The Manager’s Role
Let me start this off by saying that anyone who doesn’t believe that “All of us are smarter than any one of us” probably is not a coach, manager, scout or part of the Dodger brain-trust! Some fans think that the Dodgers front office makes out the lineups and that Andrew Friedman is this “control freak.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Dave Roberts is the manager and it is his duty to make out the lineups… and he does just that. However, it is not without input in the form of “data” from the front office.
The role of the baseball manager has evolved into something different than it was 10 years ago… maybe even 5 years ago as analytics have taken the spotlight. The front office and the manager and coaches have regular meetings to help Doc make better decisions what lineups to use and where players can best succeed. These are “brainstorming sessions” that are backed with a plethora of data.
We often say something like this: “Why is Roberts having that LH batter hit against a RH pitcher when he has reverse splits?” That’s the data we have in our “pea brains” and on its face, it makes no sense. However, I guarantee that the data Doc has tells us where a pitcher is most likely to throw a certain pitch and the hitters’ ability to hit a certain pitch in a certain zone.
The hitting coaches and pitching coaches meet with the analytics people daily to formulate game plans, so that when Kike Hernandez comes in to pinch hit against a RHP, you can bet your sweet bippy that the data causes the coaches to believe that Kike can handle certain pitches in certain zones and that the pitcher is likely to deliver a pitch in that zone. In fact, they may go as far as to say “Until you get two strikes, only look for a pitch in Zone 2. Don’t swing at anything else.”
Gone are the days when a manager manages with his gut: “I just had a gut feeling he was going to get a hit,” although that can always come into play once in a while. Baseballs most successful managers in terms of winning percentage: Aaron Boone, Alex Cora, AJ Hinch, Joe Maddon, and Dave Roberts are all data managers. They have access to so much more data than we do and the front office and analytics staff help them decipher what it all means. However, when it comes right down to it, they all make out their own lineups, unless you are Mickey Callaway who works for that control freak Brodie Van Wagenen, who has been known to call the dugout and tell Callaway what to do. Geeeezzzz!
Dave Roberts is not perfect and fans like to blame the manager when things go wrong, but “it’s the players” when things go right. Dave Roberts does an excellent job of managing the clubhouse and many people believe that the tight-knit clubhouse is a collaboration of the front office and the manager and coaches. Moody, selfish players are persona non grata. Dave Roberts sets the tone for that as he is in the process of managing his third team in a row into the World Series. That would indeed be a feat that no other Dodger manager has accomplished. Of course, Andrew Friedman and Company have given him the horses to get there, haven’t they? It is a collaboration… just like the lineups are a collaboration.
A Seller’s Market
Baseball is evolving in many ways. One of those ways is how teams value older and younger players. The MLBPA is upset with the current state of free agency. They feel that players are not getting the big contracts that they deserve… and that is going to be a huge point of contention in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. The simple fact of the matter is that most GM’s have finally figured out that huge deals to aging players seldom work out.
I believe that even the contracts to Manny Machado and Bryce Harper were “dope-fiend moves” that will haunt those teams for years. Conversely, the value of prospects, TOP PROSPECTS have soared. I was going to write about what is likely to happen, but Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com beat me to the punch and said it better than I could:
With the best record in baseball at the break, the Dodgers are on a breakaway for their seventh consecutive National League West title and it’s hard to envision they need to make any changes to win it.
What happens once they reach the postseason, as they’ve shown the past six years, is an entirely different subject. The bullpen has been the most obvious vulnerability this year, but finding an impactful upgrade will be a real challenge because the supply/demand equation favors the sellers and the pool of players available is possibly smaller than ever.
And this year for the Dodgers in particular, the specter of the Yordan Alvarez trade for Josh Fields is the elephant in the ballpark. You never know when the teenager nobody’s ever heard of turns into the next David Ortiz … but you traded him for a reliever you released.Current status: buyer
The Dodgers are buyers because they’re always buyers, but that doesn’t mean they’re spenders. They usually pass on the biggest names available when they are the most expensive names available, with Manny Machado last summer being the biggest exception. But the Dodgers lead the league in creativity, so you never really know what they’re up to.What they are seeking
Sure, they’d like Will Smith-the-reliever, Brad Hand, etc. About 23 teams do. But this management team does not trade away its top prospects. If it did, Julio Urias, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler or Will Smith-the-catcher would have been dealt for a quick fix during a previous Trade Deadline. They won’t knowingly overpay, and with so many teams in the Wild Card race and the jobs of general managers riding in the balance, somebody else will overpay. So the Dodgers are more likely to settle for a Tony Watson-type bullpen arm.What they have to offer
This is another reason why the Dodgers are not likely to pull down a marquee name. Most of their prospects are on the young side and most teams willing to trade a marquee name want MLB-ready talent in return. Keibert Ruiz, Gavin Lux, Dustin May and Smith are the Dodgers’ top four prospects, the kind that can land a marquee name, the kind this management doesn’t trade.While a veteran like Joc Pederson appears expendable with the return of outfielder A.J. Pollock, another trait of this management team is to not trade away players off the roster that have been first-half contributors, preferring to package Minor Leaguers instead, like last year’s 5-for-1 Machado deal.
Possible scenario
A best-case-scenario might be Detroit right-hander Shane Greene in a deal for a pair of prospects not named Ruiz/Lux/May/Smith. Maybe they’ll acquire a starter to turn into a reliever, or one that would allow for turning Kenta Maeda into a reliever. Or maybe they’ll go back in time and reacquire Watson of the Giants or Daniel Hudson of the Blue Jays. The Dodgers acquired both before and they play for two of the few teams out of the race so they should come relatively cheaply.
I believe that Hudson and Watson are the best possibilities… all things considered. Vasquez would be awesome, but I do not believe Friedman will trade a TOP 5 prospect.
At any rate, AJ Pollock, Corey Seager, and David Freese will be back and playing tonight at a ballpark in Boston. Let the second half begin.
DC’s Minor League Lowdown
DSL Dodgers (Bautista) – Rays (1) 0
Two pitchers did all the work in this game. Heisell Baro pitched 5 innings on 2 hits, one walk, and 4 strikeouts. Axel Acevedo pitched a clean 4 innings with 5 strikeouts.
The Dodgers scored 3 in the 2nd on RBI singles by Jose Garcia and Jose Aguilar and a ground out. They scored another run in the 3rd on a single by Harold Restituyo and 2 in the 7th on a sac fly and a wild pitch. Restituyo had 3 hits.
DSL Dodgers (Shoemaker) 1 – DSL Cubs 11
All 4 pitchers gave up runs to the Cubs; Hugo Beltran (5 IP) 2 runs, Eli Moron (3 IP) 4 runs, Raidel Chacon (0.1 IP) 4 runs, Frankelyn Feliz (0.2 IP) 1 run.
The lone run scored in the 4th by Juan Diaz. All 3 Cubs hits came in the 4th inning.
AZL Dodgers Mota and Lasorda were not scheduled
Ogden Raptors 13 – Idaho Falls Chukars (Kansas City) 5
Starter Antonio Hernandez and Nelfri Contreras combined for 6 innings and 5 runs. Melvin Jimenez pitched 2 innings striking out 6 with no hits and a walk. Jeff Belge loaded the bases in the 9th but Ricardo Hernandez came in to get the third out and strand all 3 runners.
The Raptors continued the fireworks beginning with a home run by Brandon Lewis in the 2nd and scoring 6 in the 4th on a Sauryn Lao single, a 2-out Jeremy Arocho 2-run double and an Andy Pages 3-run home run. Sauryn doubled home another run in the 5th while Brandon Lewis doubled home 2 more. Two gift runs came home in the 7th on a ground out and a wild pitch. Tre Todd put the topper on it with a home run in the 9th. Lewis, Ward, Todd, Arocho all had 2 hits.
Great Lakes Loons 3 – Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota)1
Jack Little (5th round -2019) started for the Loons. He was a closer with Stanford in 2018 and 2019. He had his second good start going 3 innings with 2 hits, no walks, and 2 strikeouts. He is on an innings limit of 3 innings or a pitch limit of 45. On Thursday he threw 37 pitches, 26 for strikes. Justin Bruihl pitched a scoreless inning while Jose Chacin finished up with 5 innings in which he gave a solo home run on his first pitch and ended up retiring the last 11 hitters he faced.
The Loons scored 2 in the top of the 7th on a Leonel Valera single driving home Matt Cogen and James Outman. They picked up an insurance run in the top of the 9th on a Chris Roller single, an inning that featured a double steal by the Loons. Roller had 2 hits giving him an 11-game hit streak and a 24-game on-base streak.
Ranch Cucamonga Quakes 8 – San Jose Giants 4
Geraldo Carrillo started with 2 scoreless inning with 3 strikeouts and gave way to Wills Montgomerie who surrendered 4 runs in 5 innings. He did strike out 6. Connor Strain and Darien Nunez finished up with a scoreless inning each.
At the plate the Quakes put up a 3-spot in the 3rd on a Jeren Kendall 2-run double and a Jeter Downs SF. One more came home in the 6th on a bases loaded walk with 3 more in the 7th on a Connor Wong 2-run triple and a Deacon Liput single. Donovan Casey drove home an additional run in the 8th with a single. Liput and Casey had 2 hits each.
Tulsa Drillers 5 – Northwest Arkansas Naturals ( Kansas City) 2
Victor Gonzalez started for the Drillers and left after 1.2 scoreless innings in which he gave up 2 hits and walked one. Logan Bawcom came on to replace Gonzalez and pitched 6.1 innings allowing one run on 6 hits while striking out 6. Jordan Sheffield came on in the 9th and allowed the first 4 hitters he faced to get on base, 2 with walks and 2 hits, with one run scoring. The winning run came to the plate with the bases loaded but he was able to get out of it with a 97 mph fastball and a wicked curve ball.
The Drillers scored one in the 2nd on a Drew Avans single and one in the 5th on an Omar Estevez SF. Cody Thomas made it 3-1 in the 6th with a solo home run. They added 2 more in the 8th on a 2-out double by Drew Avans. Zach McKinstry, batting in the leadoff spot, had his second straight 3-hit game, going 3-5. Avans and Estevez had 2 hits each.
OKC Dodgers 8 – Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis) 6
Dustin May made his first post All-Star start and over 5 innings he gave up 5 hits, 4 runs (3 ER), walked 3 and struck out 3. Shea Spitzbarth, Jaime Schultz and Josh Sborz all contributed a scoreless inning while Justin Grimm gave up 2 runs on 3 hits in his inning. Schultz picked up the win while Sborz collected his second save.
Offensively the Dodgers scored 2 in the top of the first on a Zach Reks single scoring DJ Peters who had doubled and Edwin Rios who had walked. Gavin Lux drove home one in the 2nd with a single. Lux proceeded to bring home 3 more in the 6th with a 2-out 3-run double. Tied at 6 in the top of the 9th, Edwin Rios hit a solo home run and Connor Joe brought in another run with a SF. Besides Lux with his two hits, Kyle Garlick had 2 and DJ Peters had a 3-hit night.
I think I would like to see some version of WAR be the basis of player salaries.
Good write up M.T. – MLB salaries, as I’ve often said, make me spit up a little in the back of my throat…
Here we go again with Doc!!! You may have opened up the proverbial can of worms!!! We all know that at the end of the day Doc goes to his office, plugs into his Vulcan energizer to be ready for the next day… The FO makes all managerial moves from a suite at the ballpark…
I can’t see Harper, but Manny till age 35, I could see as our everyday SS with Seager at 2B…
Last but not least, thanks to A.C. for an epic look at the LAD system yesterday. I run copies of many of the posts by MT, AC and DC for a neighborhood in house rehab I volunteer at… My current group is Dodger strong, with the exception of one Yankee fan…
you’re a good man, PeterJ
2nd that.
Peterj, that’s noble of you to help out others that can use some help. Thanks for giving back.
I’m optimistic that Seager could stick at short for some time, but Lux is gonna make that a tough decision. Corey, like Urias it’s easy to forget how good they are and how young they are. I’m looking for a big second half for both and some monster years to come. I just hope they can stay healthy for the rest of the year. I remember that the Dodgers were concerned about Konerko’s hips and traded him off. What a mistake the Dodgers and Reds made on that one.
I’m ready for the second half, but not exuberant about Maeda and Stripling lined up to start the Sox series. But, with a 13.5 game lead and the others pitching in the big game, I understand the strategy to get them a little rest. Sadly, the Red Sox are much better against right handers than they are against left handers. With three guys coming off the DL at the same time, I’m anticipating some rust. Facing nothing but lefties, Freese and Pollock have their work cut out for them.
Not touching the Roberts subject with a 10 foot pole. I don’t hate him, but I don’t love him either. It’s a little personal after he almost ran me over in Spring Training after he ran a red light.
Lux could stick at SS, moving Seager to 3b. Or Lux could start his transition to 2b now, and be ready to be a double play combo with Seager for the next 5-7 years. Then again, Muncy might become our full time 2b. Maybe CT3 takes over 2b the rest of the year and stays hot. Or maybe JT moves to 1b to save his body, and Seager goes to 3b. Or maybe Devin Mann or Jeter Downs makes it really interesting for 2b/ss. Or maybe Kody Hoese shoots up the system and is ready for 3b faster than we all thought.
It’s crazy how much talent (and young talent aside from JT) is in this system!!
Totally agree – stacked!
Again with the Roberts driving episode. Get over it, Brian.
Rudy, a friendly reminder to be aware of the percent of your comments that tend to tell someone to stop saying things that they like to say.
You wouldn’t be referring to Joc would you, Bum? :0)
Who’s Brian? 59?
Should I be concerned? I feel a little violated, stalked.
Rudy, it’s very flattering that you read my comments to the last sentence and you even know my real name. Stop pretending like you don’t like me.
Dodgers are interested in Mathew Boyd, Detroit Tigers lefty and former Oregon State pitcher. Oregon State has a great baseball program and a tandem of Buehler-Vanderbelt / Boyd-Oregon State would have a good pedigree.
Boyd at age 28 seems to have evolved from a #4/5 to a #1/2. Has anybody read where his fastball got faster or he added a pitch, or added command?
If the Dodgers were to add Boyd the rotation might not need Ryu should Ryu want a 3 or 4 year contract or prefer to finish his career in South Korea.
Not overly impressed with Boyd at this time but, I agree, OSU has a great program.
I think we all agree that the bullpen needs help and it’s going to cost some decent prospects to get anyone worth having. Why then, would Friedman want to spend those or other good prospects on obtaining a starter (even a decent starter such as Boyd) when we already have good starters. Just doesn’t make sense to me. I’d rather keep the prospects go with the starters we have.
I totally agree. It’s a left handed relief pitcher or nothing for me.
I agree with Rudy. I’ll add that I don’t there’s legitimate interest in Boyd and it’s just one of those weird rumors you hear about that don’t make a lot of sense.
A big fat NO on Boyd.
In the latest FanGraphs podcast, they talk a little about Dodger prospects.
Very high on May.
Think Lux’s throwing issues are legit, and he could end at 2B.
Intimate Ruiz will be moved.
Not directed at you Bluto, but why is it that so many want to keep Lux at SS and move Corey Seager. Fans see what Gavin does with the bat and seem to think he needs to stick at SS. I agree with FanGraphs in that Lux’s arm is questionable, and Seager is a legit GG contender. It is not that it is bad, but he is no Corey Seager defensively. Seager is arguably one of the top 3 best SS in all of Baseball. He is a legit AS SS at the MLB level. Why do so many want to move him?
It is entirely plausible that Lux will not break camp next year on the 25-man roster. Where is he going to play? The NL is not going to consider the DH until the 2022 season at the earliest. Therefore Max is going to play, and right now he is playing mostly at 2B. Max could go to 1B full time next year and open the 2B spot, but it is also plausible that the Dodgers wait until JT’s contract runs out, and maybe try Lux at 3B. Gavin is a potential 20 HR guy, so he would not be out of place at 3B. The Dodgers will look to find a spot for Lux somewhere next year, but he could be bouncing back and forth as did Verdugo last year. This current FO does not seem at all interested in pushing a player to the Show and keeping him there until he is fully ready. They had no choice with Seager or Bellinger, but they did with Verdugo, and they will with Lux.
Definitely can’ t have a shortstop that makes you hold your breath every time he throws a across the diamond especially if our first baseman are average at best defensively. I think Bill Russell would have made 40 errors a year if Garvey wasn’t playing 1st base.
DJ Peters – power hitting prospect with an attitude the front office loves. His only problem, and it’s a big one, is that he strikes out way too much and has done that for his entire career (Ratio of k/bb is about 3 to 1).
He was moved to OKC recently and in about 60 plate appearances he is now walking at the same rate as he’s striking out. Granted a very small sample size, but if he could maintain this, along with his uptick in hitting results since he got there (.370/.475/.717/1.192), he could be a long term fixture here…………………………………..or a valuable trade piece this month. It’s not all that often that young players improve their numbers dramatically as they get promoted, but Peters seems to be an exception. Let’s hope it lasts.
AC…Why did they send Matt Beaty back to OKC and not Zac Rosscup for now? In your opinion is Zac the best LH reliever to use?
The Dodgers prefer to have 8 relievers in the pen. They’ve for the most part only carried 4 position players on the bench all season long. Martin , Freese, Kike, Taylor are the bench players if we consider Joc a starter at 1st base.
Thank you for answering Hawkeyedodger. I was just not that confident in Zac Rosscup and really liked Beaty and was sorry to see him go back to OKC. ps you are 100% correct on Bill Russell and Steve Garvey. DBM
I agree with what Hawkeye said. Plus Beaty is much better off getting consistent ABs back at OKC. Rosscup and Urias are the only LH relievers on the roster, and Urias is being used more as a long man than a one inning or less reliever.
Thank you AC. Is there anyone in the minors who could come up later and be our LHRP?
Alexander is working his way back from an injury and Caleb is pitching well at OKC. IMO they are both better than ‘The Cup’.
Yes I am big fan and rooter of Caleb Ferguson and hope he can work out his problems soon.
I am not a huge fan of Scott Alexander. He has inherited 18 runners and 10 have scored. I do not care what his ERA is, he has not succeeded when he needed to with runners on. I am a fan of Caleb Ferguson, but is he better than Rosscup for one inning or one batter? Right now, Caleb is best suited for longer relief at the ML level. He will continue to get good late inning high leverage opportunities at OKC, and hopefully will have a better feel for relief when he comes back in September (if not sooner). Tony Cingrani was counted on, and his shoulder has given out, so now they need to scrounge for LHRP.
Alexander reminds me of a LH Shaggy-both have swing and miss and ground ball stuff but struggle with command sometimes and walk guys, but rarely leave the ball up. If Alex is right and has command he is a DP machine. Caleb really battles and has a deceptive fastball but needs to keep hitters from sitting on it by mixing in more curves. Rosscup has been DFA’d by multiple teams hence the perceived need for an upgrade for the LHRP spot from outside the organization since the internal options are not optimal right now.
In octuber Clayton Kershaw or Rich Hill
I think there are three things that everybody thinks they can do better than the folks that actually do it:
1. write a book
2. run a restaurant
3. manage a baseball team
but isn’t that 1/2 the fun of MLB, second guessing the skipper. It’s because we care.
Good write up today Mark on the Manager’s role and how things work. I think one of Doc’s strengths, looking from the outside, is that his players like him; and play for him. I have forever heard (unsuccessful) managers (frequently with the ilk of Larry Bowa or Bobby Valentine) say “I don’t care if the players like me, as long as the respect me”. I think players can do both, with the right guy.
Regarding how “influenced” Doc is by the upstairs folks, better job Mark coving this with a legit answer. “Some fans think that the Dodgers front office makes out the lineups and that Andrew Friedman is this “control freak. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dave Roberts is the manager and it is his duty to make out the lineups…”
This is the type of answer I was seeking a few days ago when I asked this exact question. I was expecting a response like the one today. Instead, I got a Don Rickles, smart** answer to the question (see below) including implants, shock collars and delusions. Thanks for doing better today.
Mark Timmons
July 9, 2019 at 6:54 pm
So PhilJones asked:
So AF and the brass are making the decisions and not Doc? I’ve heard that before but just yesterday that was said to be false. So, which is it. I sometimes struggle to think Roberts would make the decisions that are made. (Like Joc at first, for example). Is Doc a puppet?
Why do you struggle to think Roberts would make the decisions that are made? Is he too smart or too dumb? The team does have the best record in baseball, so most of the decision must have been good.
Yes, Doc is a puppet. AF has a microphone implanted in his ear and he calls every shot. AF also has Roberts outfitted with a shocking dog collar and zaps him if he deviates from what Andrew wants.
Hey, I can be totally delusional too!
First Doc – He is not the best strategist, nor the worst. He may not be the best communicator to the fans, but he is to the players. I think the one time he did fail was when he took Hill out of the game 4 in last year’s WS. Or did Hill take himself out? We will never know the true answer to that. Mark referenced an Athletic article and I would highly recommend that people read it. There are some discussions with Strip, and even Strip acknowledges that the FO is very much involved. The point is that this FO WANTS to be involved, and they have the best manager on the planet for what they do. Would Doc do better with another club? I don’t know. Would AF have better success with a manager like T Francona or J Maddon? Doubtful. The Dodgers are who they are warts and all. They just happen to be the best 40 man 162 game team in MLB. Is that good enough for the WS? It has not been so far. Maybe this is the year.
I know one of the favorite criticisms of Doc in last year’s WS was batting Kike’ 4th in a must win Game 5. It looks like a moronic move of epic proportions. Unfortunately, there is probably two trees worth of computer printout that indicated why that was a good move. Again, none of us will ever know why Kike’ batted 4th. In a 162 game season, I am all for analytics. But in a 7 game series for all of the marbles, I want to go with my eyes and gut as to what is happening right in front of me. Computer printouts do not measure the look in the eyes, a hint of doubt, or size of the heart. But that is me, and it is not likely what will happen if the Dodgers are fortunate enough to get back to the WS. They will continue to go with what got them there. Hopefully 2019 will have a different outcome.
I didn’t like Kike’ batting 4th either but when I looked at other lineup permeation against a lefty, it made sense. The choices for cleanup against lefties were Kemp who was collapsing, Bellinger who was flailing, Muncy who was struggling, Puig who was better at 8, etc.
Some lineups annoy me, some pinch hitting annoys me but I generally don’t participate in Manager criticisms.
It made no sense whatsoever. Actually I think he hit 3rd. I could be wrong but unless the pitcher was Madbum he had no business batting 3rd or 4th for that matter. I even heard Russo take a shot at it today while talking to Joe Davis.
The left-handed reliever for October is … Clayton Kershaw, it’s never going to happen but it’s where it should be in October 2019.
Strict dominating Managers wear out their welcome in 3 or less years. They are best used for one or two years when a team is losing and too many players need the reins pulled in on them. The Orioles Manager, Buck Showatter, found a way to go from micro-manager to leader and with it, found a way to survive as a Manager.
My guess is that Ruiz will be traded before the end of July.
Anyone else ready for some baseball? These 4 days with no games have been tough on all of us but the team has been pointing to after the AS break to keep everyone fresh and get injured players back, so now would be the time to roll. Not thrilled about opening with Maeda and Stripling but I guess an opportunity to give the top 3 starters some extra rest. This will be a stiff test and I would be very happy to take 2 out of 3 from the Bosox. I predict AJ will take some time to get rolling but Freese will come out swinging and Corey right behind. All 3 will get plenty of off days for a couple weeks.
We’re back to the Dave Roberts and the role of the manager business I guess.
Well, Roberts was hired, not for his ability to strategize or his experience or his overall knowledge of the game, but because he’s a good communicator and a nice guy. Here’s from a 2016 article in The New Yorker on the subject:
“In interviews for the managerial job, Roberts impressed Zaidi and the rest of the Dodgers brain trust with his replies to their requests for detailed explanations of how he’d handle given game situations. He demonstrated, everyone said, an agile mind. But I was also told that it was his warmth and “energy” that landed him the job. “He has incredible empathy for guys,” Zaidi said. “If something is a tough situation, he won’t have trouble saying that’s tough, as opposed to a kind of robotic attempt to always put a positive spin on things, which guys don’t like. I think that empathy makes the difference.” The Dodgers’ third baseman, Justin Turner, a former Met, told me that when Roberts was a first-base coach with the San Diego Padres, he would ask him questions that went well beyond the perfunctory. “He’s just a guy who genuinely cares about you, and not just as a baseball player,” Turner said. “He cares about you as a person.” For Zaidi, this quality is clearly paramount. “Good baseball strategy is good baseball strategy,” he said. “I think somebody can bring a lot more positive impact by getting players wanting to play for him and wanting to play for the team, and keeping guys . . . on the same page.””
Here’s from an article in the Washington Post:
““To each their own,” Freidman said. “Everyone kind of values things a little differently. What a manger does during a game is obviously really important, but I think it pales in the value they bring in other ways, just communicating with players, helping to put them in the best position to succeed, really understanding their strengths and some of their goals, having player development at the major-league level and trying to improve upon that.
“I just think there are so many other factors that factor into that. And if you dominate in those areas and then do some crazy in-game stuff, I’d take that trade-off.””
And this figures. That’s because the statheads don’t believe that managerial decisions matter. Here from 538:
“Yet sabermetrics tells us that most dugout decisions barely have any effect on the outcome of the game. Furthermore, if we look at effects on player performance, it’s evident that hardly any manager can distinguish himself from his counterparts. Based on my analysis, 95 percent of all managers are worth somewhere between -2 and +2 wins per 162 games. Last year alone, 21 batters and seven pitchers were worth more to their teams than nearly every manager of the last 112 years.”
So – Roberts has been hired because he’s a good communicator, because the players like him and think that he cares about them, because he’s good at delivering the message that the front office wants to send to the team, because he’s willing to work within the paradigm of how the Braintrust want to use a manager, and is willing to take direction from them.
He’s not Sparky Anderson, Walter Alston, John J McGraw or any of the other managers who have been known as great strategists or tactitians.
And by the way – while Roberts’ W – L record is great and he’s won 3 straight divisions, remember that Don Mattingly did the same thing without as good a roster.
Not so sure. The 2013 and 2014 teams were stacked and those teams included a dominant Kersh and Greinke. Add in AGone Puig Hanley Kemp Ethier etc and we were loaded
Sparky Anderson, Walter Alston, and maybe Jimmy Leyland have been the best strategical managers in my lifetime (in that order). I know others think differently, but those are my three favorites. But certainly not HOF Bobby Cox. Cox was another beneficiary of a good organization. He was perfect to manage the Braves for all those years. He just could not get it done in a WS (except for once). Players loved him and played hard for him. Doc is a lot like Bobby Cox. A great organizational manager.
Tonight’s lineup at the Champs:
Seager
JT
Freese (DH)
Belly
Muncy
Pollock
Verdugo
Kike
Barnes
Seager leading off? Okay. He led off one other time for 1 PA. He did not get a hit. I am not against it, it is just interesting.
I think it is also interesting that Taylor is not in lineup at 2nd.
First lineup in 5 Days!
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Freese DH
Bellinger RF
Muncy 1B
Pollock CF
Verdugo LF
Kike 2B
Barnes C
Why Barnesss ??? He does not hit anything. Trade him. DFA . Bring Smith. Kike and Barnes on same lineup 2 automatic back to back outs !!! Trade them
I hear Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig are available.
The Angels have added a pair of players out of the break, acquiring lefty Adam McCreery and catcher Josh Thole from the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations.
The move will help bolster the Halos’ depth. It’ll also clear needed 40-man roster space for their cross-town rivals. The Dodgers activated outfielder A.J. Pollock today from the 60-day injured list. He’ll be joined by Corey Seager and David Freese in returning to the active roster.
AF sends McCreery and Thole to Angels for cash. Does that give us an extra spot for Vazquez when we get him later today? 🙂
That will not happen !!!
Apparently no last minute draft signings by the Dodgers.
I was holding out hope they could convince Braidyn Fink that they know exactly how to build pitchers back up after TJ surgery, and pay him close to Jack Little money. As it stands, they are about $72,300 under the original bonus slot money. Brandon Gomes and his team did well this year.
Second comment – Relief Pitching. I have voiced the need of quality relief for the last several years. I have made suggestions on multiple pitchers, but none have ever transpired. I was not an advocate to sign Brandon Morrow, but I was one of the very first to suggest he would be the back-end relief help the team needed. It worked out. I am not going to go over the litany of relief pitchers the team could have traded for, but chose not to.
But I have no idea this year what they can do. Last winter I suggested Shane Greene. Admittedly he has been better than I would have ever expected, and that is the point. The team would be paying for him at the absolute zenith of his market. He is pitching over his ability right now. He is not worth what other teams may be willing to pay. The time to get Greene would have been last December. In addition, if you look at the minor league prospects with Detroit, their needs do not match up well with LAD. They need catching, but the Dodgers are not going to include Ruiz for Greene, and Detroit is not going to settle for Connor Wong.
There are too many teams that are still in the hunt, so the number of available relievers is limited, and the number of teams looking for relievers is enlarged. Pittsburgh is not going to trade Vazquez. It will not take what was originally reported, but it will take a haul, and will undoubtedly include Ruiz. The Indians are back in the hunt and charging, even without Kluber. They are not going to trade Brad Hand. I know many do not want to trade for a starter, but if the Indians are looking to potentially trade Trevor Bauer, the Dodgers do need to look hard at that. It would cost pitching in return, and a ML pitcher. I would think that either Maeda or Stripling would be a start for Cleveland. Obviously there would be others involved. But with Bauer, Urias can stay in the pen for the remainder of the season, and the team just got better. Two RHSP and two LHSP in the playoffs.
I would love to get Will Smith from SF, but he is going to cost a ton, because every contender wants him. I would be okay with Tony Watson, but I would not give up more than 2 A League and lower lottery tickets. He has been excellent for the Giants in the 8th inning this year. I was upset that the Dodgers did not re-sign him. He has a very team friendly player option next year, and one that he might opt out of.
I have no idea whatsoever why Jake Diekman’s name is brought up. But he just might be that low cost high potential reward pitcher AF likes to find. NOOOOOOOO! Daniel Hudson? He is having a very fine season, but not in a high leverage situation. This is his best season since his 2010 season with AZ. Is he better than Baez? Garcia? Kelly? Floro? Probably this year for Floro. If he is not better than what the Dodgers already have, then why is he being considered?
The only difference making relief pitcher that we know will be available for sure, and from a team that is willing to sell, is Ken Giles. He is a lefty. He can close if Kenley falters or needs a night off. He has one more year of team control. He has supposedly had a re-birth of his attitude, and appears to be a very good influence with the Blue Jays. I do not know the cost, but Toronto has a good farm system and may want ML ready talent. Ken Giles is the epitome of high risk – high reward. Now we just need to find out if he is also a high cost. Can AF work out a miracle of sorts and pull off a three-team trade whereby the Dodgers get Trevor Bauer from the Indians and Ken Giles from Toronto? Take that MLB.
I brought up Jake Diekman’s name yesterday as my prediction of who the Dodgers will trade for.
Just like you said low cost high potential that AF likes. Plus Dave Roberts loves lefty/lefty match ups. There is a reason why Rosscup is on the roster.
With a 695 OPS against this season and a 707 career OPS Bauer is not a clear upgrade. I’d pass on that.
Watson has a 865 OPS against left handed hitters this season. But has a good career OPS against left handed hitters. Still here we go again with the Giants. I just don’t see the Dodgers and Giants trading. And to tell you the truth I’d pass on Watson anyways.
I think you are correct on Greene, Vasquez and Hand. Giants Smith would cost too much and I don’t see a Dodger/Giant trade.
Daniel Hudson? See my comment on Bauer above. Same thing.
Jake Diekman is my bold prediction. I think Dave Roberts told Friedman to get me another loogy. Friedman possibly sees more in Diekman than just a loogy at probably a very cheap price tag.
I’ve advocated for Ken Giles ever since I saw a hole in our bullpen. It all depends on the price tag.
Always Compete
Ken Giles is a righty. But has been better against left handed hitters.
Of course he is and I knew that. Thank you for the correction.
Anyone interested in Diaz? Having a horrible year with the Mets. I wonder what it would take? Probably way more than he’s worth right now since they gave up so much to get him.
I don’t see the Mets dealing Edwin Diaz for any amount that would interest AF. if at all. Yeah he had a bad half but he’s young and had 57 saves last year, on a average team. I’d love to have him.
At the Loons game tonight. Rooney on the bump for the Loons. Camargo is playing 3rd with Feduccia catching. Amaya is playing SS tonight and just hit a 3 run bomb out of the park. Outman had a solo jack in the 2nd inning.
Rooney threw 6 scoreless innings tonight. The only inning he was in trouble at all was the 2nd inning when he walked two after a single. They ran a nifty pickoff play. After an error by Paulsen on a routine groundball the Loons set up as if they weren’t holding the runner on first since there was a runner on second too. As the Kernels runner advanced his lead they slipped Paulsen in behind him. Rooney picked him off by an embarrassing distance. The lefty worked primarily around 88-89 with an offspeed around 80-81. He kept everything down all night. The only Times his velocity ticked 90-91 mph was when he was elevating out of the zone. He was pretty much in cruise control all night.
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Amaya was the offensive star with 2 hits including a 3run HR. Feduccia also had a opposite field 3 run HR after looking at strike 3 his previous two AB’s.
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One guy who really grabbed people’s attention was Guillermo Zuniga. He entered the game immediately throwing 95-96 mph and then just blew up a guy’s bat with a 97 mph fastball. His offspeed was generally 80-82 and I did see him miss with one changeup around 89mph. He threw two innings gave up 1 single and had 2 K’s. Yasiel Alvina closed it out He gave up a leadoff double, gave up 1 BB, and struck out the side. He also had a wild pitch. Alvina threw around 94 mph. If you compared Zuniga to Alvina though the ball came out of Zuniga’s hand with ease. Alvina looks like he’s working hard to hit 94. Not so with Zuniga. Since I stood out in my Dodgers gear and was cheering against the home team, someone came and asked me if Zuniga was a top prospect.
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I think the Twins have a highly rated system but like I said the other night I didn’t see too many stat lines that weren’t ugly for the Kernels. They also left their starting pitcher in way too long. Even his outs weren’t getting hit hard. Sweep for the Loons.
AC, regarding your comment about signing Fink (above), I might be dreaming, and I don’t remember where I saw it, but I could swear I saw something about us signing Fink, DeLuca and Martinez today (picks 19, 25, 34). You might want to check that out.
4-1 BoSox 7th inning – Rain delay
So we are start the second half with a fully healthy squad and Doc starts Keekay at 2B with his .216 BA and sits CT3. Why is Barnes still starting? Pathetic!
Lose the last three games of the first half against the Padres and then start Maeda with Stripling going tomorrow starting the second half. The all-star game (1 IP) performances by Ryu, Walker and CK were nothing more then in-between start BP sessions and yet we open with Maeda.
I’m not always critical of Doc like others, but his line-ups do cause you to scratch your head sometimes.
Well, now that you opened that can of worms. I thought it was weird to put 3 guys coming off the DL in the lineup all at once. I also thought it was weird to for Freese to not have any rehab games and only a handful of at bats for Pollock and Seager. Then, all I hear on the pre-game show is how much everyone is going to sit. So, it’s basically going to be a musical chairs lineup each day.
But, that’s okay. Because if you don’t like today’s lineup, you know there will be a different one tomorrow!
I was also surprised at the choice of Maeda and starting Kike over CT3 norcal, but the reason we’re losing this game can be laid at the feet of the first six hitters in the lineup who have gone a combined 2-17 against a pitcher with an ERA of about 4.50. At least Verdugo has done his part, but I don’t think it’s fair to criticize the guys like Kike and Barnes for not hitting when the guys who are supposed to carry us aren’t doing it. Maybe the rain delay will wake them up.
Singing the Blue was correct. The Dodgers had a last-second flurry of signings, inking University of Oklahoma lefty Braidyn Fink and Puerto Rican prep lefty Francisco Martinez. The Dodgers also signed University of Oregon outfielder Jonny DeLuca. He signed for $300,000, $175,000 of which will count against the bonus pool.
Add CC player Chet Allison as well-Great Draft!
http://dodgersdigest.com/2019/07/12/2019-mlb-draft-signing-update-jimmy-lewis-signs-dodgers-also-land-allison/
I was pretty much thinking the same stuff about Barnes and Kike’.
I think Roberts touched on why he wasn’t starting Ryu, Kershaw and Buehler, saying that he wanted to get them some extra rest going into the second half. I won’t criticize that, given that I have to defer to the fact that Roberts and the Dodgers’ brass has a whole lot of info to which I am not privy.
As for the rest of the team, I fully expected that we were no going to get good performances from Seager, Pollock, and Freese. But getting them back into the lineup is essential, and most likely for the time being, we’re just going to have to be patient, with the knowledge that better times are coming.
I suspect that, if not sooner, we’re going to have to put up with Barnes until after things settle following the trade deadline.
And as much as I’d like to beat the Red Sox now, I’d much rather do it in October.
Everyone talks about the bullpen and adding another starter but is our offense good enough to beat the best in the AL. Dodgers are a great team against bad and mediocre teams but seem to lay an egg against good teams and good pitching. I’m not sold this team is good enough
Well, I am!
With three guys returning from extensive time on the DL being put into the lineup with little or no rehab assignments it’s not a shocker to see a drop in offensive production. Throw in Barnes, Kike and a slumping Muncy. The offense will come around. The Bullpen against the top AL teams gives me much concern.
I’m worried about our offense too. Bellinger has cooled, Keekay, Barnes, AJ are mendoza line offense and JT suddenly looks old and has swung and missed (it seems) at more pitches than I can ever recall. Can we get Whit Merrifield to plug in at 2B?
As was first reported by Singing the Blue and confirmed by others, the Dodgers did in fact finish with a flurry with their draft, including two of the three I was really hoping for…RHRP Braidyn Fink and Fresno CC CF Chet Allison. Brennan Milone got away, but you cannot get all of them. Two others, University of Oregon OF, Jonny Deluca, and 18 year old Puerto Rico LHP, Francisco Martinez, also signed. All four draft picks signed for above slot amounts. Braidyn Fink and Chet Allison signed for $222,500 each ($97,500 over slot). Deluca signed for $300,000 ($175,000 over slot), and young Martinez signed for $172,500 ($47,500 over slot).
Overall, the Dodgers signed 31 of their 41 draft picks. Their bonus payments were $58,225 under the penalty bonus cap. They signed 25 of their first 27 picks. Of the ten that did not sign, 3 are from 4 year colleges, 2 from community college, and 5 high school selections.
This could be a fantastic draft. I especially like the high caliber relievers that were selected. I know Jack Little is starting, but I think he ends up back in the pen. And Braidyn Fink was an elite reliever before TJ surgery. He will be brought along slowly, but he could be a good one. One other potential top relief pick…Aaron Ochsenbein. Nick Robertson is an experienced college reliever as well. While we recognize that Jimmy Lewis will be a starting pitcher, I am assuming that Ryan Pepiot and Logan Boyer will get a legit shot at starting, but certainly have the stuff to become high leverage relievers. Alec Gamboa, the other top ten draft pitcher will probably find his way working both as a starter and reliever. Could be a Wills Montgomery type.
Continuing Cassidy’s line about the Dodgers maybe are not good enough to go against the better teams……Presently, the team is in the midst of a significant slump. Significant, may be an exaggeration for a team as talented as L.A. is, but it is happening, nonetheless. With the loss of Hill (significant, IMO), the pitching is looking more fragile than it has. None of the starters have been particularly dominant and some have been hit hard and have lost some command. Maeda has lost 4 decisions in a row. He has given up the most HR’s on the team. Teams are hitting our starters and often the HR is featured. Our BP is as shaky as our starters have been but we’ve seen some improvement.
Bellinger is slumping. Our main weapon is wobbly at the moment. We don’t know whether Seager and Pollock will contribute right away, both coming off injuries. It strikes me that the chemistry the team had is not flowing in the same way that it did earlier. I know every team goes through rough periods, but this seems to be the Dodger rough patch and with the experiments going on by Doc and the FO, both lineups and positional finagling, it isn’t helping the team get back that groove that they’ve had for most of the season so far.
It’s too early to tell if they will stumble, as Cassidy seems to think by his post. For me, it’s hard to imagine them not winning the division, although they are having a rough time of it with the Dbacks and Rockies. We only snuck past the Rockies last year, but we have the firepower and the talent to bury them this year but they need to get their mojo back. Team needs to focus on this stretch. No more musical positions and auditions. Let’s play ball!
David Vassegh on Dodger Talk post game show said Hernandez started because of his defense.
That’s another Dave Roberts trait that I don’t like.
Sacrificing Taylor’s offense for a little better defense if Hernandez is actually better defensively than Taylor.
I don’t look at defense stats because I don’t care.
Maybe we should have signed Grandal?
He’s having a fine season, although that doesn’t mean he’ll perform in September.
Losing Grandal got us Jimmy Lewis (now, let’s see how that works out in the next several years)
Meanwhile Will Smith is tearing it up at OKC while our two guys struggle up here. I don’t see any reason why Smith isn’t up and taking over the catching duties! 1) it gives him time to get ready for October, and 2) it gives us 2-3 weeks to know for sure if Keibert Ruiz can be used as trade bait.