OF without Cody but the drop off at 1st could be regretful. Time will tell I guess.

       1. I totally agree and while most will have you believe the decision on Joc at 1B and Cody staying in RF is not set in stone. A lot can happen including Joc being dealt for a reliever! AF keeps this team fluid.

          MLBTR says AF is looking to add an impact player at the deadline. I would NOT bet against that happening. So again, things can, will, most likely change.

    2. I remember the Phillies winning a World Series when Chase Utley was a below average second baseman.

       1. Below average “defensive” second baseman.

    3. Muncy has stated that 2B is his favorite position and that he feels most comfortable there.

17. The future of the catching position will be interesting to watch. Will Smith is definitely ahead of schedule. I know he was always considered a defense first catcher but I always thought his offensive struggles were overblown. Smith always had good .OPS numbers. When he got hot, he got promoted. His offensive struggles in the minors were always directly after promotions. He got a taste of AAA last year so I wasn’t surprised that he was hitting this year at that level. His so-far smooth transition to the MLB is forcing their hand. If his game calling is up to speed he’s going to force his way into the lineup ahead of Barnes.
    ~
    The glut of catching prospects in the Dodgers system may make Ruiz available. I know he’s much much younger than the competition he’s facing but we haven’t seen the progression from last year yet. At his age he’s got plenty of time to progress so no one is writing him off
    ~
    Other than Alvarez, at this point the Dodgers have kept all the correct prospects to hang on to and that’s not a criticism of the job Fields did. So, I trust Friedman to make the correct decision. I don’t see Lux, May, or Gonsolin going anywhere. If the Dodgers want Brad Hand I see Cleveland wanting to replace the young catcher they dealt away to SD to get Hand.

    1. Ruiz for Hand.
       Esteves for Smith.
       White, Stewart, Floro, Garcia….

18. I don’t think dealing with Zaidi to get Smith will be as easy or as friendly as some might think. FZ is a fantasy football legend and if he applies the same mindset to his real profession he will be tough to deal with. https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-zaidi-fantasy-football-20180223-story.html

    I agree with the majority that we need at least one more BP arm. I am not fully onboard with the need for another RH bat. Our run differential is currently the best in baseball at 133. Minnesota is in second place at 105. No other teams are even in the hundreds. I think our offense is doing just fine. Keep the home grown prospects on the farm.

    1. That Zaidi dynamic is an interesting one. I have no doubt that he would deal with the Dodgers and I have no doubt that deep down he would truly like to see the Dodgers finish it off and win a title. Much like Coletti felt about the Giants and Cubs. However, he certainly knows our farm system top to bottom even the hidden gems that the talking heads don’t mention. He already took a look at Connor Joe through the rule 5 draft. He’s going to know the predicament the Dodgers are in and he isn’t just going to give us Will Smith. I do feel like Zaidi is easier to make a deal with than AF though.

19. I don’t like Muncy at 2B or Joc at 1B. You have to get their bats in there somehow though.

    While I don’t think that Taylor will ever return to 2017 levels or Kike to last year, both have value – they are RHH, they offer good defense and positional flexibility.

    The Dodgers are obviously on a tremendous roll right now. I think that this team could be as good as 2017. They could be better if they fix the bullpen.

    Saying that everyone has a bad bullpen doesn’t solve the Dodgers’ bullpen problem. When Roberts pulls some starter after pitching 4 innings they will need quality arms to shut down a team like the Yankees, Astros, Cubs, Red Sox, etc. Jansen is shaky but isn’t the biggest problem – at this point the only guy that you can point to as a “bridge to Jansen” is El Gasolino himself, Baez. If he is your only consistent middle reliever you have a problem. If the Braintrust has a blind spot, it has been fixing the bullpen. They struck gold in 2017 but struck out every other season and last year’s acquitions (Madsen, Axford and Rosscup) were not stellar. If they want to win it all it will have to be better this year.

20. The only one on the list that I’m guilt of is #17 and only somewhat guilty. I’ve questioned some of Dave Robert’s decisions. I’ve never said fire him though.

    This Dodger offense is very good. If the pitching does its job, good things will happen. Of course injuries can mess things up, lets hope not.

    To me this is the best Dodger team since the 80’s when I was growing up.

21. I’m still puzzled about why the powers that be are trying/wanting Peterson to play 1B. What is the plan when everyone gets healthy?
    Is this all about A.J. Pollock? In 103 at bats this season Pollock has a 617 OPS, 532 vs righties, 827 vs lefties. Seems to me that if Roberts wants to get Pollock in the lineup he is not blocked because Peterson apparently can’t hit lefties but Pollock can.
    Can someone fill me in on this?

    1. BB – maybe it’s because Pollock was feeling his elbow?

       I think most of the 30 teams in MLB would like the problem of what to do with AJP.

       What an epic weekend to be a Dodgers fan.

    2. Joc Peterson at 1B experiment. Is it that Dave Roberts who was a CF himself when he was playing, thinks that you need the best defensive CF playing everyday even if you have to sacrifice some offense, and he thinks Pollock is that guy? By the way that’s why I have a grudge with Dave Roberts. When he was playing for the Dodgers he had no power and his OBP didn’t impress me either, but yet there he was playing CF everyday and batting 1st/leadoff and what made it worse the Dodgers had a SS named Izturis who was identicle to Roberts playing everyday either batting 2nd or 8th which made for 3 automatic outs when you include the pitcher.

       Or is it that Roberts aticipates a lot of pinch hitting come the playoffs and wants as much flexibilty as possible?

       If its the first situation, I have news for Dave Roberts, there is a guy named Alex Verdugo who is playing a pretty damn good CF with great offensive production.

       1. Rick Monday on the Dodgers pre game show answered my question about Joc Peterson playing 1B and any what would seem like weird positioning. It’s because they have such a big lead that they want to give guys some extra time off to avoid injuries and just experiment with some things.

22. Pollock will be a difference maker in the 2nd half and come playoff time when he’s healthy and playing full time. Joc’s playing first base to get his bat in the lineup rather than Kiki’s against righties

23. When seager gets back put Taylor at second base. It seems as singing the blue Taylor has started hitting with regular at bats. Platoon pollock and joc. I don’t care how much money pollock is paid he is not a great player. He is a streaky player who could best serve us hitting lefties. Make muncy the first basemen with freese getting some starts and muncy starting at second when needed. Kike can play against some lefties. Doc in some cases should just play the hot hand. When seager and pollock are back the depth will allow doc to play the hot hand. I think our biggest issue is when turner needs a break please no more muncy. I agree with mt move muncy as little as possible.

    Against lefties: muncy 1b, Taylor 2b, seager ss, turner 3b, smith c, bellinger rf, verdugo cf, pollock lf Against righties: same infield with joc in left pollock out. Use kike as late inning defensive replacement at second, freese top ph, freese could start in playoffs some with muncy moving to second. Starting playoff rotation: ryu, buehler 1 and 2, kershaw 3, urias 4 with hill lefty setup and maeda righty setup. This is if all healthy and no trades are made.

    1. I tend to agree. However, Pollock has never really been a “lefty killer”. I believe his numbers were quite bad against lefties last year. Who knows the way Beaty and Smith are hitting, come playoff time we maybe asking how do we keep Beaty in the lineup more than how do we get AJ back in the lineup.
       `
       As far as the list above goes. My problem with the Reds deal was moving these guys to get Verdugo in was one thing, but to make room for an injury prone player like AJ was another. I’m not in the locker room or the training room so to throw in the money that they did to move Wood and Puig out made little sense to me at the time. I don’t know what Wood’s attitude was nor do I know if the Dodgers thought he had future injury problems, but for the most part I think he’s a good pitcher when he’s not pitching behind in the count. After taking Bailey’s contract for Kemp’s it seemed excessive to throw in that amount of cash. If the kid pitching at RC becomes a stud then it’s a winning deal for the Dodgers without a doubt. However, we all thought the Dodgers won the 3-way deal with the Reds and White Sox a few years back, but that didn’t turn out to be the case really. I hope AJ has a huge postseason and I will happily eat crow about him.

24. No 28.
    Yordan Alvarez through his first 12 MLB games – .333/.429/.813 with 7 homers and 16 RBIs.

    AF hasn’t got everything right with his Prospect evaluation.

    1. Wouldn’t that be a positive for the front office?

    2. 9 starts at DH, 3 in LF. He evaluated him as a DH and shipped him off because we don’t get to use one.

       1. Didn’t exactly get a Kings Ransom for him though

25. Has anyone noticed the SSS of the 4 rookies?
    Garlick – .318
    Smith – .318
    Verdugo – .302
    Beaty – .333
    Small sample size, but really good!

    1. fantastic

26. There was no way Wood could crack our starting lineup and he’s a horrible reliever. And if you’re still wondering why we got rid of Puig then there’s no hope for you

    1. If your comment is directed at me, I was just referring back to Mark’s list of things people have been wrong about. I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong and will happily do so about Pollock. He’s usually good for about 1 month a season. I hope it is during this year’s post-season. Despite last season, Wood had prior success as a relief pitcher. I think his problem was that he was unhappy being in the pen. He’s probably better than Maeda, but with Urias in the wings, he wasn’t going to pitch in the rotation without injuries.

27. Here’s a post from October 2019. Told you Pollock is a stud!

28. Apparently Gonsolin is being called up to the show according to thinkbluela.com.

    1. Been looking forward to watching him pitch. Excellent

    2. Per Doc to Ken Gurnick and other reporters, Gonsolin will start Wednesday against Tony Clarke.

29. I have tickets for July 19th. I hope to meet up for a beer. My tickets are on the executive level so I’ve not sure they will let me down to the field. With your pull, You may have to come on up to my level. I bought a 20 game mini plan this year. I really like this section, not very crowded and you get a server. Hope to see you then.

    1. Actually, now they allow you to walk/escalate/elevator up and down the stadium. It’s pretty cool

30. Today’s lineup vs Greinke:

    Joc (1b)
    Verdugo
    JT
    Belly
    Muncy (2b)
    CT3
    Kike (Lf)
    Barnes
    Kersh

31. What a great time to be a Dodger fan. Someone mentioned above that this was the best team since the 80’S. Since I’ve around to watch them from ’58 I’d have to say the 70’s teams. But, with their depth I feel this team is the best… LA Dodger team ever. Even with their high wire bullpen now, the bullpen use back in the 70’s was way different than today. So, it’s hard to compare. Still leaning to this year’s team though.

    Additional thoughts:
    Mark, agree with you on Eric Karros. I usually don’t pay much attention or care about the color guy on a broadcast, but I found myself saying “Eric, shut the f — up…. please. He was just saying things just to be saying things. Added no value to the broadcast. With some silence after his comments, it seemed Joe Davis was probably thinking the same thing. As bad as Karros is Charlie is still far worse i.e. – yesterday….Smith it’s a popup to right center….pause… it’s carrying….pause… it’s a home run………. really?
    Biggest disappointment – Kiki. The way he finished last year and his start this year I was so happy to see him finally reach his potential. He is totally lost at the plate with no pitch recognition or plate discipline. No hitting the ballto the opposite field. Back to being a backup. Such a waste of talent.
    Biggest surprise – Just about everything else this team is doing. Ryu is a marvel. He did pitch well in his last game, but the defense cost him runs and many additional pitches. He could have easily pitch to the 8th. Verdugo is amazing. Hitting around .300 and providing solid defense in CF. Cody has become one of the best in baseball. After last year, who saw that coming. Con’t success for Mad Max. The ever improving overall play of Seager (until his injury). Consistent play and leadership of JT and Freese.
    Room for improvement – catcher. I’m done with Austin Barnes. His defense is OK, but come on, offensively he is awful. Rarely, a competitive at bat. Martin is hitting OK and defense is good in most cases (why in the hell would you try and one hand a hard and accurate throw with the runner 20 feet from home plate?). Problem with Russell is that he can’t play everyday and is injury prone. I know Will Smith has been impressive offensively so far and is hitting above his skill level , but why not give him a shot? I think he is the best catcher defensively and just needs to work with the staff. And. if he can hit can hit .250 or so with some power why should Barnes be starting? Give him a chance. Continue the Rookie magic.
    Joc Pederson – First base??? Why? We already have 4 1B. He looks ridiculous out there. The one reason he may playing there is to increase his trade value. I love his power, but he doesn’t may much else to offer offensively. You watch. He’ll continue his current slump until the trade deadline (like last year) to reduce his chances of being traded and then play decent the rest of the year. I say use him as a trade chip for a reliever.
    The bullpen – If the bullpen remains this inconsistent (I’m not comfortable at all when the bullpen comes in) I think we should trade for not one, but two top of the line 8-9 inning guys. Kenley scares the hell out of me. With this talented team if now isn’t the time to overkill the bullpen then when is it? We have plenty of depth on the 25 and minor leagues to accomplish this. Prospects are just that, prospects. There is no guarantees either way. And, AF has been pretty good at keeping the best talent while obtaining some high end talent in return. Last year was a frickin disaster with the pitchers he ended up getting. The Cubs traded their top prospect for Chapman and won the world series. That’s the commitment AF has to make this year ( if necessary). Forget the salary cap penalties, they would be minimal at worst, and we will be way under next year. It’s been 31 years and I can’t watch another 1988 retrospective.

    110 wins and world series here we come….GO DODGERS!!!

    1. Good take ted. I agree 100% with the Karros comments. Just way too much talking. Orel gets a little too technical sometimes, but I think he and Joe generally make a very good team. Charlie is ready for full retirement. He’s half way there, so it may not be too much longer. I wouldn’t mind seeing Monday follow him out the door, but since I follow the team almost 100% on tv, just give me Joe and Orel with a little Nomar thrown in and I’m fine. I know there are some out there who really hate Joe and Orel so to each his own. Just don’t compare anyone to Vin. It isn’t fair.

       Your thought about playing Joc at first to increase his trade value is an interesting one. If he would help get an elite reliever, I’d be in favor. When Pollock was healthy, they didn’t platoon him so if they plan to play him every day when he gets back, that leaves no room for Joc except at first. Beaty and Garlick have increased their trade value over the past couple of weeks and I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of them included in a trade for a reliever.

       I hope Friedman is a good chess player. Those skills would sure help heading into the trade deadline.

32. A couple takes on the Dodgers’ player development. After the 3 rookie walk offs, all the MLB pundits are saying how the Dodgers have a good farm system and that they’ve done really well with scouting and drafting. True. But that’s an oversimplification that leaves out some key elements of what the Dodgers do to set themselves apart.

    1. Advanced analytics for player development – the Dodgers are able to profile player performance with an incredible amount of data. It’s clear that they use data to determine how mechanical adjustments could potentially yield better results. e.g., Will Smith was always known as a defense first catcher. They worked with him on some swing adjustments and now he’s hitting fingers like never before in his career.

    2. Consistent philosophy and approach at all levels – it’s not a coincidence that minor leaguers called up to the big club are contributing right away. They use the same terminology and emphasize the same approaches. You can’t underestimate how important it is to be comfortable and understand how to fit in. Zaidi gets Connor Joe and Bochy just drops him right into the lineup as a starter. Joe, in a completely different system, struggled mightily until the Giants DFA’d him. I would bet that if he gets called up to the Dodgers this season, he will perform much better simply because he understands what is expected.

    3. Player development continues at the MLB level. The Dodgers look for guys who are grinders, guys who will work relentlessly to improve their game and to help their team win. That’s why Kershaw and JT are the leaders in that clubhouse. How many times have you read about JT giving tips to Seager and Bellinger on hitting breaking pitches during cage sessions? How many times have you seen Buehler come off the mound and have an intense dugout discussion with Kersh to review his performance? In 2017, there was a well documented incident where Verdugo (in AAA at only 21 years old) was a September callup but overslept and missed a team meeting. He got a tongue lashing from none other than Rich Hill. After failing to make the big club in 2018, Verdugo looked in the mirror and asked himself what it would take to get teammates to accept him in the clubhouse. To his credit, he made some attitude adjustments and now we are seeing a great rookie campaign.

    When AF gets interviewed, he likes to talk about a team culture that the Dodgers strive for – I believe these are specific elements that go into that culture.

33. Stripling starts tomorrow. Gonsolin on Wednesday. There will have to be some movement on both the 40-man and 25-man rosters in order to accommodate his call up. The 40-man can be solved by moving Cingrani to the 60-day IL. The 25-man presents a number of possibilities: Chargois to OKC, Ferguson to OKC, Garlick to OKC, Beaty to OKC, Martin to the IL with a hangnail. I tend to think that they’ll want to keep the pitchers around because of two consecutive bullpen games. Based on the way Martin handled that throw at home plate yesterday and their wanting to give Smith some catching time, we may find out he pulled something when reaching for the throw. 🙂

    1. Their talking about Martin playing 3B on Wednesday’s day game which I find confusing because Smith has played more 3B than Martin.

34. LOL LMAO This offense is awesome. Its all up to the pitching.

    1. there’s your answer?

35. Time for some 9th inning magic.

36. Christian walker 3 for 6 vs. kershaw 3 homeruns

37. Who’s that bum pitching for the Dodgers tonight? 🙂

    1. Some pitcher who needs to develop a change-up. 90 MPH center cut FB’s aren’t going to cut it at Chase Ball Park.

38. Would someone please explain to me why Kiki ever plays against right handed pitching?!!!!!!!!

39. Nothing against Taylor and Hernandez but you need a contact hitter batting 6th or 7th to drive in runs. Verdugo got the job done when he was there and Beaty so far has done the job. Roberts batting Taylor. Hernandez, Barnes, Pitcher is not going to do the job. I like all 3 of them but don’t bat them back to back to back and pitcher after.

40. Are we trying to win games or are we experimenting? Because Floro sucks against left handed hitting both this season and his career. I’m asking because of the playoffs, is Roberts that stupid or are we experiminting?

41. Floro vs 3 lefties. What could happen? I had a bad feeling when he entered. I think lefties are hitting about .400 against him now. That’s the downside to being committed to piggybacking Urias with Stripling.

42. Just another night in the pen!

43. Floro=garbage!

44. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.

45. Why is Nomar a Dodger brodcaster? His career was with the Red Sox?

46. Nomar grew up as a Dodger fan, and attended games at Dodger Stadium in his youth. And in case you forgot, he got to come home and end his playing career in Dodger blue.

47. Correction – Nomar played with the Dodgers 2006-08, but ended his career with Oakland in 2009.

48. Gonsulon needs to pitch 8 innings so he can be another rookie to hit a ninth inning home run.

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