THE INVISIBLE MAN

For those of us old enough to remember the 1959 World Series – it conjures up memories of Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Johnny Podres, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Jim Gilliam, and John Roseboro.  We remember the WS MVP, Larry Sherry with his remarkable 2 wins and 2 saves (By the way there was nothing in the 1959 season that would have indicated that he would have done what he did).  We remember Chuck Essegian’s two majestic pinch-hit home runs.   I would hazard a guess, however, that few if any of us, will remember (without looking it up) who the offensive catalyst was for the Dodgers in that series.   It was none other than Charlie Neal – the Dodgers’ invisible man.   He hit .370 for the series going 10-27, with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI.  His OPS for the series was 1.037 (surpassed only by Johnny Podres and Chuck Essegian, who 4 and 3 at-bats, respectively).  In most any other World Series, he would have been the MVP and his name would still be celebrated in Dodger lore.  Instead, he was second fiddle to Larry Sherry (deservedly the MVP) and truly was and has remained an invisible man. 

I shared in my last post that I collected baseball cards in my youth.  In my collection, I had more Charlie Neal cards than any other Dodger.   Whenever I put my dime down for a pack of cards, I would open the pack, place the stale, cardboard-like gum, covered with powdered sugar and corn starch, in my mouth, and eagerly begin searching for my Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Willy Mays, Duke Snider or Mickey Mantle card.   But alas, more often than not, there was Charlie Neal, with the distinctive gap between his front teeth, looking back at me.  Because I had so many duplicates of Charlie Neal cards, his cards were, more often than not, used on my bicycle spokes or to trade with my buddies.  Actually, one of my most distinctive memories of Charlie Neal came from a televised Dodger vs Giant game (that’s all we got back then).  The camera zoomed in for a close-up of Charlie just at the moment that he spit between his two front teeth.  I thought that was so cool.  I always wanted to be able to do that, but, because my front teeth were much to close together, all my efforts to spit like him would only produce dribble down my chin and onto my T-shirt.   

Notwithstanding the familiarity of his cards, and his ability to spit, Charlie Neal was a very good player for the Dodgers and he is worthy of being remembered.  Let me share a little bit about him.  I want to preface this by sharing with you that most of what I have written came from an article written by Warren Corbett for the Society for American Baseball Research.  Being the invisible man that he was, there has been very little written about Charlie Neal.  

Neal began with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956 and spent eight years in the major leagues, compiling a career batting average of .259 with 113 doubles, 38 triples, 87 home runs and 391 runs batted in.  He recorded the first hit in the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers and he later had the first RBI for the New York Mets.

His best year was 1959, when he batted .287 with 19 home runs and 83 rbi (second only to Duke Snider).  He also shared the National League lead in triples at 11 with his teammate Wally Moon.

Charlie Neal was born in Longview, Texas on January 30, 1931.  Charles Lenard Neal came from a baseball family.  His father, Houston, organized a sandlot team.  Charlie’s older brother Jim played for his father, but Charlie was scared of a hardball.  Charlie joined his dad’s team when he was 13.  It is told that in his first game he was hit by a pitch and cried afterward.   He attended Longview Colored High School which did not have a baseball team.  Instead, he excelled at basketball and in football. 

Charlie was 16 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB.  It was then that Charlie began playing on black semipro teams.  In later years, Neal said he also played for the Atlanta Black Crackers of the Negro Southern League.  After graduating from high school, Neal got married and began driving a truck for a meat‑packing company.  He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1950 season.  His bonus was a train ticket to spring training in Vero Beach, Florida.

When he started playing for the Dodgers in Class D, Neal played shortstop and second base. He hit .301 and added 11 HR.  However, shortstop was a position at which the Dodgers had a lot of depth.  He played alongside Don Zimmer, Bobby Lillis, and Chico Fernandez among others.   In 1951 he had a very strong season in Class‑B, hitting .323, a .955 OPS, 24 triples, 12 home runs, and 22 stolen bases. He led the league in runs, total bases, triples, and steals.

In 1953 Neal and outfielder John Glenn became the first black players at Newport News, Virginia, in the Class‑B Piedmont League. That year Neal and Lillis turned a league‑record 199 double plays.  In 1954 in AAA, Neal enjoyed another strong season hitting .272, with 18 HR and 20 stolen bases.  Unfortunately, he was behind Don Zimmer on the depth chart and it was Zimmer who was called up to the majors to be the designated successor to shortstop Pee Wee Reese.

In 1955, Neal and Chico Fernandez were sent back down to AAA, where Neal had another great season.  Not only was he good offensively, but he was also a standout on defense.  His AAA manager, Greg Mulleavy, said that Neal was “a better fielder right now than Jackie Robinson was when he broke in with the Royals.”   But, it was the younger, quicker, Jim Gilliam that pushed Jackie Robinson off of second base.  The following year, a younger, quicker Neal would push Gilliam to third base.  

In 1956, Charlie Neal started at 2nd base for the first time defending world champion Dodgers, pushing Jim Gilliam to 3rd base.  The Sporting News and Associated Press pegged him as the leading candidate for National League Rookie of the Year.  After 15 games Neal was batting .269 but only had 2 extra‑base hits.  The impatient Walter Alston benched him because the Dodgers were having trouble scoring runs.  He was a part-time player for the rest of the season, hitting .287/.353/.382 in 62 games.  He only had 4 at-bats in the World Series that year, with no hits. 

In 1957, Jackie Robinson retired.  Pee Wee Reese was about to turn 39.  The Dodgers had hoped to use Randy Jackson (who they had acquired from the Cubs) as Robinson’s replacement at 3rd.  Unfortunately, he got hurt at the beginning of the season.  After several failed experiments with other players, Charlie Neal settled in at shortstop and Pee Wee Reese was moved to third.   In his first year of playing full‑time play, Neal hit .270/.356/.411 with 12 homers.  He did struggle defensively, with 24 errors in just a 100 games.  Because of his bat, he was shifted back to second base.  In 1958 Al Campanis was quoted as having said that, “I say our Charlie Neal is the best ballplayer in either league, pound for pound.”   Neal’s game was speed. He was the fastest man but had surprising power for his size.  Dripping wet, Charlie Neal was 5’10 and weighed 165 pounds. Despite the accolades he was starting to receive, he was still invisible as Topps baseball cards printed his name as “Charley.”

In 1958, the Dodgers first year in Los Angeles, Charlie Neal took to his new home in the oddly shaped LA Memorial Coliseum, matching Gil Hodges for the most home runs at home with 14 apiece.  He hit 22 homeruns on the year.  He also set an NL record that year by turning 198 double plays.   In 1959, Neal was a key man in the Dodgers’ run to a pennant and World Series championship.  He, Jim Gilliam, and Wally Moon were the only everyday players on a team that included the aging stars Duke Snider, Carl Furillo, Gil Hodges, and also several up and coming younger players like Don Demeter and John Roseboro.   The Dodgers came from several games back to catch and pass the hated Giants in the standings.  On the season’s final day, Neal hit a two‑run homer, tripled and scored another run as the Dodgers beat the Cubs, 7‑1, to finish in a tie for first place with Milwaukee.  The Dodgers won two straight against the Braves in the playoff series.  Neal went 3‑for‑5 in the first game and hit a HR in the second.  That year Neal hit .287 with 19 homers, a .802 OPS, 83 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases.  Neal ranked in the top 10 in runs, hits, doubles, steals, and extra‑base hits. Defensively, he led all second basemen in putouts, double plays, and fielding percentage.  He won a Gold Glove and made the All‑Star team as a reserve.   That was followed up by his heroics in the World Series.  

In game one of the series, the Dodgers were embarrassed by the Whitesox 11-0.  They fell behind 2-0 in the second game, until Neal, who had been feeling ulcer-like symptoms that day, hit a home-run to give the Dodgers their first run of the series.  Later Chuck Essegian hit one of his famous pinch-hit home runs to tie the game.  But it was Neal, in the same inning, that hit a 2 run home run to provide the victory the Dodgers needed.  He did it again in the Dodgers’ first game at home before the 92,000 fans that packed the Coliseum when he scored the first run after a single off-the screen.  He would later drive in a run to secure the 3-1 victory.  In the 6th and deciding game, Neal had three hits and two RBIs.   But once again, he was the invisible man, as Larry Sherry walked away with all the accolades.  In the off-season, Chicago’s second baseman, Nellie Fox, won the MVP in the American League that year.  But it was said of him, “Fox was only the second‑best second baseman in the game: Neal has more speed, more range, and vastly more power.”

Things started to turn dramatically south for Charlie Neal in 1960.  His power was missing and he lost a step or two in the field, and no explanation could be found for his decline.  In 1961, he battled through injury and illness.  An April knee injury became infected, putting him in a hospital, and an adverse reaction to penicillin was misdiagnosed as chickenpox.  Neal came back from the injury too soon, and his play suffered all the more.  As was more common back then, Neal became the object of Walter Alston and Leo Durocher’s constant berating for his declining performance. 

Despite his decline, the Mets took a chance on him.  The Mets acquired him from the Dodgers for $100,000, plus outfielder Lee Walls, who had cost them $125,000.00 in the expansion draft. The Opening Day lineup for the first game in Mets’ history included Dodgers alumni Neal, Gil Hodges, Don Zimmer, and Roger Craig.  Neal, playing second base and batting third, drove in the first run in Mets’ history with a single in the third.  That inning, Hodges would hit the first home run in Mets history.  In his next at-bat, Neal would hit the second.  So there he was, three years after helping Los Angeles earn its first World Series title, playing in the opening‑day lineup for a Mets team that would go on to lose 120 games and finish 40 games out of first place.  Playing second base, third base, and shortstop, Neal appeared in 136 games and batted .260.  Off the field was also a challenge.  Sadly, even though it had been 15 years since Jackie Robinson’s debut, all of the Mets stayed together at the Colonial Inn motel in St. Petersburg, Florida for spring training, but black players were still not allowed in the restaurant or the pool. The team had to make special arrangements for everyone to eat in a private dining room.  The following year, Neal was traded to Cincinnati in a trade deadline deal.   Neal did not perform well in his short time with the Reds and he ended his career after the 1963 season. 

After he retired, Neal returned to Longview, Texas and played semipro ball for several years. Neal managed a sporting goods store in Dallas. He later owned a security business there. In 1971, Neal played in the Dodger’s first old‑timers game at Dodger Stadium.   In the 1980s and 1990s, Neal attended autograph shows to earn extra income.   There were certainly a lot of his baseball cards to sign.  Charlie Neal died of heart failure on November 16, 1996.   He was 65 years old.  Even in death, Neal was invisible to the end.  The Dodgers announced his death on November 18th and newspapers mistakenly reported that his death occurred two days later than it did.

Charlie Neal was not a hall of fame performer by any means.  But he was a good player.  You could always pencil his name in the #2 spot in the lineup behind Gilliam.  He was a grinder and a battler.  Invisible or not, every successful team, needs a Charlie Neal!   

Some additional quick random thoughts:

Additional Quick Random Thoughts

  • I’m not a huge professional football fan.  I don’t think that I have watched a complete pro game since the Rams left LA.  That said, I praise Andrew Luck for the decision he made.  In one of the articles on the Athletic he was quoted as saying: “if my worth as a human was going to be tied into how I did – the result of a performance in a football game – then I was going to have, pardon my French, a real shitty life.”   I think that says it all for me.
  • Saturday’s 2-1 victory had an amazing playoff feel to it.  I couldn’t watch it because I was working, but following it on Gameday was enough to fill me with excitement.  I have to admit though if we get to the World Series, I want us to sweep and win every game 12-0. 
  • On Saturday, our bullpen looked no different than the Yankees’ bullpen.  Both did well.

Minor League Report

OKC Dodgers lost to the San Antonio Missions:   4-0

Tyler Thornburg pitched a scoreless inning with 2K.  Not much else to talk about.

Tulsa Drillers beat the Corpus Christi Hooks:   6-2

Jeter Downs: 2-2, 2 runs, 2BB and 1 RRI.

Conner Wong: 3-4.

Drew Avens: 1-3 with HR.

Jo Jo Gray: 5 innings, 4h, 1 run, 2BB and 9K.

Michael Boyle: 1 inning, 0h, 0 run, 0BB and 3K.

RC Quakes beat the I. E. 66ers:   8-2

Jeren Kendall:  2-4, 1 run, 1hhr and 3 RRI.

Miguel Vargas: 3-5, 1RBI

Dillon Paulson: 1-3 with triple and 3RBI. 

John Rooney:  5 innings, 4h, 2 runs, 3BB and 2K.

Conner Strain: 2 innings, 0 h, 0 run, 0BB and 2K.

Austin Drury: 2 innings, 1 h, 0 run, 1BB and 2K.

Great Lake Loons lost to the Lansing Lugnuts:   3-2 

James Outman: 2-4.

Brandon Lewis: 1-4 with a double. 

Ryan Pepiot: 2.2 innings, 1h, 1 run, 1BB and 4K.

This article has 100 Comments

  1. Thanks for the walk through nostalgia lane, it brings back great memories of watching Neal, Gilliam, et al playing for the Dodgers. The “Field of Dreams” movie quote (James Earl Jones / Terrence Mann) sums it up nicely; “The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.”

    1. ’59 was my first real experience with the Dodgers. Going to the Coliseum with my dad, listening to the World Series on my transistor, and just becoming a lifelong fan of all the great, and not so great, Dodger players. Thanks 2D2.

  2. From Houston Mitchell at The LA Times:

    As many of you know, I also write the Dodgers newsletter for The Times, and have since 2014. So, I get a lot of emails after Dodger games. About 90% of them are from calm, rational Dodgers fans, but then there’s the 10% who write me after the Dodgers lost to the New York Yankees on Sunday, meaning the Yankees took two out of three in the series. Here’s a basic condensed version of those emails:

    “It’s obvious the Dodgers don’t have what it takes to win the World Series this season. Might as well start looking toward next year.”

    I just don’t understand this type of fan. A fan who just gives up at the first sign of bad times. A fan who must not have studied baseball history at all if they think these three games mean that much.

    Were the Yankees the better team this weekend? Yep. Did the Dodgers fail to rise to the occasion? Yep. What does this mean for a potential World Series matchup? Nothing.

    To use just one example, the 1988 Dodgers lost to the Mets 10 times and beat them only once. They were outscored 49-18 in those games. And then the 1988 Dodgers beat the Mets in the NLCS.

    So, by all means tell me how disappointing the weekend was. Tell me the Yankees were the better team this weekend. Tell me various Dodgers did not step up to the plate and seemed overmatched by it all. Tell me it makes you nervous about the playoffs.

    But to tell me it means the Dodgers won’t win? Do me a favor and stop watching now. Because why bother if you already know how it’s going to end?

    You are looking with your heart and not your logic. The Angels defeated the Dodgers all four games this season. I guess that makes the Angels the best team in baseball.

    The Yankees lost three of four to Arizona. Good thing Arizona isn’t going to the playoffs. They have lost every game to Oakland. Better hope they don’t meet them in the playoffs.

    In short, it would have been great if the Dodgers had swept the Yankees. But if they had, would you be saying it guarantees they will win the World Series? No? Then why the opposite?

    It’s possible the Yankees lose in the first round of the playoffs. It’s possible the Dodgers lose in the first round. It’s possible the Washington Nationals win it all. We know no more about any of those situations than we did Thursday. So, take a deep breath, take a few minutes to work through a poor weekend, and put it behind you.

  3. I remember several stars from the Brooklyn team as I was a kid back them. This player I really have no recollection of but I am sure he was a good player.

  4. 2d2 – Wow!!! Like the others, thanks for the walk down memory lane especially after this weekend and today’s oncoming wailing and gnashing of teeth by the few…
    Neal and Gilliam were something to watch and yes I had my share of Neal cards and I’m sure a few ended up on back of my bike making it sound in my mind a motorcycle rather than my trusty Schwinn …
    P.S. for some reason I remember calling him Jolly Charlie…

  5. I woke up this morning and read the comments that I missed yesterday. It was a tough read. I think Mark used his Knee Jerk headline a little early and it would have been much more appropriate today. Sure, we all wanted to beat the crap out of the Yankees, but Doc and the team had other ideas. The Yankees just came off being swept by the A’s, so they were on a mission, we just came off a sweep of the Jays and we’re resting players and playing bench pieces like they’re full time guys. This is a wake up call. It’s been just way too easy for us thus far this season and the remaining schedule is less than challenging with 5 games against The Mets and Rays as the only test for the remainder of the season. This series will serve as a bad taste in our mouths so they can remember the feeling come October providing motivation to take care of business.

    No one could have predicted (outside of AC) that DJLM would have his BEST year of his career AFTER being traded from Coors field. Signing him blocks Lux who people are already calling a perennial All-Star, Team Captain and HOFer.

    Pollock is way better than people on this site are giving him credit for.
    Pollock last 30 games .299/.369/.557/.926

    The Yankees don’t have great pitching 15th in ERA and 18th in runs against. We’ll get them when the games count.

  6. First of all, I need to acknowledge each and every one of my LADT extended family and the kind and generous words expressed to me and my family during the hardest days of our lives. We thought things could not get much worse when our oldest son had a stroke at 41, survived, but has troubles reading and speaking. He functions fully otherwise. And then the worst of all news when our 40-year-old son went to sleep and did not wake up.

    I do not want to hijack this exceptional 2D2 post, but I had to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I am not ready to come back and write/comment just yet. But I will. Just a comment about today’s post…I was an unabashed Junior Gilliam fan, but it very much could have been Charlie Neal. I always thought that my affinity towards Lee Lacy was a direct tie-in to how I felt about Charlie.

      1. stay strong AC! And when you need a break, a laugh, an escape, (or maybe get more frustrated by our moronic comments), come back to the goofy LADT family!

    1. A pleasant surprise to hear from you this morning AC. We’ll be here waiting for you when you’re ready to come back full time. In the meanwhile, I hope baseball will help to take your mind off other things when you need it. Take care.

    2. Nice to see you again AC, love and prayers to you and your family! Come back when you’re ready, but we’re surely missing your levelheaded contributions.

    3. Always Compete

      You’ve always been kind to me here. I wish you and your family the best with all you are going through.

      BB.

    4. May the road rise up to meet you.
      May the wind be always at your back.
      May the sun shine warm upon your face;
      the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
      may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

    5. Nice to see you if only for a short time AC. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family at this most difficult time. Looking forward to your well-missed comments when you are ready to do them.

    6. Great to hear your voice AC, you are missed. Love what Bobby said, if you want to take a break and get a few laughs in, just tune into the Big Top Circus Vargas over here at LADK. We are with you brother.

  7. When I coached my son’s youth league teams, we would kick the hell out of everyone. No matter how good we were, I would make sure we lost one game during the season so the kids would taste defeat and remember what it felt like when the post-season came around.

    That’s how I feel about this last weekend. We’re still the best team in baseball, we have some work to do.

    Anyone else out there feel like they saw too much CT3 and Kike this weekend?

    1. Kike yes, CT3 no.

      As I said late last night. The Dodgers offense approach was way different in this Yankees series. Swinging at first pitches, not taking pitches out of the zone, not fouling off pitches, not waiting for their pitch.

  8. Do we have a problem here? Bellinger by month:

    March/April: .431 avg, 1.397 OPS
    May: .319avg, .998 OPS
    June: .272avg, .967 OPS
    July: .265avg, .952 OPS
    August: .235avg, .896 OPS

    The MVP is fading each month. Cassidy pointed this out several weeks ago, and he was right on. The trend has continued, and was amplified this past weekend.

    1. Cody needs to change his approach back.

      He’s not doing what made him successful earlier.

  9. I think that my first memory of Charlie Neal was coming in contact with him across the street from Ebbets Field after a Dodgers game in 1957. My memory is a bit (a lot?) fuzzy, and I don’t recall if I got an autograph that day. But I do recall that Charlie Neal was a player that I liked.

    Agree with everything Houston Mitchell wrote, and know that I’ve made reference to both the 11-0 loss in the first game of the 1959 WS, and the loss of 10 of 11 to the Mets during the 1988 regular season. Both are some of the reasons why I keep my glass half full. So while I was bummed by most of this past weekend, I am also fully aware of how quickly things can turn on a dime. Something as simple as Corey Seager’s drive to the CF wall could have made a huge difference if it had gone over the wall instead of falling a little short.

  10. And let me add that the Dodgers fell behind 0-2 in the first two games of the 1955 and 1981 World Series to the Yankees. And we know how both of those turned out.

  11. Nice write-up 2D2. I certainly remember and rooted for all the players you mentioned. Johnny Podres was a hero to me. Very interesting read. Thank you.

  12. AC, you’ve made my day… There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about you and yours.. My family’s thoughts n prayers are with you…

  13. I remember Charlie Neal as a great hitting second baseman that often knocked down ground balls before picking them up to throw out a runner. In other words I remember him as a much better hitter than he was a defender but based on what 2D2 said, maybe he was athletic and could turn double plays with the best of them.

  14. Through this offensive “skid” the last 5 games, the Dodgers have averaged 2 runs a game and 4.6 hits. Going 3 and 2 was a testament to good pitching. It could have been worse. Winning 3, one run games saved the week while the bats went cold. The old adage that solo homers won’t hurt you is out the window when it’s 3 or 4 of them and you go along with innings with no traffic.
    MT is right on with Belli needing to go back to his earlier approach. His slide continues (.190 and 6 K’s the last 6 games) as he has become so “pull-happy”. Tons of rolled over ground balls into the shift or tardy little fly balls to left. He looks frustrated, tired and his bat speed is a tick slow. Some days off maybe?
    I had a nice exchange here 2 days ago with DodgerBlueMom about pitching and the shifts. My contention is, back in the day before shifts were common place, when teams shifted, they pitched to the shift. Make the guy pull the ball into the defense. Now days, I don’t see that strategy employed. It’s rare when a batter isn’t shifted to the pull side now in the infield. I still see pitches of all kids in all the quadrants of the zone. My eyes tell me teams have a strategy against each hitter and they just pitch to their strength and not to the shift. The defense is positioned due to tendencies not because they plan on pounding inside. Last night, A-Rod said the exact opposite. When a batter sees the shift to pull, he can expect a steady diet of inside pitches. As he was saying that I watched Tauchman being played to pull, get a diet of fastballs away (to rollover). I’d really love to hear the Dodgers (and other’s) philosophy on this. Maybe someone else has thoughts?
    Speaking of A-Rod…..he is such a phony! This new makeover with him being the “everyman” is so lame. His new self deprecation is so contrived. I love Jess Mendoza but A-Rod just blows her up with his “wisdom”. He doesn’t communicate in a give-and-take way. He gives speeches or lectures. He gets the floor and talks in paragraphs overstating the obvious. I hate analysts who talk down and lectures the audience. He’s a jack-ass.

    1. A couple of thoughts on your comments Phil:
      1) Totally agree that Belli is extremely pull happy. If I’m Doc I insist that Belli, Muncy and any other hitter the opposition tends to shift on all the time take at least 10 minutes of bunting practice every day followed by another 10 minutes of hitting to the opposite field. It’s one thing when you’re coming up with a runner on in the 9th and are 2 runs behind. That’s when you need to swing for a homer. When it’s the 2nd inning with no one on and they’re shifting on you, lay down a bunt or hit the ball on the ground to left. I’ll forgive you if you have a few less homers at the end of the year.
      2) Interesting point you make with regard to pitching to the shift. I have no stats on this but I’m wondering if today’s pitchers simply don’t have the type of command of their pitches that the guys had 20 years ago. Are these guys actually hitting the catcher’s target or are the pitches going all over the place?

      1. They don’t pitch to the shift because they don’t have to do so. Dead pull hitters don’t go with the pitch. It’s why the shift is so successful. So, they attack the hitter where the analytics say they’re weak. Now our LOOGY has gotten beat quite a few times because he doesn’t have the stuff to not pitch to the shift. He leaves weak, soft stuff up on the outside part of the plate and teams have beaten him the other way. This leads me back to how crappy ESPN’s Sunday night crew is. I had to laugh when they said Kolarek has been good as a Dodger because he hadn’t given up an earned run. I think A-roid said it. How about his inherited runners since he’s usually in for about 1 batter.

        1. That ESPN crew is like watching network TV vs. Cable. All the chatter is distracting. Which reminds me of how much I dislike NFL broadcasting these days. Some of these guys never shut up. I’ve always been a fan of tennis broadcasting. Minimalist and focused on the game not how much knowledge they have about the game.

    2. Phil… We didn’t have shifts in my day… We were coached to hit line drives thru the middle…
      Tell you one thing for sure,… from Little Lg. thru H.S. we all practiced bunting… I was a catcher and didn’t miss many meals, but when it came to bunting whether it be a sac or a hit if the 3b was gun shy I was a demon even running uphill to 1B… A lost art for sure…
      For those of you who hate Arod or other announcers what ever happened to turning off the t.v. volume and planting your radio next to you and listen to our boys??? Tried n True…

      1. I don’t have a radio, but I often turn the volume off on announcers I don’t like. Usually, I can get two feeds, L.A. & the opposing team. In the case of A-rod, that was the only feed available.

        I listened to the SD announcers and enjoyed their broadcast very much .

    3. Totally agree with you on ARod. He’s useless as an analyst in my opinion. I think that Jessica Mendoza is very good. She is always very prepared and provides keen insights. Unfortunately, ARod takes away from all of the good she brings to the ESPN broadcasts.

      1. My opinion, the ESPN baseball broadcasts are just horrible, from the broadcast team to the producers running vignettes and interviews while the games are being played.

        1. I’m with you. I think Mendoza has gotten better and she’s actually better on the radio, but I still don’t think she’s very good. Three person booths are horrible. They feel like someone has to be talking every moment of the game. When she first started they were always have to feed her questions to get her involved. They’re past that, but I find the entire crew hard to listen to. I like some of the visuals and camera angles that they offer, but when you count Buster they have 4 people smothering the game and far too much time complaining about the state of baseball. I prefer the two person team with Sutcliffe.

          1. Exactly! I hated listening to Mendoza talking over Aaron Boone as if she was the MLB expert.

      2. My girlfriend is from New York, grew up a Yankees fan; still is, but maybe roots for the Dodgers more now. She cannot stand A-Rod. I first watched him doing commentary on some games, and I said that he was better than I thought he would be, and she immediately said, “Don’t fall for it! He’s just trying to get back in the good graces of people so he can make the Hall of Fame.” She is not the type to hate any player, but she does not like him at all, thinks he is self-obsessed and a phony.

      3. Can’t remember which network it was that had ARod, Big Papi, Frank Thomas and Pete Rose for their pre and post game playoff shows but the one guy who stood out in that group was Rose. Absolutely no filter and that’s the guy I tuned in to listen to.
        I know that some people don’t want him anywhere near baseball at this point but I’d sure like to see him replace ARod on the ESPN games.

  15. I couldn’t agree more about the benefits of bunting against the shift. I grew up with a dad who pitched fast pitch until he was 50 and I can tell you if you couldn’t bunt on his teams, you didn’t play. Baserunners would be nice when hits are hard to come by and the bunt is just there for the taking. Remember “any way you can?” Get on somehow. But bunting and small ball in general is so out of fashion that I don’t even bother thinking about it anymore. (Then all of a sudden you see Gregorius bunt with 2 strikes…go figure.) Belli could use a few bunt singles right now. Remember how Mantle worked out of slumps? Players say they aren’t paid to bunt but I suggest they are paid to WIN and you do what’s necessary to do that. Selfishness prevents the bunt.

  16. Good to hear from you AC! Can’t even conceive of what you and your family are going through. Please know that your other family here here at Dodgertalk loves you and misses you!

  17. I’d feel a lot better if the Dodgers had swept the Yankees, scored a gazillion runs, and gave the Yankees nothing but zeros. I’m not feeling so good. I feel lucky the Dodgers won that 1 game.

    1. I feel the Yankees got really lucky in this series. From Keshaw’s meatballs to Ryu not showing up. Everything we hit went at someone. Next time around, the Dodgers will come out on top. I’m glad we’re having a bump in the row now. We haven’t lost more than two games in a row since April.

      1. 5-1 and 10-2, yep that’s pretty lucky. It’s easy to be lucky with good hitting and pitching. Builds confidence too. It’s a strange coincidence that Ryu and CK were “off” yet Gonsolin the rookie was on. Weird. Oh well. Go Dodgers.

        1. I don’t think Kershaw was “off”. In fact, I think it was one of his best-pitched games. He went 7 innings walked Zero and gave up 4 hits while fanning 12. 3 of the hits were HR’s but that is what is happening this year. Justin Verlander has given up 33 of them. Clayton has 21. That is the new paradigm when you pound the strike zone.

          1. I know it’s redundant, but a few 1st pitch curves and maybe a change up would help. But the ball is flying out these days no doubt. Don’t suppose there’s any chance they’ll widen the strike zone or raise the mound. Gonsolin had pretty good luck. As of right now the Yankees look pretty tough…..and lucky.

          2. Dirk, two of the HR’s were on curve balls. The other a slider I believe. Kershaw pitched fine.

      2. 59, So, now you are Nostradamus making predictions? The Dodgers lost because the Yankees are excellent against LHP and Ryu and Kershaw are well scouted. We faced pitchers we never saw before plus the team is slumping. Gonsolin was underneath their radar and Sabbathia is a known entity after 18 years in the MLB. No one will know the outcome of the next time they meet. They just have to be prepared.

  18. So good to hear your voice today AC,
    (even if it is in print)
    I think you touched us all today, for the good.

  19. Welcome back AC, with all due respect, I send a hug to you and your family …

  20. There was a story on MLBTR this morning quoting Neal Huntington (Pirates GM) as saying catching would be his number one priority in the off season.
    Shortly after the playoffs end, Andrew Friedman will open up his “Amazon of Catchers” to all who are in the market. Come one, come all, we have catching in all price ranges: Wong, Ruiz, Cartaya, Barnes. Place your order online and we’ll give you next day delivery. The price on two of these options will, of course, be Vazquez.

    1. Past performance is not a guarantee of future prospects.

      This is the kind of “dope-fiend move” that could really backfire.

      Vasquez has been very good for the past 4 years… but you are assuming that he will continue down that same path. I would trade Wong, Barnes or Fedducia (or all of them) but I would not trade Ruiz or Cartaya.

      The Dodgers may have a reliever in their system who could be as good as Vasquez next year.

      The Mets went all-in on Edwin Diaz who was really good for 3 years and he crashed and burned.

      Trading for relievers is like juggling chainsaws…

      1. Completely agree with your point about the danger of trading for relievers and if we win the Big Prize this year I would be less inclined to do so, but let’s face it, we have an embarrassment of riches at catcher. We certainly wouldn’t miss Wong or Barnes but that doesn’t get us anything worthwhile.
        Looking into your crystal ball Mark, how in the world do we have room for Smith, Ruiz and Cartaya in the lineup (or even on the roster) at the same time since most people seem to feel that Ruiz and Cartaya are catchers only. Yes, Ruiz is at least a year away and Cartaya probably three, but when you have that much duplication at one position, I think it’s wise to trade off one of them for something very good. If you’d rather that be a right handed outfielder, OK, but I wouldn’t hold on to all three of them.
        I see you’ve called my suggestion a “dope-fiend move” but apparently I haven’t gone far enough to be called a moron. I’ll try harder next time. 🙂

        1. My thinking about Dodgers catching depth. When, not if, Ruiz is ready then Smith can shift to third base, second base, or the outfield. Cartaya is only 17 and has not played above AZ rookie level, so 2023 is an optimistic target date for ML ready. Then there is always the chance of injury to catchers. I like Vazquez and don’t think he would disappoint, but I think Dodgers will look for the next Vazquez who will not take as much trade capital to acquire. A personal choice is White Sox Aaron Bummer who, I think, could be acquired for a package like (example) Ed Rios, Omar Estevez, and Leonardo Crawford. Also, the Dodgers drafted a number of college relief pitchers last June who could move very quickly through the system

        2. It might… “might” be a dope-fiend move. Why have two TOP catching prospects? Because one may not make it. It would be a shame to trade the wrong one. Nothing moronic about what you are saying. It’s well-thought out.

          1. If we only had two top catching prospects I probably wouldn’t trade either of them, but apparently we have three and that was the premise for my strategy.

  21. A few Q & A’s from Pedro Moura of The Athletic:

    Q. Based on recent articles about analytics it appears that the Dodgers and the Astros are at the top as far as financial commitment in this area. How does Dave Roberts and his staff use analytics towards line up construction on a daily basis?

    A. Yes, that’s been the case for years now. Analytics inform every decision the Dodgers make. It’s not that they make choices solely based on them, as some fans seem to believe, but that they serve as a baseline of knowledge. How do they use them toward lineup construction? Data guides every single spot. Roberts’ job is to balance what the information tells him with the hot hand with the need to mix in all of his players with regularity.

    If you’re at a game, look in the dugout during the late innings. Brant Brown and Robert Van Scoyoc will each be reading from a binder, counseling the on-deck hitters about what the opposing reliever is likely to throw them.

    Q. Do you think the front office regrets trading Yordan Alvarez?

    A. I mean, considering who he is now, of course. But Andrew Friedman has defended the thought process behind it. They signed Alvarez late in the signing period because they were about to be locked out of significant international signings, not because they were particularly enthralled with the player. And then, as I wrote earlier here, they traded him before he played for them. It was a highly unusual situation.

  22. September 1st is coming, To Lux or not to Lux is the big question in the front office. Will they actually call him up or just be an observer like Smith was last year. If he’s not going to play every day and be a difference maker will they want to start his clock? Do they see him as a difference maker this year? Do they want another left-handed bat? Will it get in the way of guys coming off of injuries who need AB’s.
    ~
    I think Rendon re-signs with the Nats, but what if the Dodgers added him next season and move JT to 1st base for his final season of his contract. The Athletic mentioned that as a possibility today.
    ~
    It sure seems like they don’t want to activate him.

    1. They have until Saturday. I cannot understand why they would not take the chance unless they think it would create a logjam.

    2. I think Dodgers bring Lux up no later than Sept. 3 (after OKC last game). 1 month of service time is not a big deal when it comes to arbitration eligibility, or later free agency. Lux has earned the call up; Dodgers get to see him against ML pitching to evaluate for 2020; Verdugo not yet doing any baseball activities; potential injuries to others; just makes sense to play him. Dodgers interest in Rendon has been rumored for a couple of years, and with Turner eligible for free agency after 2020 pursuing Rendon also makes sense.

      1. It would create an entire new logjam with Rendon at 3B, Seager at SS, Tuner at 1B leaving Lux or Muncy at 2B. Yes, Muncy could sub for JT and JT could sub for Rendon and Lux could sub for Seager but it would create some playing time problems. Like I said I think Rizzo values Rendon even more than he did Harper and brings him back to D.C. BTW, the Nats have the best record in the NL over the last 3 months.

        1. Logjams do not faze this front office, but I agree with you that Rendon is likely to stay in Washington.

    3. I’m sure that Rendon would be a great addition and i’m all in on JT at 1B. We need to keep his bat in the game. With Lux at 2B, Muncy will suffer with PT as the infield will be very solid without him. Is there any chance DH will be in effect next season?

  23. Even after losing 2 out of 3 to the Yankees the Dodgers are Still #1 in the Power Ranking released today.

  24. This is what they are afraid of and they think that because the Yankees beat us we no longer have a chance to compete for a world series, I will tell them not to be discouraged. A great offensive like that of the Dodgers or like any other great offense, in a long season he scores many races and then short periods of bad offensive streaks ensue and then the waters take their level, in weak offensives it is the other way around, few races score most of the time and then they have short lapses where they score many runs and also the waters take their level and return to the weak offensive.

    Well, this data is revealing, the Dodgers offense is going through a small depression and this data is revealing, Gurnick: “The Dodgers have scored 3 races or more only once in the last 8 games” so each pitcher of the Yankees seemed a candidate for cy young, his pitching staff is mediocre and something else, they are the 15th place !!! MLB are not even top ten, let me tell you that the much criticized Dodpen bullpen is No. 6 and the Yankees’ super-publicized bullpen is No. 7, so these results were due more to what the Dodgers have left Of doing offensive that the quality of the Yankee pitching, but as history shows the waters always take their level, the dodgers head the league in runs scored and also their pitching leads all major leagues in less races received and of course They have the biggest differential between runs scored and races received that indicates that they are the best team to date in the big leagues, in the end things will return to normal and will be left behind is a small depression of 8 games, today would be a good time to leave her.

  25. Hey they have the talent to win it. Question is will they rise to the occasion in October? Simple as that!

  26. Gyorko, 4 for 5 with a HR vs. Lauer, isn’t starting but Turner, 1 for 13, is. A bit strange if you ask me. I would think the team would want to give Gyorko a goodly amount at bats to show what he has.

    1. Yeah, we should have Gyorko, CT3 and Kike in the lineup! No please no. Verdugo and Freese can’t come back soon enough.

  27. The Dodgers have been slumping for a while. They have scored more than 3 runs once since 8/17. But it’s a long season. All teams slump. The Yankees’ starting pitching isn’t that good. I would love to see them hit against these guys in October. I did notice that they haven’t been hitting RISP lately.

    More troubling is the struggles of certain individual players. I agree with Mark – Bellinger is struggling and needs to readjust his approach. Ryu is probably tired. This is the most that he has pitched since 2014 – or really since 2013 since he has equaled his 2014 IP total already. He needs a few games to clear his head and to rest.

    Someone needs to tell Seager to quit swinging at the 1st pitch every AB. Kike looks lost again.

    I have been pleased with the work of Gonsolin and May (except that so far May shouldn’t pitch out of the bullpen – but it’s a one appearance sample size). Having the 6 man rotation for the next 2 weeks will give everyone a little extra rest.

    The Dodgers still aren’t as good against LHP. Their OPS+ is 120 vs RHP and 101 against LHP. OPS is .834 vs RHP vs. .773 vs LHP. Do they have time to figure this out?

    Baez, Kelly and Jansen may be the key to the Dodgers’ postseason this year. How do we feel about this? They were good vs NY but they still make me nervous.

    This last series vs. the Yankees is just 3 games played during the “dog days”. If they meet in the Series, it will be completely different. One thing for sure – the pitchers can’t make mistakes against Judge.

  28. True, the pitchers can’t make mistakes vs. Judge, probably Stanton when returns, etc.. But also true is that the Yankees pitchers can’t make mistakes vs. Bellinger, Muncy, JT, etc.

    How are the Dodgers supposed to be disciplined at the plate with all these inept plate umpires. If there is any team that would benefit from the electronic strike zone, it’s the Dodgers.

  29. I don’t remember who said it, but I do recall someone saying that Corey Seager hasn’t been hitting lefties. Maybe Seager was reading this blog and decided to do something about that problem.

    1. He’s much better against RHP. He hasn’t found any power against LHP this season, but he’s certainly hitting well, IMO. He’s a doubles machine.

  30. This plate ump needs glasses. Electronic strike zone can’t come soon enough.

    JT comes through!! 2-1

    May seems to be losing some control in the 4th. Let’s see if he can regain it.

  31. We tend to go thru a really boring stretch right around this time of year every season. I guess it’s time for another one. We really shouldn’t be surprised.

    Hopefully May can keep it up and we take this.

  32. Yikes. What looked like a routine DP ball off the bat turns into a tie game. Shift beaten, lazy throw by Pollock, lazy stop by JT, and lazy job by May backing up the throw. Now their losing because of it. Not a ball hit hard.

  33. I commented on Corey Seager’s power in the previous thread. First a reminder that Seager hit 26 HRs in his 2016 rookie year, and then hit 22 in 2017, which included late season injury problems due to his elbow. And we all know that he missed practically all of 2018 with TJ and hip surgeries,

    I am convinced that Seager’s power problems are the result of his having spent the past couple of off-seasons in rehab, rather than working to increase (or even just maintain) his strength and flexibility. I believe that with a normal off-season we will see Seager’s power return, and that that coupled with additional maturity and experience will result in an increase in power. I believe that Seager is capable of 30-40 HRs.

    And I say that just having seen Seager strike out against a left-hander.

  34. RVS needs to get Belli and Smith to swing at strikes. Both look tired and a bit off with their timing and pitch recognition. Has the league figured out Smith? Slow offspeed stuff appears to have him a bit baffled.

    JT looked at strike three to end the game and might see a fine for the ump bump. His lazy defensive play was little league like. Too harsh?

  35. Perhaps the Dodgers should concede that they are not going to have a better record than the Yankees and Astros, because they’re not. Right now they’re going with six starters, two of them rookies. Rest a bunch of players, including Ryu, Bellinger, anybody else who seems tired, and hope we can end up with a better record than the Braves, and that maybe a surprise team which we can beat, wins the AL Obviously, you look better when you win, but we’re not playing good ball, we blew a lead in Atlanta, and haven’t hit since Bellinger hit the three-run homer in the first inning of that game, and then that one aberrational blowout against Toronto.

    And Roberts of course is invariably positive; the pitcher always pitched well, etc. If we’re getting ready for next season, and anticipating all the young players, that’s okay. For a team supposedly thinking it can win the title, this is not good. May made a rookie error in not backing up Turner, and that cost us the game. And they didn’t have to leave May in that long, either, unless they’re trying to test him out, and rest the bullpen? I don’t love all this platooning. They got Pollock to be a regular outfielder, he has the past stats for it, let him play, instead of putting him in and out. If they don’t like Pollock, then play one of the other ones most of the games. Do something which might bring some fluidity to our play. I know we still are tied for the best record, etc. But losing a game like this, with SD’s best hitter out, is a worrisome sign. At the very least, we need to get our starting staff lined up and ready to regain early season form, because that is our strength. And stop complaining about the umpires, because it is not going to help in any way.

  36. I’ve noticed the problems that Smith has had recently with breaking balls. I think it’s a bit early to assume that the league has figured him out. The question is whether or not Smith will be able to adjust.

    I wouldn’t characterize JT’s play at 3rd as “lazy”. I haven’t watched it over and over, but it appeared to me that he misjudged the hop. Looks like he came up for a ball that went under his glove.

    What concerns me is the inability of the Dodgers to mount any kind of sustained offense.

    1. JT certainly wasn’t in the type of fielding position that he should have to been to handle that throw. A 3rd baseman can’t let a throw get by them for any reason. Instead of lobbing it between the cutoff man and 3rd baseman, Pollock should have hit Seager with the throw instead of short hopping Turner. Hopefully, May learned a lesson. It put a L on his record.

  37. Why was an error charged to Pollock? I agree that the ball was not smartly thrown by him, but JT should have been able to at least knock it down or even one-hop it! At that moment, my doorbell rang and I was unable to watch the rest of the game and hence, the re-plays. Help me out, please.

Comments are closed.