With SF coming to town I thought it would be appropriate to discuss why they are so hated in Dodger land. It started off as a rivalry between 2 boroughs in the city of New York. Separated by a couple of miles. Except for very few years into the 40’s, the Giants had the better team and the upper hand.
The Giants joined the ranks of professional teams in 1883. They won their first championships, not really the World Series then even though baseball reference lists it as such, in 88 and 89. They would not win again until 1905. They won 4 pennants between 1910 and 1920 and lost all 4 World Series.
The legendary John McGraw was their manager then. He and the Dodgers Wilbert Robinson did not exactly like each other. And the Dodgers had managed to win a couple of pennants themselves in 1916 and 1920.
For the next 20 years, until 1941, Brooklyn was always the 3rd best team in New York. The Giants went to 7 World Series over that span, won 3 and lost 4. But the Brooklynites were still proud of their team, and sometimes fisticuffs would result as arguments got louder. In 1934 with the Giants cruising to what seemed to be a second straight pennant, Bill Terry, the Giant manager made a statement he would come to regret. With a series with the Dodgers looming, Terry was asked about its importance. His reply was “Brooklyn? are they still in the league? Well, the Dodgers beat the Giants that series and the Giants ended up losing the pennant by 2 games.
In 1941, the Dodgers flipped the script. They became the better team. The Giants did not win a pennant between 1937 and 1950. The Dodgers won in 41, 47 and 49. The rivalry was always heated, and bad blood was evident in some confrontations during the 50’s. Jackie Robinson ran over a Giant who was running to cover the bag, and Carl Furillo had a confrontation with Ruben Gomez after being hit by a pitch. NY scored pennants in 51 and 54, beating the Indians that year for the Series win. The Dodgers won in 52, 53, 55, 56, and again in 1959 when the rivalry moved across the country to LA and SF.
In 59, the Giants were not really the Dodgers main rival, it was the Milwaukee Braves who were coming off of back to back pennants. But there was a game of significance in 59. On August 31st, Koufax struck out 18 Giants at the coliseum. One of the first flashes of real dominance in his young career. Through most of the 60’s and into the 80’s, the Dodgers were the better team and won multiple pennants.
The one incident that perpetuated the animosity between the fans and the franchises was the bat incident between Marichal and Roseboro. That incident probably cost the Giants a shot at winning the pennant. Marichal was suspended and SF lost to LA by 2 games. When division play started in 1969, the Giants were not very successful. Between 69 and 2000, they won 5 division titles, went to the Series once and lost. We all know how successful the Dodgers were in the 80’s with a couple of series wins, and some really good teams that fell a little short. But 88 so far has been their swan song.
There have been some confrontations in the ensuing years. I cannot remember all of them. I do remember an incident in SF when members of the Dodgers went after a fan who took the cap from one of the catchers in the pen. Players went into the stands after him. There have been some bad incidents between fans. The beating of a Giants fan at Dodger Stadium, and the stabbing death of a Dodger fan in SF. Orange and Black, are not our favorite colors.
Of course the most galling thing to Dodgers fans has been watching the Giants win 3 World Series in the 2010’s. Incidents like Muncy telling Bumgarner to “Get it out of the ocean” have kept the rivalry lively. I do respect some of the great players that the Giants have had over the years. I still think Willie Mays is the most exciting player I have ever seen in person. Willie McCovey owned Drysdale. I never could stand Marichal, and was stunned when he became a Dodger. Never got to root for him. He was a blip on the screen. Some Giants ended up in LA unis. Tom Haller was one of the better ones. And some Dodgers went the other way too. Hershiser and Baker both spent time in SF.
Looking back, it is one of the better rivalries in sports. Dodgers have had the best of it for most of the last few years. But SF can still play the spoiler role, and they love doing that. One way you can really see how much the two organizations dislike each other is by knowing that Jackie Robinson, rather than accept a trade to the Giants, retired from baseball. His dislike of them was that deep.
Terrific post, Bear! Yes, we Dodgers fans have a deep and abiding enmity for the Giants. As a kid, the Roseboro incident shocked me. Juan Marichal became my public enemy number one. I felt that his suspension was getting away easy. As a former coach of youth baseball, we teach kids to always be mindful of their bats. Never throw them when they run to first base. Lay them down. And take them off the playing field before the next batter. Marichal used his bat as a weapon. One incident that we can add to your list: Bobby Thompson’s “shot heard around the world” that won the playoff when the Giants caught the Dodgers at the end of the 1951 season. We now know that the Giants were stealing signs, a precursor to the Astericks. Of course, the moment of Thompson’s home run was one of the low points in Dodgers’ history. Now we know the truth. He knew which pitch was coming. I suppose that I should forgive, just as Thompson and Ralph Branca became friends afterwards. But where’s the fun in that?
Yes, Thompson’s homer was a low point for Dodger fans. So was the homer Joe Morgan hit off of Terry Forster that beat the Dodgers on the last day of the season when they would have tied Atlanta for the division title with a win. Atlanta had lost to SD that day. 1962 hurt a lot too. The Dodgers were up by 4 games with 7 left to play. They lost 6 of 7 to finish in a tie, and then lost the 3 game playoff to the Giants. Leading 4-2 in the 9th, eerily similar to 1951, the bullpen gave up 4 in the 9th, and they lost 6-4. Only this one was at home.
I’ve always felt our memories are the very things that control us, inform us, and delude us. Many think our memories are factual but in fact we reinterpret things to fit our current point of view which is changeable and often not real. I’m always amazed when the fans create a fantasy of knowing exactly what was going through the mind of someone 70 years ago or even their own mind back then.
Why we hate the Giants. Who is we? I don’t hate the Giants. I don’t even hate the Astros. Why should I hate any of these teams? Teenage points of view, maybe?
I said hate because many fans do. Personally, I dislike the Giants on a huge scale which could almost pass for hatred. A lot of people do not like hate as a word. I have had more than one person tell me you cannot hate anything. That just is not right. So when it all comes down to it, yeah, I hate the Giants. I hate everything about them. Their ballpark, their uniforms, and especially their fans. But what I feel is not enough for me to go to the ball park looking for a Giant fan to pummel. When I was a kid, I also disliked the Yankees immensely. I can honestly say, I hate losing to the Giants. Galls me more than anything, I also hate it when they lose to teams they should dominate. Just part of the human condition. And yes, I thought Juan Marichal should have been arrested for what he did to Rosey. Athletes have always had protection from laws while playing the game. But anything that is done with malicious intent should be punished accordingly. Especially taking a weapon like a baseball bat to someone’s coconut. A hockey stick would qualify too. Marichal was lucky he only got 10 games. A commissioner who was a little sterner probably would have suspended him for the season without pay. The union was not as strong back then. If you do not hate anyone or any team, well good for you. It shows you have character. And are seemingly in control of that emotion. But do not kid yourself, hate is a strong emotion and a response to some perceived or real action that a person feels is unjustified. Hell, I hate spinach.
How can you not hate Correa? I think he’d be able to whoop me in a fight but I’d love for that to happen simply because he wouldn’t come out of it smelling like a rose. That’s certain.
Different team, not as big a rivalry as when Houston was in the west. Do I think they cheated? Yep. Been proven and I definitely dislike Correa
Well, Jeff, I think that the answer is that “we” love to hate them. And “we” is a community of Dodgers lovers, who have banded together to pursue our mutual passion. And yes, “hate” is too strong a word. I hate things that really matter. Marichal’s attack on Roseboro was an act of violence. I don’t know Marichal, don’t know what makes him tick. But I hate the fact that he physically attacked someone who just happened to be sitting behind the plate while he was batting. And yes, “hating” your bitter rival is part of the fun of baseball for some of us. If I had the chance to be in the audience during a game with the Astros, believe me, I would have loved to boo them. The ancient Greeks called it ‘catharsis.’ The passions that arose during a Greek tragedy let the audience release emotions (‘catharisis’). Baseball is theater played on a grass field. It allows us our catharsis, which is part of our enjoyment as fans. No harm in that, as far as I can see, unless we confuse it with things that are truly worth hating, or cross the line into actual aggression.
Elementary, dear David.
Catharsis is a subjective process of throwing away what you don’t need. It is cleansing. I cannot see anything cleansing in sports. If only it were so! The next day, you just gather what you cleansed back up. That is the cycle of what most human beings are caught in. They never seem to free themselves of catharting. What a burden to carry!
Yes, you are right, Jeff! I saw a good example here in the Netherlands. Until a few years ago, the Dutch had excellent soccer teams. And they almost always lost in the finals or semi-finals of the World Cup or European Cup. When the Dutch were winning, it was a national party. When they’d score a goal, you could hear the roar through the whole city. It’s a great thing to experience. Yet, after they lost, they would go around with long faces for about a day. Then, back to normal life. The catharsis was great while it lasted, then it was gone. Easy come, easy go.
I remember Robben in the World Cup. Great player.
It’s just a simple made up rivalry over a professional sports game. We hate the Giants – and they hate us even more – because rivalries add flavor to an enterprise that is – at its root – competitive. Why overthink it?
Rivalries are often good for teams, fan and the game. I prefer the Dodger-Yankee rivalry. It was fierce and without rancor. They played hard and yet had respect for each other.
I am not very pleased with the Dodger/Astros rivalry now. It is time to get over it. The Astros cheated but it can’t be undone. Just go out and take it to them. Making faces and throwing at hitters is more of a junior high school approach.
According to reports Jackie did not retire because he was traded to the Giants. If his skill set had not deteriorated he would loved to have played with Willie Mays. However, his financial future was the reason for his retirement.
https://calltothepen.com/2017/01/05/dodgers-history-jackie-robinson-retires-trade-giants/
I disliked the Yankees too. When the Dodgers beat them in 81 I was totally a happy camper. But they do not play each other enough for it to be a true rivalry. It was more so when both teams were still in New York.
Growing up in Brooklyn, the Yanks were always the team to beat. Even being a Dodger fan, most people still watched the Yanks on TV. Mantle, Skowron, Ford, Rizzuto, Berra, how can you not like a team like that! They were great in spite of them being our rivals. Even the Giants players like Mays and McCovey always got the praise of Dodger fans. The sport itself was greater than the petty rivalries that the fans manufactured. Who doesn’t like to watch a well played sport?
Sorry DC. You’re a more forgiving man than I. I’m not even close to “getting over” the Asstros cheating. I may never.
Jackie Robinson didn’t retire because he was traded to the giants, he had decided to accept a executive position with Chock full of nuts, a chain of lunch counter type coffee shops in the New York area. He sold his retirement story to ” Look” magazine and couldn’t tell anyone until after a January 8,1958 publication date. Jackie wrote a letter to the giants telling them how much he appreciated the opportunity and how he would have enjoyed playing for the giants but at this time he was retiring from baseball to follow other opportunities for himself and his family.
I stand corrected, but it makes for a better story. Jackie had class. And yeah, he probably would have loved playing with those guys. But he had already decided to retire. He probably should have told Bavasi that before he made the deal with the Giants. When Koufax retired, they tried to get him to not announce it until they had time to try and trade for another pitcher. Sandy refused, and announced he was retiring. I actually have a baseball card that shows Jackie as a Giant.
I knew when I wrote this that there would be some who did not agree. And that is cool. I do hate getting facts wrong and I should have researched the Robinson trade a bit more thoroughly. There was a great deal of antimosity between the two teams in those years. A lot of it was fueled by the Giant manager, Leo Durocher. My deep seated dislike did not really manifest itself until the Roseboro incident. I was 17 when that happened. And I took it personal. like an attack on family. Probably not the realistic way of looking at it, but I did. As the years have gone by, I still feel the same harsh feelings towards the team. Again, probably not the best way to handle things. Them being successful in winning 3 titles did not help any. Nor does hearing that annoying Beat LA chant every time they go to SF. I doubt I will ever just look at them as just another baseball team. They are the arch enemy. Always have been, and as long as I am alive, always will be. It is hard sometimes because my daughter, and a couple of my grand kids are Giant fans. My daughter married a Giant fan, and I guess to keep harmony in the home she changed allegiance. Damn hard for me to swallow.
By pure chance, I looked on twitter to read some stories, and there was a photo of a baseball card of Chad Krueter, He was the catcher who’s name I could not recall who went up into the stands in Sf after a fan who grabbed his hat. I really had a case of Oldtimers on that one.
The Chad Krueter incident happened in Chicago – I was there and had no idea what was happening until I turned on the radio. I think it was in 2000.
Yeah, it was 2000 – Here’s the video:
I sat behind 3B – I wished I had been in RF. It might have been fun – I would have had the Dodgers backs! 😉
Interesting Mark, I was there too. I don’t recall exact details, but my wife and I were above home plate I think, and we had a good view of it all. She was very nervous afterwards and insisted that I remove my Dodger gear to avoid trouble in the neighborhood on the way to our car.
I went back the next day for an afternoon game that Dreifort pitched. It was rainy and amazingly I got a seat right behind the plate for about $15. Those prices certainly have changed …
Austrian psychologist Wilhelm Stekel, wrote this is the early 1900’s:
There is no love without hate; and there is no hate without love. The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference; the opposite of feeling can only be the absence of feeling. Disinclination, which is coloured by feeling, often only serves the purpose of concealing and protecting oneself against an inclination. Love and hate must go hand in hand; and the people we love most we hate also, because hate is grounded in the nature of love.
I can honestly say that I do not hate the Giants – I just don’t care about them. When you hate something, it has control over you. The Giants don’t control me.
On Roseboro and Marichal: It has been reported that both players were on edge, as real-world events had been a distraction for both players. Marichal was concerned about the civil war that raged in his native Dominican Republic for much of the 1965 major league season. Roseboro, meanwhile, was an African-American man who had just witnessed the Watts riots not far from his home in South Central Los Angeles. A week earlier, smoke from fires set during the riots was visible from Dodger Stadium during games.
In 1982, Marichal hadn’t yet been elected into the Hall of Fame through two years of eligibility, in part because of what he’d done to Roseboro. The men became friends, and Roseboro made it known that he held no grudge against Marichal, who is now 77.
“There were no hard feelings on my part, and I thought if that was made public, people would believe that this was really over with,” Roseboro told the L.A. Times in 1990. “So I saw him at a Dodger old-timers’ game and we posed for pictures together and I actually visited him in the Dominican. The next year, he was in the Hall of Fame.
When Roseboro died at age 69 in 2002, Marichal was an honorary pallbearer and a speaker at the funeral.
I can remember really starting to “get it” when I was a little boy, sitting in my Grandma’s beach house in Oxnard (yeah when Oxnard was a little place and you could actually see large expanses of beach), Grandma was really pissed off and tearing Juan Marichal a new one after clocking Roseburo over the head with his bat. If Grandma would have had the chance she would have made Juan into a doorstop.
I always have found it interesting to go to games in Dodgers Stadium or in Candlesuck or AT&T to watch a game. The vocal and physical hatred for the Dodgers in SF is on a whole other level than the expressed hatred towards the Giants in Dodgers Stadium. I think the Giants’ fans (since coming west) have always felt like a second class citizen to the Dodgers, thus they are real pricks in SF. However, most of the time, from what I have experienced, the fans treat you like shit from a distance but are actually very friendly when you are actually sitting around them in your gear in the stands. I lived in SF for a 5 year period and went to most Dodgers/Giants games while there. Nice park to see a game in, btw.
Kenley Jansen must go, he may have lost weight and done a lot of work in the off-season, but he is a total crap shoot (emphasis on crap) whenever he enters a game. Just give him another chance and he will get hosed, he tried to screw things the other night and Taylor bailed his sorry ass out. It is time for Jansen to be a role player and no longer be “the guy”.
Truth Hurts
I agree, Jansen should not be the closer.
In close games I like Baez and Treinen. Maybe even Mcgee but I need to see more of him.
Speaking of McGee, if you look at his career stats he pitched extremely well when he was with Tampa, but then he went to Colorado and had to pitch a lot of games in that light air in Colorado and didn’t do so well. He’s one of those guys that if you don’t look carefully at his stats (where he pitched) you would think that he is just an average reliever.
Truth, many of the people in S.F. are real pricks. It’s a city that I lived in for many years and the two things I did not care for were the people and the weather. S.F. has a real attitude problem. I don’t know why because the 60’s were a great time there and I’m happy to have experienced it. I always preferred Socal but never lived there, but spent a great deal of time there for business, friends, & family.
Interesting about Roseboro and Marichal reconciling. And its true that when you hate something, it owns you.
I don’t believe I agree that the emotion of hatred owns someone. Seems to me that if something bothers you that much it could bring clarity and focus on what you stand for and can inspire you to change what you find unacceptable.
I’ll give you an example: in Vietnam, late 1967, in the valley of Con Thien, I suddenly found myself facing about 2,000 North Vietnamese regulars who were on their way across a field intent on killing me. I hated the idea of dying at that moment so much that I found clarity and focus I never knew existed in me. I am grateful to those bastards for that lesson. Sorry about the mess, but, you started it.
Badger, I have never faced the kind of experience you described. I guess hatred gave you the focus to survive. Point taken. I was referring to hatred as a long-term emotion, the kind of thing that can consume a person for years, leaving them unable to move on with their life. I think that is something different than what you are describing, but perhaps you disagree. Curious what you think.
I’d have to think about it David, but thanks for the question.
Are you describing hate, or anger? Maybe it’s just a defining of terms.
The mystics teach us that the 5 passions keep us anchored in the material world. Free of them we go right home. Those 5 passions are lust, greed, anger, attachment and ego. Freud, hardly a mystic but well known, defined hatred as an ego state that wishes to destroy the source of its unhappiness. I agree with that take. Destroy? Hatred can take us places that are destructive. So, I guess in that regard, maybe your definition of owning is accurate, for acts of hostility are bound by the laws of physics. Equal and opposite reaction. It has a hold on you until the karma is paid off.
I’ve had a lot of time over the years to sort things out. Combat, a terribly destructive and costly divorce, a business partner that was a thief, a love that lead to addiction, the list is long, as is everyone’s I suppose. I’ve learned how not to hate. Anger is one thing, hate is another. It’s ok to get angry. It’s not ok to get hostile. I’ve seen myself hostile. I do not want to go there again.
What you describe is not hatred. Hatred is learned, survival is another matter.
You left out one of the most important facts of the rivalry – Leo Durocher. The Dodgers and Giants already enjoyed the most bitter rivalry in professional sports when the Dodgers fired Leo. The Giants immediately hired him mid-season in 1948. Many of the Dodgers already disliked Leo for his managerial style and when he switched sides it stoked an already intense hatred for fans and players alike. It was Leo who managed them in ’51 when Bobby Thompson hit the “Shot”.
And yes, if you’re a Dodger fan it it perfectly OK to loathe the Giants.
I think loathe is the perfect word!
The rivalry started for me in ‘58. And that’s what it was, a rivalry, and a living breathing part of the ongoing Northern California v Southern California thing. And you don’t have to have lived here to know it, those regional rivalries are everywhere. It’s just by definition a competition. Nobody likes to lose but hate shouldn’t be a part of it.
And I don’t hate the giants, I just really like it when they lose. I was quite content when they didn’t have a championship for decades and rather upset when they finally won one.
At age 11 in Canoga Park the only games I remember being televised were the Dodgers giants games. Yeah, there was a Game of the Week but I was usually outside playing when that was on. That rivalry became a part of my life watching those Channel 11 games.
I knew better than to wear blue to Candlestick in the 70s. That was just asking for it. On one occasion I raised my fist on a Dodger home run and was pelted with peanuts the rest of game. SF fans are the worst. Rude, vulgar drunks. At least in the cheap seats they were. Can’t say what they were like down near the field.
Personal memories from the Dodgers/Giants rivalry:
circa 1983/1984 during a TV broadcast. Right at the moment the feed cut away to go to a commercial break as the Dodger players were walking off the infield, there was a closeup shot of I think Dave Anderson having what looked like an orange that was thrown by Giants fan explode on the top of his head.
1988 Kirk Gibson called for security when one or more size D batteries landed near him while he was playing the outfield in Candlestick Park. I think in the same game some fan threw a smoke bomb near the Dodger’s dugout.
I remember, when I was a young fan, the sting of watching Joe Morgan’s home run off of Terry Forster.
It was April, 1984. 12.5 year old me went to Dodger Stadium for the first time, sat in Field Box behind the visitor’s dugout, and watched the Giants beat the Dodgers 6-4 in 10 innings. I’ve hated the Giants since.
Yes, hate. But it’s sports, so it’s a fun hate. Especially when the rivalry isn’t just about baseball, but about NorCal vs SoCal. And since we all have friends and family on the opposite side, it’s a fun hate. That’s what makes a great rivalry.
The Astros are a different kind of hate. There’s no rivalry. There’s not even a respect. They’re just cheating trash who stole our ring.
I envy you Bobby for I know not this fun hate of which you speak.
But how do you really feel about them? 😉
My sentiments exactly about the Asstros, Bobby. More than any other team, I “loathe” them. They crossed the line by a MILE. Their players are smug about the cheating and lack any true remorse over stealing a WS. I lost all respect for the Asstros and that won’t go away.
The Giants are a long rivalry and fun the beat. The Asstro deal is different to me.
They don’t care. They won, and as we know, winning is the only thing that counts. How you win really doesn’t matter. In the world above the one most of us live in, cheating is rewarded.
Very good stuff, Bear. Thank you. Brought back a lot of memories. I remember the Roseboro-Marichal incident and hating every moment of it, wanting to be on the field protecting Roseboro by swinging my frying pan at him.
I also recall sitting in an Irish pub in SoCal feeling my heart sink as Joe Morgan hit that homerun ending the Dodger season. It has been a really fierce rivalry over the years. When living in enemy territory in NorCal, my husband worked in the Bay Area. When the Dodgers beat the Giants, he would wear his Dodger tie to work the next day. I still hate losing to the Giants.
Great post Bear!! I think you have earned yourself a regular job.
I hate the Giants! If hate is defined as “to feel intense or passionate dislike for” that pretty much sums up how I feel about the Giants collectively, in a rivalry context. I do not hate any of the players(although I didn’t much care for Marichal). The term is used in the same way that I might say “I hate brussel sprouts!” I have a different hate reserved for pedophiles for example.
My “hatred” for the Giants developed in earnest in 1962, when the Giants ousted the Dodgers from the playoffs. It’s only grown since then. I do have several friends that are Giant fans, and we love each other as friends, but savor the times we can rag one another about who won or who has the better team.
On another note, The Athletic has a great article this morning on the 1955 Mays-Newcombe All-Stars, a barnstorming team that may have been among the best ever.
https://theathletic.com/1974916/2020/08/07/the-1955-mays-newcombe-all-stars-might-be-the-best-team-you-never-heard-of/
hate; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward
I prefer to lean away from hostility. I’ve seen enough to last several lifetimes. I’ll leave hate to you guys. It would appear there is plenty to go around.
Does hating the Giants lead to Dodger “fans” nearly beating a Giants fan to death in the parking lot!
It probably had something to do with it. I would say over consumption of alcohol had something to do with it also. In September of 2013 in San Francisco, a fight broke out after a Dodger-Giant game near a bar about 4 blocks from the stadium. After the fight was stopped, the two groups separated, but met again and the fight started again and a Dodger fan named Jonathan Denver was stabbed and rushed to a hospital where he died. Denver’s dad was a Dodger security guard. I do not condone the violence in any way, shape or form. I have seen Dodger fans get pretty nasty at times too. I remember one time when the Reds came to town. Pete Rose was playing left field, and he was nearly hit by something thrown from the stands. Pete’s response was that the Dodgers should sign the guy, he had a pretty good arm.
If my memory serves, their names are Sanchez and Norris who made the attack in the parking lot. I don’t think of them as fans. The Giant fan was being a the usual despicable Giant fan who still didn’t deserve the attack by any means. Giants fans sure used that incident whenever anything came up with the rivalry. Not long later, a Dodgers fan who also worked at Dodger Stadium was stabbed to death leaving AT&T park. Dodgers fans don’t through that in their faces every chance and we don’t chant “beat SF”. Giants fans are just despicable. Other than that their okay, I guess.
Denver’s dad worked at Dodger Stadium as I said in the above post. He himself was a plumbers apprentice out of Fort Bragg Cali. The other fan besides Sanchez was named Norwood, not Norris. Do mot besmirch my name with those two idiots.
Agree not really fans, just drunk or drugged assholes, probably better describes those wastes of DNA
That was a very unfortunate incident that shocked a lot of people.
Again, I stand corrected. Thank you Mark. For some reason, age probably, I transposed the Krueter incident to SF. But that’s my bad. There have been numerous incidents over the years. I talked to my friend Gary about it because he was born in Brooklyn and lived there thru his youth. He told me that many times fans ended up going to blows over who was the better team. He himself quit being a fan when O’Malley moved the team west. I think the word I should have used that would have been more apt is despise. Yes, I despise all things orange and black. As bad as Giant fans are, Yankee fans are similarly obnoxious. Just the nature of the beast really. I love that you wanted to bean Marichal with your frying pan DBM! I did not mention Durocher in the article, but I did mention him in a post on this stream. Leo was not fired per se. He returned to the team in 1948, but because of his outgoing personality and the poor performance of the team there was friction with Rickey. Rickey and Horace Stoneham negotiated a deal whereby Durocher was let out of his Dodger contract. That happened on the 16th of July, 1948. Of course, Durocher would later get some revenge in 1951. I knew that Rosey and Marichal had become friends. I had read about that sometime during the period following Roseboro’s death. Bobby Thompson and Ralph Branca became good friends too.
Yes. Despise is a good word too. How about the Loathsome, Despicable Giants?
I used to hate the Giants, and I still do not like them, but it’s not the same. The three titles won by Bochy’s teams made it harder to mock them or argue that we had the better franchise. We’ve been winning the divisions, have won many more games over the last ten seasons, but they have three championships during that period, while we do not have any since 1988.
When the two franchises relocated to the West Coast, it was a glorious rivalry, and we mostly came out on top. 1959, 1965, 1966, all thrilling pennant races . 1962 was awful. Do not forget Alvin Dark having the groundskeeper at Candlestick water the field so it looked like a swamp, and Wills could not steal bases, and we got swept in that series.Then losing the pennant at the end, having a lead in the decisive playoff game, and blowing that in the ninth. That is the most disappointed I have ever been about a baseball season. At least we won the title the next year.
i so well remember watching the weekend games from Candlestick, as those were about the only Dodgers games shown on TV here. Particularly Sunday afternoons, where we seemed to take an early lead, and then the winds would pick up more and more, and the Giants would rally, and the Dodgers would misplay fly balls and even popups, and we would lose at the end. I rarely remember us winning one of those Sunday games. In a better baseball year, 1965, the Giants had a substantial lead, 4.5 games with 13 left to play. They had been winning game after game late, with Willie Mays hitting extra inning home runs. i would have to go to bed before finding out what happened, and my father sometimes took the sports page with him when he left early for work, so i had to find out from my friend at the corner where we were waiting for the school bus; he seemed to almost delight in telling me day after day that Mays had ht a home run late to win it, maybe he had become a Giants fan for a while. It seemed hopeless, but then the Giants started to falter and Alston pitched Koufax and Drysdale with two days rest, and we kept winning, and we won the pennant on the next to last day of the season as I listened in our backyard to the clinching game.That has always been my favorite baseball season ever, and beating the Giants made it even better.
I think the wind that picked up in the afternoon at Candlestick had its own name……… The Hawk.
philjones in response to your comment above, I just find life easier by not dwelling on negative things. I follow the Dodgers from afar and the minor league system and what takes place with other teams and their systems just doesn’t interest me. I know the Dodger got burned by cheaters but reliving that every time they play the Astros doesn’t make me feel any better about the situation. I feel the Dodgers should just move on, play the game at their highest level against the Astros and not try to get even so to speak by lowering themselves to the Astros level. Just take the high road. We claim to be a classy organization so let’s not diminish that class by being Astro like.
Harold, I’m not dwelling on anything but if you want to give the Asstros a pass on their cheating, good for you. I just don’t happen to share your benevolent attitude. They cheated their way to a title and got a “get out of jail” card by the Commish. Now everybody is warned not to retaliate and they are protected like no other team. They got away with cheating and I’m not personally moving on. You can do what you want but don’t accuse folks that don’t think like you of being of being less “classy” or lowering themselves to the Asstros level. Not even close. If you’re not interested, I suggest it’s you that needsto move on.
Didn’t really mean to ruffle your feathers pj. I am sorry about that. I was not being personal. If you re-read the post you will see I made a specific reference to the Dodgers, not to fans, and was suggesting what I would like the Dodgers to do. That is, not lower themselves to the Astros level. The class was also a reference to the organization not to fans with differing opinions. No where did I use the noun, “fans”, or a second person pronoun. As I say, I am sorry I ticked you off and even more sorry for offering an opinion which I almost never do.
Thanks for the reply AC. I reread your post and I just have a case of the red-ass with the Asstros. I too try not to be disagreeable or have the last word. We’re all GOOD.
Thank you pj.
Latest podcast from The Athletic basically resorts to another extolation of the Dodgers’ depth.
One thing that stands out to me from that:
If there had been no injuries and if Price hadn’t opted out, Dustin May and Stripling wouldn’t even be in the rotation.
If Roseboro could forgive Marichal and actually become friends with him later on, I suppose I don’t have any reason to hate the man.
To damn much hatred in the world to suit me.
I loved watching Mays patrol the outfield and swing a bat, even if he did things to beat the Dodgers every so often.
I love watching Cueto pitch. It’s great to see a player enjoy himself and have fun on the field.
Do I want to beat the Giants every single time we play them? You bet I do, but I’m not going to hate them if they win. I’m just going to despise the outcome.
Well put Jefe.
If I were a baseball player and got traded to the Giants, I would legally change my name:
Sounds like a pornstar name, Giant Sucks
Like I said earlier, if I had thought about it more, I would not have said hate. Despise is the best I can come up with. Rosey forgave Marichal and that makes him a bigger man than most. I never have forgiven that action. I do not care what personal demons he was fighting at the time. There was no excuse for taking a bat to another man’s head. There was a catcher in our system who bit part of Alex Guerrero’s ear. No excuse for that kind of behavior either. Myself, I have never been involved in a physical altercation because of baseball. There has been yelling, and some profanity’s launched at the opposition. but never physical violence. And despite what some have said, when the Giants and Dodgers moved here it was as much about LA and SF as anything else. I do not know how the fans in SF looked at LA, but I know as a native Angelino, we despised the north. For what ever reason, one, I really disliked driving a rig into SF proper. It is a nightmare for a trucker much like NYC, I never have warmed to the Bay. Of course, I have never traveled there as a tourist either. About the farthest I went was Monterey. But in spite of some incidents in recent years with some other teams in our division, I still do not consider them rivalry’s. It would seem natural that there would be one between LA and SD since they are much closer together. But the fact that the Padres have never really dominated the series, keeps that from happening. With their new talent, some sort of mild rivalry will probably arise. But until the Padres consistently challenge or beat LA, it won’t happen. Arizona and LA pretty much dislike each other. That was fueled a lot when Gibson was managing them. There were some very heated exchanges, and when LA celebrated winning the division by jumping, and according to some reports, peeing in their pool, things got a wee bit testier. To this day if you get one of those field level behind the screen seats, they do not allow fans to wear Dodger gear.
Take me out to the ball game
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks
I don’t care if I never get back
For it’s root root root for the Dodgers
If they don’t win it’s a shame
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out
At the old ball game.
Sure hope we can all sing that again someday.
Does this one ring a bell for anyone?
It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame fora ballgame today.
The fans are out to buy a ticket or two
From Walla Walla, Washington to Kalamazoo
It’s a beautiful day for a homerun, but even a triple’s ok
We’re gonna cheer and boo and raise a hullabaloo
At the ballgame today
I sang this sing every time I listened to a Dodger game on the radio with Vince Scully. I even taught my 3 year old grandson to sing it
I never sang it, but I knew when I heard it that the game was minutes away. I remember seeing a video clip about Tommy and his kids at Albuquerque in 74 I think it was. It showed how he indoctrinated them into the Dodger universe. The players were on their knees and Tommy would have them say ” I love the Dodgers! ” over and over, and he would reply back, and the Dodgers love you! I would make my two daughters do the same thing prior to our softball games at Ft. Bliss. They both had Dodger caps and small bats they carried around with them. I thought it was cute, but my exe wife thought I was torturing them in a way. Well, my older daughter is still a staunch Dodger fan even though she lives out in Hooterville or some town like that in Northern Oregon. My youngest girl has crossed over to the dark side. She is now a Giants fan, courtesy of her hubby, who has been one since birth. At least he is likeable, but watching a LA-SF game at their house was pure hell. When I was driving across country, I found a Giant’s warm up jacket at a truck stop and got it for him for his birthday. Another of my musician friends out here is a huge Giants fan, I had to listen to some bragging back in the early years of this decade from him. He has been mysteriously quiet since 2014. When I heard ” Hi, and a pleasant good evening to you where ever you might be. ” I knew the game was about to begin. Old friend Matt Kemp was in left field for yesterday’s Rocks-Giants game and he had to make a diving catch in LF to save a run. Rock’s announcer, Drew Goodman has a really annoying HR call now……watch that one for you are not going to see it for long, it is gone. YUCK! KBA allowing 10% capacity at their stadiums. All are wearing masks. Supposedly they are going up to 25% in a week or so.
Dodger Blue Mom, do you remember Chuck Bennett, and his pregame radio show “Batter Up”? That was where I first hear d that song. I think the Dodgers were on KFI In those days. Bennett did a very good show; i think he just previewed the upcoming game and the status of the season. for 15 minutes or so, before the Scully and Doggett broadcasts. It my have expanded a bit later. I never see his name mentioned, but as a boy, I always looked forward to his show before the game, or between games of doubleheaders, which were more prevalent then, and which I always loved,, particularly when we won the first game. Back to the song, it later became the theme song for Dodgers broadcasts, when before it was just for Bennett’s show. He would refer to the Dodgers as “The Alston Men.”
William. I have heard of Chuck Bennett but did not listen to him and I cannot remember if I listened to “Batter Up” or not. Sorry. Did he write the song? I just know I associated it with my Dodger’s games and sang along merrily to it. I listened to the games on KLAC, so not familiar with KFI. Was it in Los Angeles?
Ps. I always find your posts interesting and enjoy reading them.
Dodger Blue Mom, thank you. It is possible that i have confused the stations, but I think that the Dodgers were on KFI, for several years. That station is 640 in Los Angeles, and I think that Chuck Bennett had a 15 minute sports show in the evenings there, as well as doing his Batter Up show. i liked him, he was enthusiastic and genial, and he would always outline the upcoming games, what the Dodgers needed to do in the ever-changing pennant race. i loved the 10-team pennant race in the National League, it was all-or-nothing, and thus every game was crucial, and one scoreboard watched, and not just for one rival, there were a few in any year. As to the song, i have no idea who wrote it or where it came from, but that was the first place I ever heard it.
*sang this song*
Good stuff again Michael – another Dodgers history lesson for me, and very enjoyable, hope you have the taste for it.
Watched the Dodgers win the West in 2016 during the final Series of the season at AT&T.
Fantastic place to watch a game, especially when you win.
Fans were fine, and there were plenty in Blue there without any incidents.
Bought tickets outside with no problem, and even snuck in behind Home Plate for a few innings a couples of days.
You couldn’t do anything like that in England at a soccer match – too violent.
Baseball is so much more a family friendly environment.
I managed to wangle my way into the Dodger’s Post Season Party on the Tuesday night when Kershaw won it for us, and that’s where I got my picture with him, and a few others.
Great times.
They seem to dislike us more than we dislike them.
Either way, let’s beat them tonight and then tomorrow and Sunday.
I grew up in Jersey as a Dodgers fan. My best buddy was a Giants fan. He and I kidded each other now and then but never anything serious. Now, Yankee fans were a different story. They would taunt me relentlessly. Letting me know that since I was born the Yankees had beaten the Dodgers in the WS in ’47, ’49 ’52 & ’53. Finally in ’55 the Dodgers beat the Yanks in their 1st WS win ever and It was great. But of course the Yanks came back and beat the Dodgers again in ’56. So I only had Bragging rights for 1 year (damn Yankees). Then, in ’63 The Dodgers swept the Yanks in the WS. There was only one thing left that I wanted to see. That “one thing” took place in 1967. The Yankees finished in last place in the 10 team American League. Total humiliation! I guess that is when my Yankees “hatred” began to wane.
Today’s lineup vs the team we hate/dislike/loathe/root against/etc:
Joc
Mookie
Belly
JT (DH)
Seager
Muncy
CT3
Rios (3b)
Smith
Urias
That is a lineup that I believe will clobber the Shark. Odds think so too. -265. 9 runs. I got the Dodgers 7-3.
Wow 2 games in a row that Smith will be starting. Maybe a light bulb came on in Doc’s head. No Hernandez either another light bulb?
I think it is because if they went every other game, that would put Smith catching for Clayton who has said he prefers Barnes.
I still want Mookie in the leadoff spot, and Seager in the 2 hole.
Agreed!
I’ll let it slide today until I know Mookies’s finger is OK but then I’m on “Team 1. Mookie 2. Cory …”
Today has definitely not been my best day in a while. Getting facts wrong in my story, and having my closet door fall apart on me. Maintenance fixed it. So, I decided I had better trim the old beard. It gets too long and I begin to resemble Gabby Hayes, which would be fine if I was making his money. So, I trimmed her up, vacuumed all of the hair up so it would not get all over the place and stepped into the shower, where I always do the finishing touches on my head, since I shave all the hair I have left off, and do the areas that have stubble. So I lather up, and I am thinking this is about the smoothest shave I have ever had. I go to tap the razor, and the cover comes off. I had never removed the safety cover from the razor. Needless to say, nothing was being shaved! Ahh, the wonderful things that happen as you get older.
I’d suggest that you not clean any guns today.
My weapons are always clean and ready. Had that instilled in the military. All are oiled and loaded except my rifles. To hard to grab and shoot anyway.
That’s ok Bear. Everyone has days they would like to start over. Me? I wake up every morning and if nothing new hurts, I think I am going to have a good day. It must be true especially when I have a Dodger game to look forward to.
That is always a good day. Today has been nice otherwise since I have not had one single phone call asking me to get medicare supplemental coverage or telling me my truck is no longer in warranty. Even after I have numerous times asked to be on their no call list. Problem is, they call me from multiple different numbers, and most are in this area code. Good news is I finally got through to the VA’s out sourcing site to schedule my annual eye exam. This one is important as it has been a year since my cataract surgery. One thing I always seem to wake up with is a new black and blue spot on my arm. All I need to do is bump it ever so slightly and walla! Another dark spot on the ole arm. Anyone notice the great outing by former Oriole, Dylan Bundy for the Angels last night? 9 innings and 10 K’s. He has been impressive so far this year.
Bear, I too had a tough day. I opened the door and the knob came off. I picked up my briefcase and the handle came off. Now I’m afraid to go to the bathroom.
Yeah, I stole this one from Rodney who got no respect.
Sometime if you get a chance, go on Youtube and do a search on Dangerfield, you can see some classic stuff. I love watching him and Rickles on there.
Bear, I do a pretty good Rodney impersonation and have stolen tons of his best stuff. I’ve actually done it on stage and as an MC. When I worked at Goodyear Park for Spring Training, I had to provide some new material every day.
I’m losing my audience however, little by little.
Another thing I am is a huge Red Skelton fan, Since the game does not start until 8:40 my time, I went to my TCM on demand station and watched an old Skelton film from 1950 called Watch the Birdie. It starred Skelton, Ann Miller, Arlene Dahl, and Leon Ames. It is notable because Skelton plays 3 roles in the film. the grandfather, father and title character Rusty. Pretty funny stuff. I never missed his TV shows. And I have I think 6 of his movies, and the Time Life collection of his TV shows on disc. Including Whistling in Brooklyn, is which the Dodgers play a part, A Southern Yankee, and The Clown. The Clown is basically a remake of The Champ, with Skelton’s vaudeville performer down on his luck, replacing Wallace Beery’s boxer.
I saw Red Skelton live in Las Vegas in 1985, the day after I got married there (Imperial Palace). He was funnier in person than on TV and he was a riot on TV. He was born in Vincennes, Indiana
There is a Red Skelton museum there if memory serves me right, I would love to see that sometime.
I found Red Skelton and Don Rickles very funny and both of them were fine actors.
“Maybe a light went off in Doc’s head” is why Barnes is not playing?
That is really silly!
Look at the stats.
In the past 7 days Barnes is hitting .000!
In the past 7 days Will Smith is hitting .333.
Before that, they were pretty close. If you are a good manager, you let the players prove who needs to play. So far, it’s Smith’s job to lose.
Kike is not paying because there is a RHP on the Mound and CT3 currently has the hot hand. Me? I would have put Beathy at 1B and Muncy at 2B, but that is purely subjective.
Well that was a pathetic bottom of the 1st
Yep. First inning suckage. Bellinger and Turner both late and popped up WRISP. Chance for a big inning pissed away.
Typical Dodgers – 2nd and 3rd, no outs. No runs scored when the middle of the lineup (Bellinger, Turner, Seager) come up. Can’t hit RISP.
Thre is no excuse for not scoring a run with runners at 2B and 3B with no outs.
I would make an example of Bellinger and Turner and sit them the rest of the game.
Thus happens too much. There needs to be consequences.
I’m hard-core!
Yep, that would show ‘em.
Urias throwing too many pitches again.
Yes, Urias’ efficiency has been an issue. He seems to not have the command this season. Not sure why.
He has been very close. There have been about 6 pitches he has really gotten pinched on.
Yes he is getting pinched some, but he has had too many high counts.
They let the shark off the hook and now pitch count in twenties while urias balloons to 45. Advantage giants/ going to be another short start for Dodgers. Bullpen loosen
Great.
This does not look good (Seager).
This ump is really squeezing Urias!
Yep.
I had Yastrzemski out. His lead foot was over the plate.
Don’t Betts against Mookie!
Like Badger said, they are a different team with him!
I was sitting here watching Mookie and saying to myself, ‘Mookie has become my favorite player to watch’. Lo and behold, he blasts one into the bleachers! I like everything about this guy. He’s got a great presence.
Mookie is Ballplayer.
A very, very talented and driven one!
OK, I’ll let Belli and JT play!
What about Seager. All he did was take a few steps toward second.
No report yet. Since the announcers are not allowed down on the field, Alanna cannot get an update on him. Might be his quad again. He also has been having some calf issues.
When JT is on his game, this team will be great again. I used to call him the heart and soul of the Dodgers but Mookie is making a great case for this title. I do hope JT returns to his expected form. He has given the team a lot and we wouldn’t be such a force without him.
I think JT’s transition to DH is starting. I think he will sign a 2 year/$24 Million deal and be the Dodgers DH. Rios is getting his shot at 3B.
In this lineup JT can almost be overlooked. He’s been quiet – only hitting .245. Muncy, Bellinger and Smith all still under .200. And we’re 9-4.
Seager – lower back. Gulp.
Just in, report on Seager, lower back discomfort.
They just announced it’s Seager’s back
Fresh Prince goes yard!!
And that’s why Smith starts all day long over Barnes!
But, they had to let it play out. I think it has played out!
The Dodgers have jumped the Shark!
The shark has lost his bite! Another Seager injury ugh! Great player but can’t stay on the field. Sad especially at his age.
Will the Thrill wants to keep the job.
When will the Dodgers tire of Barnes and callup Kaybear?
Nice to see Smith waking up.
Rios will need to make a better showing if he is to replace JT at 3B. So far, he is not there. We need JT and I agree with Mark, he would make a terrific DH.
Apart from Rios, who do the Dodgers have that could actually start there?
They probably don’t have anyone who can replace JT right now, but I’m really high on Kody Hoese who should be ready in 2022.
Kody Hoese – Probably 2022.
Miguel Vargas – 2022.
Christain Santana – 2022 or 2023.
Rios is the best prospect as of now.
I do like Hoese and Vargas a lot, but this year has cost most of them a year of development.
Taylor could do it. He is listed there on the depth chart. Beaty, Hernandez could both do it.
Urias only 4. He’s got to do better.
So – here’s the issue with Corey – with his injury history, do the Dodgers commit the big money on a long term contract?
Do you give him one rick?
I don’t think that the Dodgers have other SS prospects ready unless you plan on moving Lux back to SS, but so far he hasn’t made it at the MLB level yet.
Seager is a free agent in 2022. Lindor, Báez, Correa, Seager and Story are all free agents in 2022. Would you risk it with Seager if one of the others is available?
I prefer Lindor. Baez is interesting, so is Story though I don’t know his numbers away from Colorado. Correa is younger, but he’s only played a full season once.
Honestly, I don’t know. It depends on how he finishes the year. But age 22-23 he put up over 5 WAR and hasn’t come close since. Is a trade possible?
Good question. Let’s see what this is.
I can see a $200 million deal… not much more and who is going to give him more?
I can see the Dodgers going after Lindor.
No, I don’t think they will. Or, the contract might reflect the injury history. Meaning he will have to be healthy to get the big bucks. So, somebody will risk so he probably won’t be back.
$200M is BIG BUCKS!! How many years?
Dodgers go 0 for 3 with bases loaded, no outs.
Can’t hit RISP.
1 for 7 WRISP, 15 LOB already. We should be up by 9 runs.
Santana, sit down! This is a job for Kolarek.
I don’t think that the Dodgers have other SS prospects ready unless you plan on moving Lux back to SS, but so far he hasn’t made it at the MLB level yet.
Seager is a free agent in 2022. Lindor, Báez, Correa, Seager and Story are all free agents in 2022. Would you risk it with Seager if one of the others is available?
Seager is the man unless he is unable to play. If he sustained something major, that would be an issue. We used to whine about AJ and his injuries until he broke out this season. The strides that Seager has made show me he is an elite player. Almost every player gets injured and what happened to Corey is not necessarily indicative of how he will emerge from this. It’s probably minor and we are making more of it that needs be. My 02cents.
If Alexander chose to play this season, why didn’t Price? Alexander has a pre-condition, Diabetes. I didn’t agree with Price’s opting out. I know players have a choice, but this guy is aging and it was a new beginning with the Dodgers. Most players want to play.
I think all players want to play. Price had good reason not to.
what was the reason?
It was in all the papers.
Price’s concerns, as quoted in the papers, was concerns for his health and his family. What player doesn’t have concerns? He forfeited more than $11M!! on fear. Good decision?
Not for me to say.
Muncy is supposed to be one of the best dead red hitters in MLB – couldn’t catch up to 2 95 MPH heaters up but down the middle. He’s not right
Kelly really doesn’t know where it’s going
His mechanics are too strange.
Most mechanics are. It’s from sucking all that exhaust.
McGee, Treinen and Betts. This kid Friedman may have a future In this game!
Surprised it wasn’t mentioned earlier by some of us here, but WTH was up with Hernández telling the HP umpire he wasn’t HBP. If the umpire is giving you 1B with a HPB to load the bases with no outs why in the hell would you say no it didn’t hit you and then of all things Doc asks for a replay.
I know Hitting with RISP has been really bad but the if the umpire wants to give you a bag take it and STFU. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a stupid act in quite some time. Is Hernández that dumb or what?
I have piled on Hernandez lately so I didn’t want to bring that up. But yeah you’re right take the free pass and shut the hell up. I’m glad you mentioned that.
Kind of reminds me of seeing money fall out of someone’s pocket and not telling them and keeping it for yourself. Why lie about it? Is that really better? Plus the game wasn’t on the line. I applaud decisions like this. Honesty is good for everyone.
Well with Seager down we’ll probably see a lot of Hernandez, knowing Doc.
What are his options?
Taylor SS, Muncy 2B, and 3 other guys for the corners and DH Turner, Beaty, Rios.
McGee looks like a steal. Another great grab by Friedman et al
I talked about McGee in one of my posts earlier today. He pitched well in Tampa but then he went to Colorado and had to pitch in that thin air and didn’t do so good. I like what I see in McGee.
They had a big lead. Kelly came in and did not give up anything to hurt them. That cannot do anything but help his confidence. Umpire got the worst of it. Bad call of the year? Kike being awarded first on a phantom hit by pitch. The way he is hitting, that is the only way he is getting on base. If Seager is out for any length of time, I believe they will recall McKinstry. Lux is still not ready according to Roberts. McKinstry looked a lot better than he did the few appearances he made in the start up games. Santana makes one bad pitch with a 5 rub lead and the haters just could not wait to jump on him. Kid has pitched great. He is authorized to make a mistake now and then. McGee could close if Kenley was not available. At least he gets a clean 1-2-3 ninth. Colorado keeps their half game lead with a win over Seattle and the Padres shut out the D-Backs. Mike Trout homered on his birthday for the 5th time. That has to be some sort of record. Alex Verdugo hit 2 homers into the monster and robbed Travis Shaw of a homer late in the game. Verdugo is wearing #99 in Boston. Zack Greinke went up and sat in the stands in between innings during his start.
Kelly is a disaster, Bear. No one expects any consistency from him. One of the worst signings, ever.
Santana has good stuff but he will be easy for many batters to figure out. He doesn’t have blazing stuff like most of the BP. He has yet to really get his feet firmly planted in the MLB. I am still on the fence about him. Urias not going long is worrisome. Most of us thought he would be over these problems by now and deserved a shot at the rotation. If Price was here, Urias may very well be sent back to the BP. We need a long man there. May looks much more ready and dominant than Urias.
I disagree that he is one of the worst signings ever. He has not cost them a game this season. He has not been dominant, but he has been effective. He has yet to give up a run. He had a stretch like that at the beginning of last year and then became one of the best options from June through October. Hitters hit under .200 against him all of that time and his K to BB ration climbed to 3-1. So your opinion of him does not hold water. It is simply that you do not like the guy, and he gave up the homer that cost them the last game of the season. His stats show that he was more effective than you give him credit for. I would say Don Stanhouse and Jason Schmidt were worse signings. Neither did anything. Total waste of money. As for Santana, I know he does not have blazing stuff, but he has shown great poise and control. Hell, Stripling does not have blazing speed on his fastball either. And he has made a grand total of 7 games since he has been in the majors. I think Ferguson could easily fill the role of a long man. Urias has not impressed me this year at all. 80 pitches in 4 innings, 3 hits, 2 walks, and earned run and only 2 K;s. Numerous high pitch counts to hitters. Those are not the kind of stats you want from a supposed ace in the making. His numbers out of the pen are much better. 45 million for 10 games. That is what they paid Jason Schmidt. Your idea of a disaster and mine are very different.
One thing that is really getting a little old, at least for me, is the players cutting loose with an F bomb after a bad at bat. They need to realize that with no fans in the stands , those can be heard clearly on the broadcast. Look, I am no prude, I have been know to cut loose with a few expletives when I stub my toe or bang something into something just sharp enough to cut me. But this has been happening almost every game at least once, and sometimes more than that. Have some control out there guys and remember young fans are listening.
The Dodgers have 8 pitchers on their roster who have not given up an Earned Run this year.
The Dodgers continue to have the best pitching in the NL… by far. They are #1 with a 2.39 ERA and the next closest team is the Marlins at 3.09.
They are also #1 in Runs, HR, RBI, and OPS, but are lower in OB% ad BA.
Here’s a very important stat: They are 21st in MLB in strikeouts.
Well playing games against the a Giants and Dbacks will help any staff.’a stats! Still have a lot to prove