I’m writing this on Friday morning, basking in the joy of the Dodgers 11-2 thumping of the Padres and thought I would share some random thoughts from my recliner:
● Until last night’s game, this year’s Dodgers just haven’t been as fun for me to watch as teams in the past. In “summer camp” it looked as if though they would be invincible. Once the season started though, and even though their record isn’t that bad, their play (mostly the offense) has just seemed “meh.” Perhaps the expectations for this team were put much too high. In any event, I hope last night’s game was a precursor of better days ahead.
● For all the woes the offense has experienced, in contrast the bullpen has been has been very solid. I really like the additions of Treinen and McGee. Both have seemed to have recaptured some of the magic of when they were dominant pitchers. Dylan Floro has been a pleasant surprise, and Doc has used him in the right situations. Graterol and Ferguson have also been very solid and, in my opinion, will only get better. Baez is Baez. I have no complaint about how he has pitched. But is he ever painful to watch on the mound. He is so jittery, and looks like he is but a moment away from a nervous breakdown. Alexander, Kolarek and Santana have also been useful. I think Doc has also used them in the right circumstances, to help them build their confidence. We may not see much more of Victor Gonzalez for the remainder of the season, but I think he has the stuff to be effective. Kenley Jansen still makes me nervous, but I can’t argue with the results. His cutter has more movement this year and he appears to have regained some velocity.
● The starters are beginning to round into form. We’ve gotten all we could possibly expect from May and Gonsolin. They both have been very good. If the Urias we saw last night, is the Urias we get moving forward, I’ll be very happy. I have to believe (hope perhaps) that Buehler will return to his dominant ways, but even if he is just good, it will be all right. Strip is Strip, he will give you all he has every time he is on the mound. That said, I have to agree with some of the others on this blog, he may just be a #6 pitcher and nothing more. Even as that I can see him having a significant role being used in a “piggyback” role, should any of the other starters falter early in a game. He can eat some innings. Which Kershaw is the Kershaw that we’ll see for the rest of the year, he of his first start, or the second start? Because he’s such a competitor, I think more of the first start then the latter. I’m not sure how much we’ll see of Alex Wood for the rest of the year, but up to now he hasn’t been missed much.
● Without a doubt, this team is much better with Corey Seager, than without him. CT3 might have a slight edge defensively at shortstop, but Seager is such a solid offensive player that he needs to be in the lineup. I know the conversation of getting Lindor has heated up a bit lately, but as for me, I keep Seager and sign him long term. His old schoolwork ethic is precisely what this team needs.
● Other than last night, the offense is down, I’ll look at that more hereafter, but one explanation that has been floated is the failure to adjust to the COVID protocols. For example, COVID protocols don’t allow for hitters to have as much batting practice before games as in past years. The pre-game time on the field is limited and, as a result, the players have less time to work out the kinks in their swing. Also, the players aren’t allowed to view video during the game as in past years. Thus, they’re not able to view video to get immediate feedback on what they did right or wrong in the just completed at-bat. As a result, the players are relying more on “feel” than they have in the past. Like all things, some are better at it than others. As Corey Seager explained: “Whether you’re going good or bad, you like to see where pitches were, where you thought they were, where they actually are,” Seager said. “Even in zone, you sometimes get confused. Just checking on little setup things and little corrections you’d normally make throughout the game, you’re not really able to. You’re kind of having to rely on a lot more feel this year. It’s definitely been a battle.”
● Neither Max Muncy nor Cody Bellinger look right. I read on another blog that, to date, Bellinger is having the worst MVP follow-up season in the history of MLB. That’s not a distinction you want to be known for. Everybody seems to have a theory as to why Bellinger is struggling. Here’s mine: I looked back at last season, and it appears that his decline coincided with the fans beginning their constant chants of “MVP” “MVP”, “MVP.” It may be that he doesn’t handle the spotlight and corresponding expectations as well as others. Moreover, this off-season was one award ceremony after another for him. He may have had too much of the high-life and is still working himself back into shape.
● I’m not sure what to make of Max Muncy. Perhaps his slump is a direct result of an injury. Whatever the cause, he definitely looks like he has lost his confidence. He has also been the recipient of some of the worst strike calls that I have seen this year.
● It hasn’t been discussed as much, but Joc Pederson seems to have lost whatever gains he showed in spring training and the summer camp. I was convinced that he would have a great year because of becoming a free agent at the end of this year. That hasn’t unfolded. Now, a question that has to be asked is, do you attempt to trade him at the trade deadline? Or, do you ride him through the playoffs, hoping that he recaptures some thunder in his bat?
● Speaking of the umpires, I have observed some of the worst calls on strikes and balls that I have seen in several years, C. B. Bucknor and Angel Hernandez notwithstanding. Electronic strikes and balls may not be too far in the future.
● The slider that Brusdar Graterol threw to Manny Machado for strike three on Wednesday night, was unbelievable. I did not think it was humanly possible to have a pitch break as much as that one did. I’m going out on a limb here, but I don’t think that even Badger or Mark could hit that pitch.
● Mookie Betts is very good! Not only is he good, he exhibits all the character qualities you would want in someone to lead your team. Plus, his personality is such that he contributes very positively to the team’s chemistry. Barring something totally unforeseeable, he’ll be a Dodger for the next 12 years!!!!!
● The other night, Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser were having a discussion about which Dodger would be the most successful as a cage fighter (that’s what happens when your team is not playing well). The consensus among the player was Austin Barnes. I have absolutely no information on which to form any opinion on that subject, yet that I was surprised it was Barnes.
● The Padres are going to have a nice team for the next several years. They have a nice blend of young hitters and pitchers, with more on the way. It’s going to be fun watching the Dodgers and Pads battle each other. He didn’t do well last night, but, barring injury, Chris Paddock is going to be a nice pitcher for them. I look forward to he and Julio Urias going head to head against each other. Two 24 year olds, that currently possess virtually identical statistics, who are only going to get better.
● Perhaps, after last night’s game, the fire Robert Van Scoyoc rants will die down for a while, at least until the Dodgers are shut out again. I don’t think he is the source of the Dodger hitting woes. At least he’s no more responsible than Brant Brown or Aaron Miles, who are also Dodger hitting coaches. Maybe RVS is more of a lightning rod for the fans, because he doesn’t have any pro ball experience. It’s also been noted that RVS may be sort of a “one trick” pony because a couple of the hitters he’s worked with use a high leg kick as a triggering mechanism in their swing. I don’t buy into that theory, primarily because I don’t see that being used by the majority of Dodger hitters.
● Hopefully by the time this posted the Dodgers will have spanked the Angels in their 3 game series. On “paper” that is certainly what should happen.
● My sincerest prayers for Jeff and his family that they might find comfort and love as they share in the memory of his beloved son, Kristopher this weekend. I know from experience that these “anniversary dates” are painful and very bittersweet.
My song parody for today. A Buffalo Springfield classic that I love in my youth: “Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing” with apologies to Neal Young.
Who’s that throwing heat past my face
Where’s that pitch that I would normally lace?
Who’s puttin’ sponge in the bats I once swung
my hits are so weak, I don’t need to run
Making out after out is screwing my mind
I can’t even hit above the Mendoza line
every pitcher I face looks like Nolan Ryan
I’m swinging at air and it’s ruining the times
Who’s sayin’ baby, that don’t mean a thing
‘Cause nowadays Muncy can’t even swing
And who’s all hung up on that homerun thing?
Who’s trying to figure out why he misses each swing?
And who’s in the corner and down on the floor
With pencil and paper just countin’ the score?
And who’s tryin’ to act like he’s just missed it again?
And the line isn’t black if you know that it’s green
But don’t bother lookin, you’re too blind to see
Who’s comin’ on like he wanted to be
Who’s sayin’ baby, that don’t mean a thing?
‘Cause nowadays Belli can’t even swing
And who’s striking out on pitch number five?
Yet still has the feelin’ that he’ll soon come alive
Though feelin’ it, believin’ it ain’t quite the same
It ain’t a base hit, if you pop up again
Who’s missing his pitches more and more?
Even though they’re red meat on which he should score
Who should be hitting but is part of this song?
Wishin’ and hopin’ his swing weren’t so damned long
Who’s sayin’ baby, that don’t mean a thing?
‘Cause nowadays Muncy can’t even swing
Who’s sayin’ baby, that don’t mean a thing?
‘Cause nowadays Belli can’t even swing
That parody could not do anything except make me laugh. You ought to send it to Muncy. And I have always been a huge Buffalo Springfield fan. Hello Mr Soul! Great game last night. Cody for perhaps the first time this season was right on the ball. Kershaw owns the best player in baseball. Trout is now 0-13 against Kersh lifetime. Taylor kept his hot streak alive. Loved the hustle, beating out routine grounders, and knocking in runs doing so. Both Seager and Pollock did that. Bullpen finally gave up some runs after going 22 plus without doing so. Jansen gets his 5th save by getting out of a mess that Treinen had run into. Buehler goes tonight. Then May on Sunday.
Mookie didn’t hit a HR. Why is he slumping?
I am guessing, but when you can’t have a HR unless you have a hit.
Kinda’ like birthdays. Birthdays must be good for you… the more you have the longer you live.
Very nice game by Kershaw last night.
Nice to see Barnes hitting,going 7 for 13 in his last 4 games.
I think it is time for Pederson to move on, make a trade.
Buehler tonight,looking for him to pitch a strong 6 innings.
Random thoughts: With Barnes swinging the bat well, and one of the best pitch framers in MLB, put Will Smith on the IL and bring up Keibert Ruiz for a week and see how he handles himself behind the plate and at-bat. Matt Beaty needs more consistent at-bats, option him to the alternate training site and bring up either Zach McKinstry, or DJ Peters. Give Muncy another mental health day with LH’er Andrew Heaney starting for Angels. Who is wearing uniform #11 and what have the Dodgers done with the real AJ Pollock? Great to see Dodgers pitchers attacking the strike zone, and hitters swinging at pitches early in the count. Chris Taylor would be the regular starting shortstop for more than half of the MLB teams this season. Remember how so many wanted to replace Corey Seager with Francisco Lindor? Kiké Hernandez deserves a Gold Glove! Mookie Betts is underpaid.
Will that move impact Ruiz’ “years of control”?
Only if the Dodgers were to keep him on the active roster for the remainder of the season which is unlikely. I think the team needs to know if Ruiz is a viable alternative if something happens to Smith, or Barnes. Or, will Rocky Gale be the third catcher.
Barnes may be hitting better but his caught stealing % is below average. I’m happy to see him swinging the bat but how can he improve his throwing to 2nd base? Do catchers improve in this area? Examples, please?
Catchers can improve arm strength, pop times, and accuracy – but I think what we see now is what to expect from Barnes. He is a top notch pitch framer, better than average at blocking pitches in the dirt, and a respected receiver by pitchers. Barnes arm is average at best, but he is also working with a pitching staff with several guys who are horrible at holding runners on base. I think the Dodgers are OK with Barnes throwing with his other above average defensive abilities, at least until Keibert Ruiz is ready to take his place. Dodgers would be thrilled if Barnes can maintain average offense for a catcher (~.245/.315/.400)
Jim Bowden said this on MLB-Radio yesterday:
“You can’t evaluate a hitter in 20 games… maybe 40 games. Well maybe a guy like Justin Upton who has been in decline, but guys like Yelich and Bellinger will be fine. Trust me…”
OK, I will admit to being a dumbass when I wanted to demote Austin Barnes. Who’s next to step up to the mic?
Austin Barnes, you can’t stop him – you can only hope to contain him. Will Smith may have been “Wally Pipped?” 😉
So far in 2020, the Dodgers have scored the most runs in MLB and have the lowest ERA in MLB. Stick with that plan and I predict success.
The only thing that I believe can stop the Dodgers is the COVID-19. Let’s hope they can stay away from it. It’s a good thing the Russians now have a vaccine:
Here in Indiana, cases continue to spike while deaths continue to plummet. Two days ago, I got the second of two pneumonia shots, which was a really bad experience. My arm could not be touched for two days It felt like the LA Rams all hit my shoulder as hard as they could about 10 times each) and I felt like glazed ham. I am fine today. Anyway, since I have the COVID-19 in February, my doctor said it was not clear if the antibodies still protect me or not, but (in theory) if you have the pneumonia shot, it should mitigate that part of it. Make of that what you will.
Agree with Socalbum, bring up Ruiz. No offense to Beaty but Ruiz would be better to have as a back up catcher.
While the jury is still out about immunity, having antibodies and T cells suggest immunity is present. If getting the virus a second time was true, we would have seen such cases by now.
Once had the pleasure of drinking what I WS told was the best vodka in Russia. Don’t recall the name but it was really really good.
We had a friend over (who was born in Russia) for a night of vodka shots. I’m not a big drinker but he told me if you eat salty food along with your vodka you can drink without a problem. He brought Russian Standard which I found to be excellent and supplied the salty food and I had a great and very lucid evening.
Beaty is not the backup. Hernandez is the backup to the backup.
Like I’ve always said, “everybody has a little Freddy Krueger in them” same as there’s a dope fiend hiding in the all of us.
We have to hope OUR pitchers have a bit of Kershaw in them. He is still the king. But I’ve known that all along. When the glory gets long in the rear view mirror, maybe then Mike Trout will get a hit off him.
All of a sudden it does feel like the Dodgers that we all expected to see are in fact here and ready to take charge. Seager is so important to the team’s success. Mookie and Seager should be #1 and #2 in the batting order for the rest of the year.
Cody with 2 HR’s last night, lets hope he is now dialed in and ready to explode. CT3 has to be in the line-up everyday, whether giving Seager a day off, plays somewhere in the OF, or gets a start or two per week at 2B or DH. The guy has huge “heart and soul” and hustles every play and his quiet play does not go unnoticed.
How about CT3 the regular 2nd baseman with Cory at SS. Keep CT3 in the 8 hole with Barnes at 9. They’ve been good setting the table for Mookie and Seager. Kike stays the utility man. I think CT3 has earned that shot.
Great song. And For What Its Worth is just as topical today as it was yesterday.
Barnes? Blind squirrel. He will hit his projected slash of .227/.320/.390 by season’s end. Yes, Ruiz. Let’s see what the kid got.
Deaths plummet? Is that an Indiana thing again? The curve looks different in California. Also, deaths nationally keep going up. This thing is far from over
https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/2393.htm
For What Its Worth is one of my all time favorites. Have done that on stage a lot.
I think my favorite band in that season would be Lovin Spoonful. John Sebastion should be credited more for his talent playing harmonica. One thing we ‘baby boomers’ have that other generations can’t get is music at it’s best. They only hear the hits of the era but we listened to the whole albums. Leo Kottke does a version of The Birds ‘Eight Miles High’ that I enjoy these days. He compared his own voice to geese farts on a foggy day. Where’s the do-over button, my life was on a better course back then, or at least so I think.
Nice write-up. Lots of people write blogs these days, but trying to make a case that Cody Bellinger is having the worst year after an MVP year is quite stretch. This isn’t exactly a normal year so those kind of comparisons need to be tossed in the bin.
As to an electronic strike zone, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Things are fine the way they are. Players are human and so are the umps. Baseball is not about perfection — an imperfect game, right?
Clayton pitched very well last night, hit 94 on the radar a few times, steady at 92-93. Bellinger had a big night with two home runs, both off lefties. He hit the ball really hard the night before, but didn’t come away with anything. One of the balls he hit against the Padres had an exit velocity of 110, the hardest hit ball of the night. He’ll be fine. Obviously, a really weird year.
A J Pollock continues to play well. Health making a big difference, of course. I agree on the bullpen. Best in years. Can’t remember when I saw a Dodger bullpen this good.
Will be interesting to see if Walker Buehler turns the corner and becomes dominate again. It’s only a matter of time.
Kinda like the DH.
If you are right, then why bother with replays? Mistakes are made. Accept them all and move on.
I copied a pic of the strike zone in relationship to the catcher but am having difficulty pasting it here. It shows the catcher about 4’ past the zone, and the ump of course a foot behind him. Where the catcher catches the ball is actually quite a ways from the strike zone. If the catcher moves his glove after catching a ball, and they all do, he’s signaling to the ump he didn’t think it was a strike. I used to thank catcher’s for their help on that, but remind them I didn’t need it because the strike zone is up there over the plate. Catchers can’t help themselves. They’ve been taught to pull the ball back in since Little League.
Yep. Indiana. But I read those charts differently. Plummeting suggests going down. Looks to me like plateauing would be more accurate. Looks like more a flat line for several weeks. This thing will be with us til next year, maybe beyond that. Life after Covid? Yep. Like life after flu, only possibly worse.
Good post and a great parody 2d2. Add me to the list of Buffalo Springfield fans.
With regard to Kaybear, keep in mind that we don’t see what he’s doing at SC, just like we don’t see what Lux is doing. I guess what I’m saying is that if Smith goes to the IL, don’t be too surprised if Rocky Gale shows up instead of Ruiz. They’ll make their decision based on what the coaches are observing. Could be Kaybear…………………could be Gale.
Loved it all, 2D2, the write-up, your observations and the parody. You have a way with words. There has to be a poet somewhere in your genes.
The team did well last night. Cody must feel a bit of relief. Barnes and Pollock surprised me and hope they continue to hit. CT3 never disappoints me. A wee bit worried about Smith.
I am slowly coming to the opinion that Joe Davis would do better without Orel, as much as I admire him for his baseball talents. Orel goes on and on like that battery. I find myself saying,”Stop, Orel, stop”. Monday would make an excellent partner in the booth.
I thought about it last night. Every player has a slump every single year. These slumps can last a couple weeks.
Sometimes in the beginning of the year, sometimes thru the dog days of summer. But it happens to everyone. And we’ve all seen it.
The same is true this year. Belly seems to be coming out of his. Muncy is still in his. Barnes has come out of his. Joc is still in his. We shouldn’t be shocked. But even more, we can’t just expect that, because this season has been cut by 2/3, that slumps will also be cut by 2/3. A normal 3 week slump can’t automatically be cut to 1 week in 2020. It’s not rational.
So I’m ok with Muncy slumping. Give him a day off, and let him work thru it. Because when he gets out of it, and gets hot, that eventual hot streak will carry us thru September and into October. We don’t need him now anyway. We’re just that damn deep that we can be in 1st place with Belly and Muncy having slumped majority of the season. Joc is known to go on hot streaks. When he gets hot, it’ll be in crunch time, when it’s needed even more.
Now for the next 2 days, we throw Buehler and May. This could be a very good weekend!
What matters is how we will be playing in late September and October. One week of hitting would get Bellinger and Muncy back on track. I see it with Bellinger. Not with Muncy.
Good read Rob as always – very fair.
AC you’re in my thoughts.
Bums – hope you’re ok and enjoying this strange season as best as you can.
Sure nice to watch CK when he’s right. I like his ability to bounce back from a sub-par outing in his next start. Nice to see 94 and that tight slider again.
Facing another lefty starter tonight. The 2nd in 2 days after going from July 30th and not seeing one. This gives Doc the opportunity to rest Joc and Muncy another game. I think Doc is onto something with the current lineups. Betts leading off and moving Belli down a spot to 5th is exactly what I wanted to see for awhile. No need to get creative and change anything down to the 7-8 holes with Barnes 9th. If it ain’t broke……………
I’m optimistic Buehler will rebound from so-so starts tonight and get back to his true form.
Forgot to mention what a nice job Kershaw did last night, our ace.
he was awesome!
It’s nice to see the Dodgers win 3 games straight. It’s also nice to see some of the guys start hitting and hustling. The team has 6 games in a row coming up against “weaker teams” (according to the standings). 2 with the Angels and 4 with the Mariners. I’m not taking any thing for granted, but it sure would be nice to extend that streak. I think we have a good chance with Buehler and May starting the next 2 games.
Go Dodgers!
Nice game last night. Solid performance all around. Kershaw looked very good (though he did get the benefit of some charitable calls, but then who hasn’t?) Baez looked a bit shaky, but Floro and Treinan did what they had to do.
Nice to see some Belli Bombs. Bellinger certainly looked relieved after hitting the second one. Turner’s looking solid again. But even with the win, I have to say, I absolutely don’t understand why Doc persists in putting Betts and Seager at the top of the lineup – rally killers both of them. 🙂 🙂
I think you’re right 2d2. Both those rally killers should be traded.
I was thinking about a book written years ago, Baseball is a Funny Game by Joe Garagiola. Excellent book, very well written and told many stories of odd and funny happenings in baseball. Garagiola was always a lot of fun to listen to. Bob Uecker is too. The ebb and flow of a game. I think the electronic strike zone will take one of the basic elements, human error, out of the game. Replay was instated to quote “get it right”. And it has. Many times the Dodgers have benefited from that second look. On Thursday it overturned a double play where Taylor was called out at second because Tatis did not touch the bag and in the neighborhood is no longer used. Angels were going to ask for a replay last night on Turner’s hard slide that upended Fletcher and affected his throw, but it was clear JT did not go out of his path directly to the base. The strike zone though vary’s from umpire to umpire. One reason I feel there are so many bad calls this season, is the number of replacement umpires who are working the games. 10 regular umps opted out. The other night when the K zone was really bad, the ump was a replacement ump. I do not always agree with thier calls, but I do like the human element staying in the game. As for the DH, I think it will be around a lot longer than I will.
Contrary to those of you who want to keep the human element in home plate umpiring, I am totally in favor of the electronic strike zone if it can be proven to be accurate.
Not only does each ump have his own individual strike zone, but depending on the game, he may not even be consistent in those calls from one game to the next.
It’s very unfair to both pitcher and hitter to have the zone moving around all over the place. Have MLB officially define a strike and have the computer call it.
Too bad we don’t have voting capabilities here. I’d love for everyone to vote on this topic. It would be interesting to see how the majority feels on the subject. As a matter of fact, it would be interesting for us to vote on various baseball topics. Mark, do you know if that’s possible?
I am against it……but you already knew that. One thing on the broadcast the last couple of days that I have found extremely cute is the video’s they have of the kids announcing their dad’s into the game. So far I have seen 4. Pederson’s kid, Jansen’s, Kershaw’s and Floro’s. His daughter is adorable. DBM is exactly right, Hershiser needs an off switch. Or maybe something that gives him an electric shock when he talks too much. That is why I like Nomar better. Was on Twitter this morning checking to see if there was any update on Smith and I saw a couple of really cute things. They posted the photo that someone had photoshoped of Mookie, Pollock, Barnes, Seager, and Taylor as Mookie and the Footnotes. Davis had called the other players from the 11-2 win footnotes to Mookie’s big game. Looked like they were superimposed on an old publicity photo of some soul group from the 60’s. I actually downloaded it onto my computer. On another one the poster suggested that the Padres are paying Machado 300 million to watch Betts trot past him at 3rd for the next 10 years. The final one I found intriguing, and almost plausible. Dodger Dynasty, another Dodger blog, was suggesting the Dodgers should trade for Salvador Perez, the KC catcher. The guy has World Series and playoff experience, is rated # 2 behind Realmuto this year, and he is signed through next year, so he is not a rental. And his salary is not astronomical.. 13 mil. He is decent behind the plate, not the wiz back there we have now. But offensively he is much better than what we have right now. They suggested a 3 for 2 trade, Cartaya, DJ Peters, and Carrillo for Perez and Thornburg, who is pitching really well for the Royals…….intriguing for sure.
Agree on the kid videos, very cute.
Orel is a fountain of knowledge and I love the way he thinks about the game and pitching strategy, but he does tend to ramble. That said, I’ll take him any day over Rick Monday. I’m sure Rick is a great guy but I’ve just never warmed up to him as a broadcaster. Nomar is good and should be used more often. Actually, I liked the season when they had both Nomar and Orel in the booth with Joe. One would give a view from the hitter’s perspective and the other from the pitcher’s. I found that interesting but I guess the powers that be thought it was just too much. It did cut down on Orel’s talking though while still giving us some good info.
Comment about Machado/Mookie is priceless.
Perez trade. They keep talking about Cartaya as the next Perez and he won’t be 19 until next month, so I’m not sure if I’d give him up for a year and 40 games of Perez. Many people think Cartaya is the best of all our catching prospects and he’s not even 19 yet. Perez will be going into his age 32 season as a free agent for the 2022 season. That’s pretty old for a catcher and he has some mileage on him so it might not make sense to try to re-sign him.
Molina is 38. From his 34 through 36 seasons he had been very productive. I am not saying they should trade Cartaya. Maybe they trade Ruiz instead. You get a catcher with the offensive chops Perez has, and the team is that much better. They are woefully short of MLB catchers right now. With Smith ailing, the backup is Hernandez unless they make a roster move and call up either Ruiz or Gale. I doubt they would try to resign Perez after 2021 anyway. Smith is young, and Cartaya-Ruiz, who ever they keep would be the fall back. I like Barnes, but he is strictly a backup in my eyes. Right now he has been thrust into the everyday role and is playing well. I just believe trading for Perez makes sense.
I think you are right on the electronic strike zone. I like the human variation of life and baseball, but the strike zone variation is just too great.
As to the DH. I wasn’t in favor of it, but … It’s here and I don’t see it going away in my (hopefully long) lifetime. I’ve discovered that I can still enjoy the game, so I’m not wasting any energy on what was but am enjoying what is.
Seems like there are an awful lot of injuries in such a short time this year. CJ Cron is out for the year and will have surgery. Pitchers dropping like flies with various arm ailments. The Dodgers by contrast have been pretty lucky in that department. With only Wood and Nelson out right now. 105 here today. A/C working overtime.
Correction on the Royals trade chip. The pitcher is Rosenthal, not Thornburg. My bad. MLB also says the Dodgers most intriguing trade chip is none other than Joc.
A few years ago I would have been totally against an automated strike zone, Now, since I’ve watched so many poor umpires, I’ve changed my mind. I’m now all for it. The technology is there and when all the bugs are worked out, I think we will see it sooner than later. All the nonsense like rookies having to earn calls, individual interpretations of the strike zone, shitty umpires like many of the replacement guys, Angel Hernadez, CD Bucknor and arrogant pr**ks like Country Joe West won’t have to be influencing outcomes. Players will really have to adjust. Pitches now called balls but are in the K-zone will be strikes even if the catcher has to reach across the plate to catch it. Those hanging breaking balls that nip the far corner will now be strikes to bewilderment of the hitters.
The technology is there so use it.
If we’re voting I’ve also become a universal fan of the DH. Much better than watching a pitcher hit who doesn’t know one end of the bat from the other.
I can be old school about how the game is played and the overuse of some stats but not about technology.
I do not think West has umpired a Dodger game this year. I totally agree on Bucknor and Hernandez, who has always seemed hostile to me. West is also 67 years old, and his umpiring days may be coming to an end. I also think the electronic zone will be more of an aid that a tool. From what I have gathered the umps will be wearing some sort of ear piece that will inform them immediately when a pitch is in or out of the zone. I think the stats are way over hyped and used, but that is just me. Orel and Joe got into a discussion about WAR on last nights telecast. And I suddenly remembered that until quite a few years ago I was blissfully ignorant of that statistic, Now they use it to measure a players worth. I still use the eye test. Someone somewhere brought up the fact that Barnes does not throw out many runners. Well, that is true, but this pitching staff with only a couple of exceptions, Kersh, Urias, are notoriously bad at holding runners close to the base. And the only team in the NL doing much running right now is the Padres. Maybe if some sort of Henderson or Wills type of player comes along, they will emphasize the steal as a weapon again.
Hey Phil, you can’t vote now. Polls aren’t open yet. 🙂
Am I the only one pushing for regular polls? We have so many enlightened fans here and I think it would really be interesting to see how the majority feel about various issues (all baseball in subject matter, for those of you who were starting to panic at the thought of a Trump vs. Biden poll).
I was against the DH until I saw it every day this year. I can certainly live with it now that I’ve seen it in action.
I agree with your last sentence. That about sums up my feelings as well.
Betts, Muncy and Seager have the best averages against tonight’s Halo’s starter, Heaney. Surprisingly the only homer off of him belongs to Taylor. Lineups not out yet.
MLB.com had a very interesting story on the most iconic Negro League uniforms. Some of them look really good. Miami wore throwback unis for the league on the 13th.
Believe it or not guys Bellinger‘s best spot in the batting order according to his career stats as far as a big enough sample size is fifth in the batting order.
I think he’s the type of guy that needs to step out of the spotlight and relax. Fifth in the batting order allows him to do that.
I am very much against having an electronic strike zone. It seems to me that this would be another step toward sports being totally automated, played on a computer screen. That’s probably too extreme, but all these demands in football and now baseball to take the game out of human hands, and have it decided by cold machines, is unappetizing to me. Why not take all the umpires out of the game; have fair or foul, out or safe, decided by cameras and computers? Have to get the call right, they say. Well, getting the call right is not the ne plus ultra, if you give up the excitement of humans playing and umpiring the sport.
My parents once got me a computerized chess game; you play against the computer, and you can set the computer to higher levels, which will cause it to take more time between moves, as it calculates. I was by no means a great chess player, but decent. Turn up the computer to the highest level, and it seemed to me to never make a mistake, though probably a really good player would have beaten it. It was fun to play with it late at night, but I much more enjoyed playing with another person, because there was human interaction, and there was the chance that the opponent would make a mistake. We do not like it when an umpire makes a mistake, but it is human. We don’t like it when one of our players makes an error, or has a mental lapse, but it is human, and part of the game. it is a game, it was played on sandlots and playgrounds and small fields, before becoming the conglomerate it is.
I want to retain some aspects of the original game, not have it played and arbitrated by machines. Maybe our pitcher throws ball four, but it gets called a strike. We like that; we do not like it when the opposite occurs. But there is that human side which cannot be calculated by an electronic device which would make every call right every single time. “The machine calls ball two. The next pitch, the machine calls it a strike.” No pitcher can make faces, because you cannot argue with a machine. No manager will ever be thrown out for arguing balls and strikes, the machines are in charge. Actually, computer managers might please some people; no spitting, no cursing, no arguments. Saves salaries, too. Among the many things which I lament about how the world is progressing, robotics is pretty high on the list. Try talking to someone at a company now; all you get is a computer system with bots, whom you cannot argue with or try to make understand. They are robots, invented to reduce corporate costs, and further distance the company from its consumers. I do not want a robot world, though we are certainly heading down that very ominous path.
If it weren’t for years of slow motion replay from several angles showing everyone with a tv that the umpires are getting calls wrong – a lot – we would never have seen the challenge come into play. It’s made the game better. That strike zone is there for everyone to see, just like replays were, and fans are damm tired of watching umpires night after night miss 16% of their calls. I think some guys are worse than that. That’s a grade of a low B. Is that acceptable? Of course not. In A ball maybe , but not at the top level. It’s too late to turn off the e-grid and go back to letting everyone guess whether the ump blew another one. Fans expect to see it now. It’s time the umps have access to it. The technology is there, it’s been there for years. Time to use it.
Hardly anyone steals bases. It’s still a risk no matter how bad the catcher is at throwing guys out. Bases are stolen off pitchers anyway. It would be nice to have a thumper in the 9 spot, but come on, do we really need to make a trade? We’ve got 2 hot prospects. What the heck, maybe one is lightning in a bottle.
A poll huh. Would it be going out on a limb to say progressives are for change, conservatives are not?
If Smith has to go on il I’d like to see Ruiz come up. Seems like this is the perfect time for a test drive for the young catcher. I’m hoping Smith will be back real soon. Barnes is filling real well but let’s give him a breather. No need for a trade with the talent we have in house.
It’s great to see Pollock playing well this year. This makes Joc more available for a trade as he gets free agency this winter. Probably only going to get prospects back maybe some lefty relievers to fill in. Amazing play by Kiké going to his left last night and throwing a fast ball to first from one knee. If Kiké is up for free agency that will be a tough call to bring him back with Taylor and McKinstry.
Damn, Singing the blue, I was so anxious to vote. I guess this was my mail in vote.
No Bear, I haven’t seen Joe West do a Dodger game, thank God. I would have noticed as he always makes his presence known. He is working as he is chasing Bill Klem’s record for the all time number of games officiated. He was like 65 short entering this 60 game season. So its possible if he did post season he would get the record this year. And then retire, hopefully.
I watched a rerun of a game in 1976 during the shutdown. It was a time when pitchers seldom paused in the stretch and it was ignored. Except out of the blue Jim Palmer was called for a balk for not pausing. It was called by a rookie umpire, Joe West. Some things never change.
I love Negro League uniforms especially caps. I bought a few, like the Homestead Grays and The KC Monarchs from a Seattle company called Ebbets Field Flannels, which I think is still in business. Great place of old MiLB stuff too. I loved those caps but lost them when I broke up with my girlfriend at the time who took them. I don’t miss her but I sure miss those hats.
Regarding the automated strike zone, called the ASB system, it was used at Salt River in the Arizona Fall League last fall. I watched a game on TV from there and was completely unaware that the ump was wired. I do remember thinking the ump had a good, consistent zone. I finally found out from the broadcasters late in the game and then noticed the ump had AirPods in his ears. The players mentioned that the biggest difference wasn’t east-west pitches but north-south especially the high and low breaking balls that nip the automated zone. It will take some adjustment and obviously the zone has to adjust to each hitter. But it’s inevitable.
Today’s lineup vs Anaheim:
Mookie
Seager
JT (DH)
Pollock (CF)
Belly (1b)
CT3 (LF)
Muncy (3b)
Kike (2b)
Barnes
Buehler
Muncy starting at 3B? I’m not real comfortable with that. But ,of course, It’s not my call. I probably would have him sit out 1 more day.
I suspect my CT’s Muncy’s previous history against Heaney – see Bears comment above – is part of DR’s thinking
You aren’t real comfortable with Muncy at 3rd hodges? I’ll take it a step farther. I’m real uncomfortable with that. Muncy is a below average third baseman, whereas he can hold his own at first and second. Why would you take a guy who is in the throws of a horrendous hitting slump and stick him at a position that he isn’t very good at. That, to me, is bad managing.
By the way, I just checked on the internet an Ebbets Field Flannels is still alive and well. Their selections, especially caps, are awesome. If you like caps and old uniforms, check this place out. They’re spendy but have lots of cool stuff.
I’ll stick with no DH… Just another expensive player added to the payroll… If no DH some can go back the relentless challenging of Doc’s genealogy…
Joe West is the product of a strong union that currently is distancing itself from his pompous fat ass…
Isn’t it incredible that TV viewers make the call minutes before the boyz in blue break their huddle….
Orel isn’t that bad I thinks… Maybe we could bring Joe Morgan out of retirement to show how good we had it…
Joe Davis is going to be one of the premier announcers for years to come!!!
Davis is doing the Yankee game this afternoon, so he probably will not be on tonight’s broadcast. Sorry, I will never be down with Motor Mouth Hershiser. I do not care if he breaks down the pitching styles of every pitcher in the majors. For what little information he does dispense, his inane rants ruin that. Give me Nomah any day. I have a Brooklyn cap, and my brother fell in love with the old Colt 45’s cap. I always thought they looked pretty good. Have a couple of minor league caps. One I would like to have is the one for the Chattanooga Lookouts. Also the Mudcat’s cap is pretty cool with a big catfish on it. Yep, before anyone says it, I am an opinionated grumpy old man. LOL.. All for the DH now. Do not want to watch pitchers not name Ryu and Hill hit any more. Oh yeah, Maeda is 3-0 with a sub 3 ERA.
Yates of the Padres and Acuna of the Braves both placed on the 10 day IL.
Really odd seeing Verdugo sporting #99. Seems he is not wearing the gaudy hold # 27 chain he had last year, and it does not look like he has replaced it with a 99. Heavy afternoon thundershower alert here. Along with the rain, quarter sized hail. And as I always say when that happens, Oh hail no! Sorry, could not pass that up.
Not our strongest defensive lineup, but, we should outscore them.
Both Muncy and Bellinger: high and tight, low and away. Note to both, lay off up and in and hit the low and away strike over the left first fence.
Smith to IL. Kaybear coming!
Supposedly there’s a good chance Ruiz will catch tomorrow. He’s caught May a number of times in the minors and it’s a day game following a night game, so everything seems to line up.
Awesome, can’t wait!
The future is here May-Ruiz battery!
Crazy season this year!
Let’s not forget that even though Ruiz was ranked as a much better prospect than Smith, he is 3 years younger. So there is that.
But, I have a feeling Kaybear is ready!
So Hernandez is good defensively? A couple errors in the last two games. Defense is not a priority to me. But as I said before anyone but Hernandez in the starting lineup for offense purposes.
I see the Cubs lost today. Oakland is losing late in the game. Yankees are winning late in the game. With a win tonight Dodgers could be in a three-way tie for best record in all of baseball.
Kike is not good defensively at 2B.
He is elite!
OK I won’t argue. But I want better offense.
I want to look like Brad Pitt and have the brains of Albert Einstien… but
Hanging curve to Trout. You might want to throw that one about two feet lower there Walker.
Ruiz should be fine if he doesn’t try to launch everything. Stay within yourself and hit line drives.
I love the DH. It allows another player to get at bats. No matter who it is you’re going to get better offense than the pitcher batting.
That weak seeing eye hit is going to get Max going. Man this lineup is deep!
As I said before I refused to criticize our big boppers such as Turner Bellinger Muncy Joc because I know they will come around sooner or later and some of them have already come around.
Damn Oakland came back to win their game. So with a win tonight Dodgers could be in a three-way tie for second best record in all of baseball.
Eric, best record means nothing this year. The way things are looking MLB is thinking about putting all the playoff teams in a bubble like the NBA< also without fans in attendance, home field right now means nothing . Dodgers are 8-2 on the road, and 6-5 at home. With the 8 teams from the NL in the playoffs, it will be 1-8. 2-7. 3-6. 4-5. 3 game series if I read it right. If they do let the teams play at their own stadiums, the Dodgers would most likely open at home.
Oh OK I didn’t know that.
Walker Buehler = Problem Between Ears!
Something is not right that is for sure. He looked frustrated a lot tonight.
He doesn’t have a quality start in 4 starts! Boohler is struggling.
Betts broke out of his slump! Will Seager follow suit?
Padres coming back to earth, lose their 4th straight game to the D-Backs 7-6. Time for some late inning thunder. Oh, by the way, that play Fletcher made on Betts grounder was SPECTACULAR. And on cue, Betts hits it out. Moooooooooooooooooooooooooookie! Now Seager has forgot how to hit. 0 for his last 8.
I like OREL doing color. So there haters.
same
Both of them have grown on me this season.
That is your choice, I do not hate Orel, I just dislike his constant patter. He does not know when to shut up. And some of the stuff they talk about is totally inane. Davis has grown on me some. I realize he will never be Vin, so I do not expect that from him. But Hershiser has just not been my cup of tea. His color is colorless
I’ll be honest with you kids: if we had like a 4-1 lead right there, part of me wanted to see how far Mike Trout could hit a 100mph fastball from Graterol
I get those impure thoughts too sometimes.
LUX-Trade bait at the trade deadline.
Why PH Joc? LH hitter who is mired in a deep slump? A Doc luxury move with a 1 run lead. Is it enough to hold on to? I’m biting my finger nails, lips and cheeks with Jansen coming in.
Very impressive save from Jansen. He seems on top of his game, at this point.
beyond impressive
Ferguson, McGee and Jansen doing a marvelous job of shutting down the Angels! Let’s hope they keep this up all year
Graterol too!
All it took for McGee was getting the H out of Coors. Outside of his bad appearance in the last exhibition game, he has been nails. AF actually did a great job signing him, and for peanuts too. Colorado is pickin up most of his salary. Graterol is NASTY. Fergie is growing as a pitcher. Buehler should take some lessons from him. That Padre-D-Backs finish was really exciting. Game tying run cut down at the plate on a throw from right field on a hit. Padres have to feel cursed having that happen to them twice. Cardinals are scheduled to play 10 doubleheaders to get all the games they missed back. 54 games in 45 days. WOW! They took 2 tonight from the White Sox. Weird thing in the Royals-Twins doubleheader tonight. The winning pitcher in both games had the same last name spelled differently and both were by scores of 4-2. Tyler Duffey won game one for the Twins, and Danny Duffy won game 2 for the Royals.
I love random thoughts and rants articles! Pretty much what a minutes transcription would look like between me and my buds.
I was only able to catch the 10th inning. Personally, I would have intentionally walked Trout, based on getting burned in the past, but Roberts tends to give his main horses a long leash. Worked out this time. I agree, from an entertainment value rating, this year so far has been a little underwhelming compared to others. I think part of that is the emotional element being removed (no fans, player interaction). Also, the Dodgers brand – excellent pitching and power baseball – is maybe getting a little stale. Then you get the back-to-back bunts the other night. The Taylor steal last night. All elicit great results and look new and exciting. These guys are adjusting. Now, we might be introduced to a future star or mainstay in Ruiz. We’ve been introduced to May and Graterol, perhaps, our future ace and closer. From a fun perspective, things are starting to heat up.
Cody’s cold start is a little concerning, sure, but maybe a little over-reaction based on one month of baseball. Like anyone, I have my theories as well. He came out like gangbusters as a rookie. 2nd year really regressed when his bat started vertical. 3rd year, made the rookie year adjustments (along with some other tweaks) and won MVP. 4th year he’s still tweaking the swing it starts off struggling. Consistency and routine is the key to success for a lot of pro athletes, and maybe Cody’s especially affected by it. If we get no spring training/regular season interruptions next year and he’s still hitting below the mendoza line in August, then I’ll start to worry, or, rather, re-adjust expectations. Maybe he’s more Jay Buhner than Barry Bonds.
I wouldn’t make any trades, certainly, nothing involving starters. Let it bake some. These guys need some familiarity, cohesion, and lack of additional distractions, given…everything. We’ve already addressed some of last year’s weaknesses, let’s watch it work out.