Devil’s Advocate

This article has 158 Comments

1. I felt that the import of:

   The middle of the lineup
   The bunt

   Are not what equal to what you think they are in the eyes of many modern baseball minds.

   If love to see some best reporters dig into the pitching length situation. Obviously there’s reasoning behind the limited starter innings….

2. I’ve been really patient with Bellinger, Muncy and Pederson and I’ve refrained from piling on them. But the Dodgers have only 15 games left in the regular season and there’s no doubt in my mind that they are going to the playoffs. But I want them to keep the division winning streak going.

   I’ve been thinking about the batting order and I’m not saying that I am right, but when Turner returns I’d like to see a batting lineup that has Bellinger and Muncy split apart by at least 2 batters if not 3, and Smith batting 3rd. Something like this:
   Betts
   Seager
   Smith
   Either Bellinger or Turner
   Either Bellinger or Turner
   Pollock
   Taylor
   Muncy
   The last spot as a try out for the playoffs between Rios, Lux, Pederson.

   I’d at least like to see Doc try that lineup a few games and see how it works.

   Sorry to any Hernandez fans, but I think he is best as a pinch hitter mainly for Pederson.

   I like Pederson but he has just not shown much this season. I think he needs to show us why he should be starting in the playoffs. I don’t count him out, so don’t get me wrong, but he needs to make a statement now because there are only 15 games left.

   I’m very high on Will Smith and have been since 2018 in AA ball. A good hitting catcher to me is a great thing to have. So far this season he has more walks than strikeouts. 18 walks 12 strikeouts, a .425 OBP not to mention a 1.028 OPS. I absolutely love his plate discipline.

   My overall assessment of the team and it’s only my opinion, I’m not saying I’m right or wrong is that this team is good. But there are 4-6 guys in the bullpen (might be less depending on who makes the playoff roster) that I hope Doc does not use in the playoffs or we might be seeing our team eliminated early like last year. And at this point I hope Doc does not start Hernandez in the playoffs barring any injuries and I would prefer Smith catching in the playoffs but if Kershaw wants Barnes as his catcher then so be it, but otherwise Smith catching. I hope our starting pitching gets healthy for the playoffs and I hope our 4 starters are in no particular order Buehler, Kershaw, Gonsolin and preferably May, but I don’t count out Urias. That’s just my opinion of the team AT THIS POINT.

   My biggest fear in the playoffs is Doc. I know I pile on him a lot, but I have a different philosophy than him in certain parts of the game.

3. Excellent points Jeff.
   Although AF is a very good GM in my opinion, I agree that he fell short at this trade deadline and also last year’s trade deadline. If the asking price was too high for Clevinger, Bauer, and Lynn then a bullpen addition was necessary given the uncertainty around Kelly and Baez. It is a mistake to miss out on adding anyone to your roster while San Diego added 9 MLB players. But I am even more concerned with trading Ross Stripling and damaging your depth in this most uncertain year. In the ten days since trading Stripling, we have already had several games where we could have used Ross either in a spot start or a relief role. And if AF really wants to allow Stripling to be a starter, he could be traded in the off season and likely for similar prospects. At this point, the sole focus needs to be on maximizing the potential to win a World Series this year or next year.
   In terms of Dave Roberts, I have to give him credit for his great record, his player communication, and his professionalism. He handles the leadership role with class and integrity. However, he is limited in his in-game strategic decisions in my view. The bullpen decisions are sometimes curious and he seems to overly rely on analytics instead of using his best pitcher. Sometimes it’s better to let Graterol face a lefty rather than bring in Alexander for instance. I also have a big problem with the positional experiments like Betts at 2nd base when the division is still up for grabs. Betts and Bellinger are both gold glove caliber outfielders and the dodgers are much worse defensively when they are not in RF and CF. Sure you can give Betts some action at 2B, but why not in more lopsided games instead of starting him there. And starting Pollock in CF is a mistake and possibly cost Kershaw a run or two on Wednesday.
   The other problem I have with Roberts, is his timing on trying to manufacturing runs. The double steal call that had Kike thrown out at home with Betts at the plate and only one out was ill- advised. And earlier in the game Barnes is up with second and third and no outs with the infield back which presents an ideal bunting situation to score a run and move the runner to third. The limited ability to manufacture runs rests mostly with the players, but Roberts should mandate better approaches. For instance, the Rockies consistently put balls in play the other way against the shift to score 3 runs against Treinen last weekend. In close games, these type of at bats are often the difference, and aside from Betts and Turner, the dodgers don’t seem to settle for beating the shift by going the other way.
   Yes, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball, and have played great in overcoming injuries. And AF may be the best GM in baseball, and Roberts has the best career record in baseball. But the playoffs will require everyone to execute better from the players to the coaches to the front office.

4. Jeff Jr.,

   I cannot believe that you actually took my post about blowing up the team, seriously, and even quoted me above as advocating it. Can’t you distinguish when someone is being sarcastic or ironic? Even I can see, and have said many times, that this team is loaded with talent. Why would I advocate blowing the team up as a serious possibility. I have to think it is a bias that you hold against me because I don’t speak in a voice that you think all posters should exhibit or worship at the feet of the writers of this blog. I appreciate the blog a lot because of the diversity and not because anyone agrees with me. I’ve never asked for agreement nor am I trying to sell any idea of my baseball acumen. I just write what my eyes are telling me and actually joke around a lot but some of you don’t get it.

   The one thing that you nor anyone else except me, I think, put forth is the possibility that some players are not coachable. Because we have 3 players who can hit many HRs in a season but slump for a period of time or throughout a whole season as Joc, Muncy, and Belli are doing, the idea has to be put out there that these players are not learning anything more than what they came up with from the minors. No real development of a complete game. They are not without talent, but they are without tools or a tool within them to help them adjust. When I see this go on for so long in careers like Joc’s and the minor seasons that Muncy has put in, then the descent of an MVP to the Mendoza line the very next season, I wonder why would the front office not pull off some trades for these players, not blow the whole team up. They tried with Joc and Strip but it backfired.

   Several sportswriters refused to believe that Muncy would continue his hot hand the first season he was brought up to us. In a sense, Muncy is not a hitter but a power player. Belli is obviously the better talent but he doesn’t play like one. Trying to flip these players for real hitters who don’t seem to have a problem knocking in runs with singles, bunts, etc., is not a bad strategy. Trying to trade an MVP for a top tier starter is also not a fantasy. Is there any doubt that we need another top tier starter? It’s our most important need at the moment and for the future window. None of the above 3 have been enough to get us a WS win. Mookie and Seager are the stars of this team now. JT has always proven his worth but is aging. No other player is showing signs of life except Pollock who has a history of injuries that have kept him off the field. History is important. CK’s history is important even though he will become a HOFer, not strong showings in the post season. The rest of the rotation is not battle tested and we have a mgr who is clueless about what to do. AF is the decision maker. He has done too little with so much.

   If SD rolls over us in the playoffs, what will you or Mr. Right have to say? Obviously, he has managed the overall operations spectacularly, but he is betting the bank on MOOKIE, and Mookie alone, to be the secret ingredient on getting that elusive World Series title. Seager and Pollock and JT, all who have a history of injuries, will have to find a way to stay healthy if they wish to have any chance this season. The team is looking more vulnerable as time goes on in spite of all this talent we seem to have.

   1. To be honest, I had no idea what you said. I was referring to Mark’s comments yesterday AM.

      Then, some of you say: “But look at the team he has.” And then you turn around and contradict yourself by saying: “I think we need to blow this team up. They are never going to change. They will never win a WS. AF is a total failure.”

      I was too busy writing yesterday’s blog while Thursday’s game was being played that I did not go back and read the comments. If you were the source, apparently it was Mark who did not catch the sarcasm. I guess that is why you were also called a troll by someone. Again I did not read what you wrote, but if it was sarcasm, it may have been lost as I cannot remember one positive thing you have said about the Dodgers. You probably have, but I just cannot remember one.

      1. Sad, jr. Pay more attention, please.

         1. Not to you.

5. The main thing is for as many players as possible to be healthy at playoff time. This team is loaded with talent. And yes, the Padres are a real threat. But with Buhler, Baez, May, and JT healthy, and “Killer” Kelly finished with his suspension, we’ll have our best chance to complete. We have the team that we have. Maybe AF missed some opportunities to pick up extra talent, but we will be competitive with the team we have, if everyone is healthy. For the rest, the playoffs are always a crap-shoot. And having this best of 3 format for the first round is just bizarre. Getting players healthy is the only thing we can control now, and fortunately, there is still enough time for that. For the rest, the players need to rise to the occasion. And to do that, they need to not fear losing. The disappointment of coming so close so often the past several years, being cheated out of a WS win by the Astericks, and the enormous talent of this team has set up sky-high expectations. The players need to put all that aside and enjoy the ride. If they can stay healthy, stay focused, and have fun, they’ll be alright. And the rest is in the hands of the baseball gods, the luck factor that determines so much more in baseball and in life than we want to admit.

6. Truth Hurts. I do live in Idaho. I live in Meridian, Idaho. We have a lot of people from California, Oregon, and Washington moving to Idaho. The prices for homes are going up, up, and up.

   1. Beautiful up there. I really like Coeur D’Alene. Beautiful place.

7. I am camping and playing paintball today in the wild with limited assess to internet.

   I have a couple of things to add:

   1. You can certainly question some of Docs move but it’s just plain delusional to blame every loss on him. Players have to execute.

   2. Many fans have complained about everything AF has done. Just about every trade or signing has been ridiculed. On fan who shall remain nameless said that it was foolish to give up so much for Betts when there was no way he would sign with the Dodgers. Then, months later he said that this contract might hamstring the Dodgers. AF can never do anything right! The Farmer trade was lambasted until it wasn’t.

   3. Yes, SD added 9 players, maybe 1 or 2 who could play for the Dodgers. So, AF should have made moves just to make them? Clevinger may have helped up but there are questions about him. I did not think Lynn would have helped.

   4. The Dodgers still have the best pitching and are at the top in offense. The pieces are there. It’s up to the players to execute. Accept that the lineup or pitching changes are part of it but it all comes down to execution. Sometimes you execute and get out executed.

   5. One of the most intelligent things I have heard was in MLB Radio yesterday. They said “Statistics are irrelevant this year! It all comes down to the end!”

   6. Whoever is hot, confident and with a steel determination will win it. That’s what is all boils down to. The fact is: The 8th seed could win it. This year is a crapshoot , but I believe this Dodger team wants it so bad they can taste it!

   1. Some may, but I do not blame every loss on Doc. Not even close. But when you see trends, and you do nothing to try and change that trend, then you become what many think Doc is…a figurehead. Just fill out the lineup as the compiled reports dictate and live with the results. Again, I do not believe that, but adjustments need to be made. If the player is not making the adjustments, then the manager has to. Why is Belli and Muncy batting 3rd and 4th when they have a combined RBI count of 1 during the nine games of September? I have not and would not advocate that they be benched, but they need to produce at least better than 1 RBI per 9 games to continue to bat in the #3 or #4 spot in the lineup. So while it is the players that are not executing, it is Doc who continues to bat them in the middle of the order where production is required.

      It is the LAD philosophy to get the ball in the air with a violent swing to maximize the HR possibilities. And yet, the big LH hitting boppers continue to ground to the right side directly into the shift. Which manager is making the right decisions? Doc or his opposition? Change it up. Belli has 4 singles in September. Maybe he would have 8 or 9 if he had bunted to the left side to beat the shift. Not every AB, but why not once a game. Apparently Muncy likes to walk. Fine, move him down in the order where patience at the plate may be better applied. Smith displays an even better patience and eye than does Muncy and he bats lower in the lineup. If Muncy does not like to bat 8th or 9th, then he needs to quit letting hittable pitches go by, getting 2 strikes and then getting angry because the umpire rings him up on a borderline pitch. Or is he getting frustrated at himself for letting too many strikes go by? Yes player failed to execute, but Doc failed to change the dynamic and find a way to change the result.

      Runners on 2nd and 3rd nobody out and Austin Barnes at the plate. Barnes has a better chance of laying down a safety squeeze than getting a sac fly. If the idea was to just get the ball on the ground to score the runner, then increase the odds with a bunt. Yes Barnes failed to execute, but could it have been the strategy that also failed?

      As far as 1 or 2 players the Pads added that could play for the Dodgers, the one that could have was Trevor Rosenthal. That was a mistake. Nola could have helped the Dodgers. Moreland would be more reliable in a pennant run than either Rios or Beaty coming off the bench. More importantly, who is that RH bat coming off the bench? Clevinger could have helped the Dodgers, but I do not know at what price. Besides it does not matter who the Padres picked up that may have helped the Dodgers. The players SD did acquire will make them better, and they were already close before the trades. What you are saying is that nobody could have helped the Dodgers. Not just Rosenthal or Nola or Moreland or Clevinger…nobody. And you have already said that the one trade AF did make, makes the Dodgers better this year. While I absolutely believe AF is the best executive to build a 162 game team, he has not yet proven he can make the necessary changes to make the Dodgers a WS Champion. Nor has Doc. Maybe the no addition to the LAD roster strategy will work out, and maybe not changing the in-game strategy will work out. If so, AF and Doc will become heroes. But if not, will you continue to have blind loyalty. It is not always JUST the players fault. It has to be the right players, and they have to be placed where they can produce the best results.

8. Jeff. I love your article. If we are going to win it this year some things will have to change. We are not the best team in baseball right now. I would move Muncy and Bellinger to the 8 th and 9 th spot right now. That is where they belong. They are the two worst hitting players on the team. It will not happen because of Doc. Our defense is not good. Our starting pitchers are not going longer into the games. Our bullpen, which was good, is now over worked. I believe we can play small ball, but it is not part of the plan.

9. Belli, Muncy and Joc seem to be one dimensional players, hitters who swing hard for homeruns. Do that all the time and you end up w alot of homers, a lot of strikeouts and a low batting avg. When you’re seeing the ball well and the pitchers make mistakes you have a better yr. When pitchers find the hole in your swing or stay on the edges you strike out more, have less homers and horrible batting avg.
   That is not the kind of hitter I like. Give me someone who makes contact, goes w the pitch, has strike zone discipline and has good exit velocity. Nuf said!

10. A lot to unpack there Jeff.

    I don’t have more to offer than I already have. Mark’s point about players executing is the the most important one as far as I’m concerned. We have been favored all year because we have the best team. That remains true only if 1. they are all there and 2. they perform commensurate with their ability. At the moment admittedly both look rather doubtful.

    13 games is enough for the hitters to pull it together. If Muncy and Bellinger continue to flounder we are in trouble. We are much easier to pitch to if those two remain easy outs. As for the starters we need 4 who can go at least 5 in October. Without Buehler at 100% this staff against the better teams is vulnerable. If the bullpen follows <5 inning starts the rest of the way they might be toast for an October run.

    It’s going to be an interesting finish. If it works out great. If not, I will just add it to the list of 2020 being the most bizarre year I’ve seen since 1968.

    1. Badger, do you think those 3 players are going to magically turn around by the end of this season? If you do, what reasons do you give? I don’t see anything different in any of their approaches. Is the philosophy just to let them play and they will somehow snap out of it? Seems like this is a common feeling many people. But these 3 are guilty every year of slumping. People forget that Belli slumped last year, too, for a period of time. This is a particularly long one. I know I want to be optimistic about this crazy season but maybe it is just too much to expect of these guys. Belli looks like he is barely in his body, sometimes. He has that far away, distracted look. Not very present. Joc is a goner. Muncy just seems like he can’t find himself. I thought Lux had snapped out of it the other day when he hit 2 HRs. But his fielding is still suspect. This is not a good period of time for the team. I have no good spin to offer.

       I keep thinking…..’what if they don’t make it through the playoffs?’ How will those fans like Mark & Jr spin their tale?

       1. It’s not magic. It’s fundamentals and plate discipline. And yes, of course I think they are capable of it. They’ve done it before.

          I also recognize that every player goes through hot and cold streaks. In a season that is 37% of a regular season, slumps are obviously more critical. Any player at any time could have an unconscious 2 weeks. The Padres currently have 7 guys in their lineup OPS’n over .900. By the time the playoffs roll around they may have 2. And Tatis, 1.031, could go into a slump at any time, and Bellinger could go off. You never know.

          This is by any definition is an outlier year. I expect the crazy to continue into next year.

11. Because of the virus and the shortened season and money lost, it is harder to know what the finances of the Dodgers or any club are right now. It does give them all some protection from criticism. Who is over the cap, what is the cap for this or next year; there are answers to this, but i don’t know them, at least without substantial research. That said, i see no reason to believe that Dodgers ownership is any more inclined to go over the cap than before. They had room for Betts, and it was great that they picked him and them much more importantly signed him very long-term. That was a great move. But I think that they still basically continue in their unwillingness to pick up anyone at the trade deadline who has more than that year’s contract. Why do I say that? Because they almost never have picked up someone like that. They passed on Lackey, passed on Lester, Verlander, probably others whom I am not remembering, and they passed on Clevinger.

    Well, as you note, not passed on Clevinger; they seem to have offered something, but not enough. In the Wall Street world where Friedman worked in the past, this would count as a pass. The only way it is not, is if you had little talent to offer, so could not compete with another club. The Dodgers simply chose not to outbid the Padres for either Clevinger, who might prove to be the key to a title, or Rosenthal, who would have been a nice pickup. SD wants to win now, and they made the deals. Worse than not winning this year in this weird season, the Dodgers may have let SD become the better team in their division for the next few years, at least. That would be unforgivable. Things do not exist in the abstract; it is a matter of who your competitors are, and the goal is not to let them become better than you, at least in terms of them obtaining a pitcher whom you would also benefit from having.

    I’ve seen this for years here; the Dodgers seem to let another team make the big deal which could put them over the top. As i had previously commented, there is always somebody willing to bid more than you, someone who really wants to win now, while you try to be frugal. It may well be a different team each year, and maybe one or two of them damage themselves long-term, but that doesn’t help you. The Padres may well have the best pitching staff in the league for the next few years. If the Dodgers picked up Clevinger, their staff would be the best, and the Padres would not have improved theirs. That to me is worth giving up an extra minor leaguer or two.

    The Dodgers needed a pitcher in the offseason, someone who could be at least a #3 if not higher. They were financially outbid for Cole; or maybe as some say, they had no chance to get him,, it was all a charade. So they went after damaged goods such as Wood and Nelson. They love to try that, it almost never works with starters, it sometimes works with relievers. I have no idea why they thought that Wood, who has not had a good season in three years, was going to be valuable. But i guess they did not have enough minor league pitchers to throw another one into the rotation, so they took him, as a familiar face. That is the kind of thing which bothers me about how the Dodgers handle the important need to build a team which will actually win the title in a given year, not just fall short again.

    We all hope that May is okay, but it does not look great, with no word yet. Injuries cannot be anticipated in the individual case, but all teams have them. The Dodgers, and I blame the ownership and the GM for this, are very unwilling to pick up players with longer-term contracts, and they will always want to hope that one of their homegrown players can do the job, since they are far cheaper, and provide more payroll flexibility. This approach has done well in terms of having very successful regular seasons, but when it comes to winning the different season of the playoffs, other clubs have fared better, often with the aid of some valuable midseason pickups. We always analyze a Dodgers season by saying that, well, we can always add a key player during the trade deadline. But that becomes an excuse, because we almost never do; and then we are forced to battle with clubs which have taken more risks and picked up one or more players who might actually get them to a title, if not for that year, for the next one. Which club would you favor to win the division next year, the Dodgers or the Padres? That it is at least very close, is not a compliment to the way that the Dodgers handled the trade period.

    I will note that the Dodgers were a big favorite to win the pennant as of yesterday, and that surprised me. But if May is out, it is going to be very difficult to win it. Whatever the Indians were asking from us with regard to Clevinger, was it so very high, as compared to what they asked of San Diego, that we simply could not make that deal, so apparently will be going with the same staff not only for the rest of this season, but the next one, unless we go bargain hunting again and pick up some physically questionable pitcher?

12. Mark and Badger said it best. It is going to come down to players making the plays and getting hits in clutch situations. I hear Orel and Davis preaching night after night how hard it is for opposing pitchers to pitch to this lineup. I do not know how that is true. I have seen in the last week, which has seen the Dodgers lose 3 of 6 to sub .500 teams, more men left on base, a bunch of double play grounders, looking at strike 3 and not even attempting to protect the plate, weak fly balls to the outfield, shoddy fielding, and more than one base running blunders, than I saw the previous 1 1/2 months. If this is the BEST team in baseball, they sure as hell are not playing that way. Bumgarner had a plus 7 ERA, he barely topped 90 on any of his pitches, and they only scored when they took him deep. HR’s are great to watch. Consistently leaving men on base is not. They could just as easily lost all 3 of those games. And Jansen almost imploded enough to allow them to lose 2. How do you blow a 4 run lead if you are the closer? Jansen said something about not getting the adrenaline flowing because there are no fans to feed off of. Balderdash. You are getting paid a lot of money, although not what you signed for, to play a game. That should be incentive enough to perform at the best of your capabilities. I don’t see the lack of a crowd causing Kershaw to not be the competitor he always has been, nor Buehler either. The Dodgers, when right, bludgeon you. But the inconsistency of this group is maddening. Except for a few, none of them inspire confidence, and Badger’s blind squirrel reference could apply to not just Joc, but Muncy, Belli, and Kike also. Beaty and Rios could not really be expected to carry the weight off of the bench. Neither has seen enough playing time to get any sort of feel for the game. They really miss JT. Their weakness lies in the fact that if a major piece goes down, such as Turner, they do not have a player of similar caliber to plug in. Oh, they have options, and as Doc does, they use so many different lineups, you would need a box of score cards to keep up. But right now they have no continuity. And anyone who thinks that just because they have good stats that this is the best pitching staff in the league, had better check on some of the other contenders. This starting rotation, minus the 3 wins Strip got, has a total of 10 wins. That means the bullpen has gotten 19 of those 32 wins they have. That is one hell of a workload. Sorry. AF screwed the pooch. Not by trading for a starter, but by placing so much trust in the team he has. And I heard him say it many times in interviews. We believe in the guys we have. He also said any fixes would come internally. Well, he now has a chance to prove that they have the players to make this better in house. And he has 15 games for them to show their wares. Actually 14 since no roster moves have been announced so far today. Hell, give it a shot AF. Let Grey and White take a turn. Why not Sborz, who has been up and down more than an elevator at a Marriot hotel. Bat Belli 9th. He is one of the fastest players on the team, he can’t hurt them with another weak assed grounder into the shift down there, and he just might frippen relax at the plate. Bat Smith 3rd until Turner gets back. He is making more solid contact that any player on the team, including Corey and Betts, and take Kenley and his over loaded ego out of the closer’s job and have a closer by committee. It might just keep the fan base from getting ulcers.

    1. MadBum, Minor, and Weaver (twice), came into their games with the Dodgers as one of the worst pitchers in MLB. But they pitched as if they were CY candidates. It is clear that opposing managers are going to line up soft throwing changeup artists to face the free swinging Dodger batters. Zach Davies cannot break a window pane and he owns the Dodgers. This is the picture of a one dimensional offensive strategy. I do not simply blame RVS, as this situation was clearly evident in prior years. Peek back at Lance McCullers in the 2017 WS. The Cheaters are going to throw Framber Valdez and Zack Greinke this weekend. Both rely on their soft stuff, so it will be very interesting to see if the teams adjusts to the pitcher, or goes up swinging for the fence. Will we see anybody attempt to beat the shift? I hope this weekend is the start of the playoff run.

       You have outlined a lot of changes. Some may work and some may not. But what you have indicated, and what I support, is DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Change it up. Mark is often critical of Kersh because he is predictable with his first pitch strike. He is not wrong. Mark calls him stubborn. Why not the same criticism of the manager who does not adjust?

       1. Is it up to the manager to call for a bunt on a hitters count? Maybe. It didn’t usta was.

          It’s my belief every hitter that goes up there has an obligation to do what needs to be done to help the team win. It’s easy for us to say “they should bunt their way on”, and I certainly would do it if I ever faced holes that big, but that is not how these guys have been trained. Are they even working on it during batting practice? I doubt it. All or nothing has no bunt in the instruction manual. My opinion: these guys need to do one thing – get on base. They are going to continue to see pitchers that avoid throwing fastballs over the plate. Everyone knows the Dodgers feast on fastballs. Even my wife knows that. Have a clue what you’re doing up there and don’t try to hit everything 450’. Barrel up the soft stuff where it’s pitched. Line drives to the gaps will work. And after strike one start thinking about going the other way. There is a lot of open grass on the left side of that field. You can hit .600 if you bunt over there and probably .400 if you swing and hit it over there. Just play pepper with the third base position and chances are you won’t make an out.

          My message to Muncy and Bellinger is simple, you keep doing what you’ve been doing this team will lose. Be smart. Take what they are willing to give you.

    2. Well said Bear! I agree on damn near every point you made. For the past several years we’ve had excellent teams that have failed in the playoffs. Again, we have a deep and talented team, but it’s currently under performing. On top of that injuries are becoming a issue, especially with the pitching staff. I’m done with all of Jansen’s years of BS excuses for his problems. How he won that pitching award recently is beyond me. There had to be someone more deserving
       So, either the players need to get it together or they are in for another failed post season. There is no where to turn for help. What AF didn’t do is irrelevant. Stick to a starting lineup and stay with it to prepare for the post season. This is our team for 2020.

13. Good report and observations, AC. I agree with them. You call it a unchangeable trend on Doc’s part on the lineup placement of the batters like Cody and Max. But could it also be described as a little “stubbornness”?

    I thoroughly agree with you on keeping a consistent lineup and position. Good job. Now let us go whip those Astros.

14. Those are some eye opening stats for our offense Jeff D. What does Roberts and the front office do come playoff time when Bellinger, Muncy, and Pederson are not hitting any better? Do you continue to write them in at the top of the lineup and hope something finally clicks. With their playoff histories that’s a huge risk. Or do you hit them in the 7-9 spots and hope they can get on base for Betts and Seager hit them in. It will be just another reason to criticize the front office and Roberts. It’s kind of a no win situation.

    I knew the innings per start were low, but I didn’t realize they were that low. Maybe having all the extra bullpen pitchers Roberts doesn’t think lengthy starts are important or necessary. That may come back to bite the Dodgers during the playoffs. Speaking of the playoffs, the Dodgers just can’t get a break because of how they are set up this year. I mean, what is the point of having the best record in baseball? What’s the advantage? Sure, we get to play the third wild card (eighth seed), but in a short 3 game series where anything can happen (and probably will with the Dodgers involved). As mentioned above, whoever is hot come playoff time will win the WS. The regular season is almost irrelevant this year.

    I don’t think AF could have added anyone who would have helped the team this year. Like MT states the players need to perform and execute right now. If we have the best team like most fans think, then it’s up to the players to play to their abilities (not necessarily exceed). AF is mostly out of the picture for now. We know Roberts will make some head scratching moves to try to make it more difficult to win. But, at the end it’s the players who hold the responsibility of winning the World Series this year. It’s that simple. Just do it!

15. I wonder about Buehler blister. Rich Hill had chronic blister problems which, as I recall, were fixed using some sort of laser treatment. I would think the training staff would use the same approach on Buehler, so why the recurring blister issues.

    Have to agree with Bear’s take on Jansen. If you can’t get your adrenaline up, then you shouldn’t be closing. Perhaps the plan is to roll Jansen out for now but if he doesn’t show he has it to use McGee/Treinen during the playoffs.

16. As many have stated for years we feast on the poor teams. Waiting for fastballs. But once we face some good pitchers in the playoffs, who can throw offspeed for strikes. We are sunk. Beli, Seager, Pollock. Struck out 500 times in the World Series. Do you think they will turn it around this year??

17. To say the Dodgers don’t add at deadlines is just not true. We got Manny, we got Darvish, we got Machado, we got Hanley, we got Gonzalez. We’ve been “in” on several names every year for a long time. AF doesn’t overpay because frankly he doesn’t need to.

    This is our team and it’s a damm good one. Those players who are slumping know who they are and they know there is little time to get together. But there is time. If they continue their collective slumps? If our starters don’t make it back from injuries? Oh well. Let the crazy continue.

    1. I agree AF has made deadline trades, and I do not disagree with the trades he did make (even Reddick). And it is as you say, a damn good team. But do you not believe that Trevor Rosenthal would have helped this team? Do you not believe that AF could have offered a better player than Olivares? I do not pretend to know what AF tried to do or did not try to do, but as fans all we can do is speculate. Trevor Rosenthal is the one player that was traded, and the one we do know who was the return. It is my contention that Trevor Rosenthal could have helped the Dodgers. With Kenley nowhere close to be the Kenley of 2017, and no idea as to how Baez or Kelly will be able to pitch, does it not make sense that a RHRP with playoff experience would have been a good addition? Of course, both Treinen and McGee have closer experience, and can be dominant in late inning high leverage situations. And it is hopeful they will pitch well into the playoffs. AF is going with his internal options. We will learn soon enough if that strategy is successful. I beleive in a Plan B. If Kenley fails again, and neither Baez or Kelly are effective, is it acceptable to point a finger at AF? The cost in player capital or salary dollars would not have been too exorbitant.

       1. I’ll stipulate.

          But I’m thinking AF likely figured we had plenty of good arms for the bullpen already. I know I did. As you may recall I was ok with Urias, May and Gonsolin as #3 & 4 with who’s left going to the pen to join Baez, Kelly and the rest of the posse down there.

          Things look a bit different now don’t they?

18. Please tell me I am wrong, but did MLB reward the Cheating Astros a stadium to use in the bubble playoffs?

    1. No. AL will play at either SD or LAD. NL plays in Texas.

       1. But the Astros home field will be used by the NL. So in a sense, they got the playoffs there, but can make no money from it since there will be no fans.

19. Thanks AC. Whew. I mistakingly read that the two Texas places for the bubble playoffs were Arlington and Houston. Glad I was wrong.

20. Thanks AC. Whew. I mistakingly read that the two Texas places for the bubble playoffs were Arlington and Houston. Glad I was wrong because did not think they deserved it in Houston for any AL or NL team to play there.

    1. Houston will be the location for one of the NLDS series. Arlington, Texas will be the other NLDS location. Arlington will be the site of the WS.

       1. And does Houston get income from the use of their stadium? Me thinks the answer is yes.

          1. For the TV rights, yep.

          2. I honestly do not know the financial arrangements. It is possible that MLB is renting the facilities. But I would have to believe that it would be to cover for costs incurred to play the games at the stadium. I doubt that there will be a lot of financial benefit for the hosts. The Dodgers will get the same deal. I do not know why Texas was considered over Florida. AL could have played in Miami and NL in Tampa. Two Chicago sites could have been considered, but who wants to count on Chicago climate in October. Same with the two NY sites. The two Texas sites (both indoors) and two Southern California sites seem to make the most sense if they want to use a bubble for the divisional and league championship series.

21. The A’s just received bad news. Matt Chapman is out for the year.

    1. Ouch, That hurts. I wonder how bad Acuna is in Atlanta. Wheeler ripped the finger nail off his finger while wiping his hand on his pants. He will miss at least a start for the Phils. Still no word on May, and that is a little unsettling since he was supposed to be checked out yesterday.

    2. I read that, and that could hurt them. He is not having a great year, but it would be like losing Bellinger.

22. I get that the players performance is on them. I really do. And I realize Doc is a players manager. He is a great communicator, and has the respect of his players. What I wish, is that just for once he would go all Tommy Lasorda on them. This team might be hungry, but there is a lot of complacency in that clubhouse. It is almost as if Doc is afraid to rock the boat as it were. He is definitely a company man, and he does pretty much what the big cheeses want. And he is the kind of manager they wanted. Someone who embraces analytics, and can have a good rapport with his players. I think what they really need is a swift kick in the ass. You listen to Orel talk about Tommy, and you immediately see the differences. I remember a game when Tommy went out to take Doug Rau out of the game. And, he was miked up. What followed was a f bomb rant that rivaled what he said about Kingman. And it was close to the Bevaqua rant too. What kind of a H****S*** performance was that? I have seen better F****** pitching from a monkey, or something along those lines. He made his players believe that they could, and the did. If he was managing this team, Bellinger and Muncy would be at the bottom of the lineup. Joc would be nothing more than a scrubeanie, and Kike basically a defensive replacement. If you were not performing your best, you sat. They need more discipline, and less coddling. IMHO anyway.

    1. I have no idea what goes on in that clubhouse but from outward appearances, dropping F bombs and kicking ass is not Doc’s style.

       I keep waiting for better baseball to be played. Not seeing it yet, but am still hopeful the team will get its head and ass wired together on their own. Though young, the core group are veterans and it’s up to them to lead the way. Next at bat next pitch. That’s baseball.

       1. Totally agree with you there my friend. Not his style. But I think he should try it once. No team is afraid of the Dodgers, and other than Betts and Seager at this point, no player in that lineup scares any pitcher either. They need a shot in the arm, or a boot in the booty. Simple as that.

          1. I think you should try voting for a progressive once.

             Not your style, is it.

             Look, I get your point, and in theory I don’t disagree. But this team has had the same manager and managing style for 5 years. He’s won over 60% of the games he’s managed. I don’t think changing his style after all this time would be believable. It might even be laughable.

             1. He has not won a single game if you put all of that on the players. But I get it, and hell no I am not voting that way. I love my freedom too much. LOL. Oh yeah, he still has not won the BIG ONE. Neither has AF>

             2. Nope. They haven’t. But we all know they should have at least one.

                I like our odds this year. There are some teams (Padres) that are playing exciting ball now, but that does not mean they will carry that into October. If we take care of our own business we should be fine. If we keep rumblin bumblin stumblin for the next month then shame on us.

                Weird year. Nothing should count. Unless we win. Then it should.

23. Dodger fans outside of Dodger Stadium greeting the Stros bus, all over twitter. Holding signs and yelling insults. Gotta love the blue fans. New Dodger cheer for tonight…Let’s Go Dodgers, then a picture of a trash can with the Stros logo on it, and bang bang….classic. Still nothing on May’s status….hey AF> Too late to trade for a pitcher….how about Grey and White? Oh yeah, you might need a couple of those kids down there at the alternate site, so why not get them a few AB’s????

24. Keith Law:

    Jordan: Do you see the Padres talent ever stacking up enough to overtake the dodgers for a division title? Or does LAs combination of cash and organizational acumen make SD a groomsmen for the next decade?

    Keith Law: Some of it is just luck – you stay healthier one year, or you have a guy have an outlier year like Cronenworth – but I will say no large-market team would scare me more as a competitor than the Dodgers. They’re extremely strong at the major-league and minor-league levels, they keep finding high-end talent in the draft even when they draft low, and they’re exceptionally well-run.

    1. Can’t argue that.

       If we’re healthy we will be favored. Big if.

       1. It’s one thing to be favored, quite another to play up to your potential.
          We may be the best team on paper. The games are played on the field.

          1. I think this is a tad nonsensical.

             Obviously those who are making teams favorites or underdogs are taking actual play on the field into account.

             1. I’ve been known to be a tad nonsensical from time to time.
                Just out of curiosity, even if Buehler and May were healthy right now, do you think the oddsmakers would install us as favorites expecting Bellinger, Muncy and Joc to produce at their normal levels or do you think we would be considered favorites even if they were expected to play the way they have this season?

             2. Join the club, Singing The Blue.

                Join the club.

             3. “ The games are played on the field.“

                Yep. And to date we’ve won more than anybody. (strength of schedule doesn’t count).

                The money will likely remain on us.

25. X-rays show no fracture for May, just a contusion. No decision as to when he’ll be back.

    Baez back tonight. No corresponding move yet.

    Gonsolin starts Tuesday. Sunday will be a bullpen game.

    1. In Roberts’ words: “Best-case scenario, I think, for us.”

    2. Very good news that it was not a break. Get well and get back soon, Dustin.

    3. Wanna bet ol Sborz gets the old heave ho down to the alternate site? They are already down to 12 on the offensive side.

       1. Only other possibilities are Santana, or May to the IL even though he has no fracture.
          If I’m betting, I’m taking Sborz also.

26. Kelly just pulled up to the Stadium in his Porsche, wait, he can afford a Porsche? Anyway, he got a rousing cheer from previously mentioned fans, and honked his horn in response to same.

27. Gotta practice some new tunes for tomorrow guys. Will watch the game, which is on Fox by the way, and then hit the hay. Have a couple of Haggard tunes I have not done before on the menu. And am working on Bobby Bare’s, The Jogger. Have a great night, and GO BIG BLUE!

    1. Wait, before you go I want you to sing “Biden My Time” by Pink Floyd, video it and post it here.

       1. Any song or thing with that spelling I am not posting anywhere…….LOL…..

          1. Hidin Biden

28. It’s virtually the same stance he used last year. Give me your thoughts on that.

    1. You talkin Bellinger?

       1. Yes

          1. Before I answer that let me ask you, did you get your ass painted today?

             Seriously, looking past his stance, what do you see with his swing?

    2. Mark. Here are my thoughts on Bellinger:
       His swing is complex. Not just the head movement. The bucket foot, the violence of his swing. His insistence on pulling the baseball. And the way he’s pitched all lead to a very streaky hitter who can go into prolonged slumps and prolonged hot streaks. More than others with more simple swings. I’ve mentioned Nelson Cruz as a model for simplicity. When Belli’s timing is right, he’s awesome.
       His timing hasn’t been right all year for the most part. In 2018 he was platooning and was benched in post season against lefties. He’s made changes to hit lefties better and now he’s struggling with righties.
       His first half last year was unworldly. At this stage last year he was was hitting .400 with an OPS of 1.300. Nobody expected that to continue and it did’n. He “struggled” the 2nd half culminations in poor performance in the playoffs. Now its .211 and .714 in about the same number of games. He’s been on a downward trend for some time now.
       Maybe there’s some regression to the mean. Right now with his confidence, mechanics, his approach and his inability to hit the high fastball and soft junk away leads to .211. He’s struggling. I hope he gets the timing and starts to hit soon.
       I also see his swing which requires amazing flexibility and athleticism not holding up into his 30’s. He will need to adjust.
       That’s my take anyway..

29. Yesterday Jeff D. wrote “As baseball aficionados we all know who should play, who should play where, what the best batting lineup should be, how to “correct” batting stances, etc. We are all more knowledgeable than the Presidents of Baseball Operations, or the managers, or the pitching coaches, or the hitting coaches. We have all played the game, some at advanced levels. But to my knowledge, nobody on this site has ever climbed the organizational ladder and achieved success at the MLB level.” That’s probably true enough. None of us are paid, professional coaches or managers. But to assume that one needs to be a MLB coach in order to understand, teach and critique the game is a fallacy. Actually some of the poorest coaching I got was in pro ball. Yes, The Dodgers have great player development and coaches. They have access to the latest technology and a staff of sabermetricians. They have all the advantages But I’m here to tell you that great coaching is done in many places by many different guys that aren’t in MLB.
    There is no “secret” to the game that only the pro coaches and GMs knows. There are no secret ways to hit or pitch or play the game that only the blessed few know about. Many of us played and coached for years. We watched, we went to clinics, we talked and shared ideas. I’ve watched and coached thousands of games. I know how Driveline works. I’ve spent time personally with Tom House. I’ve listen to Orel on how to pitch. I’ve watch all the “latest” ways to hit from Ted Williams through Walt Hriniak, Charley Lau, Tony Gwynn, Barry Bonds and Robert Van Scoyoc. Lots of different ways on how to do the same thing. For pitching it all comes down to BALANCE, POSTURE and ALIGNMENT. What movements aid a player into getting the baseball to a consistent front foot strike and release point , safely. Same with hitting. What moves get the barrel to the ball most consistently? There are lots of ways to do things. Many just window dressing or cosmetic. But there are some critical, non-negotiable spots for both hitters and pitchers to be in to be successful. And to not risk injury. You don’t have to be a Big League coach to know these, They aren’t secrets.
    I know plenty of excellent coaches that chose other paths then moving up the ranks as ‘Pro” coaches. I used my signing bonus to get a college degree (2 in fact). With my degrees, I had a couple of career paths that I enjoyed. I would have had to give give those up to move up the ladder in organized baseball. I know guys that have done it. They were willing to start young and move early and often to follow that dream. And it wasn’t my dream. Just like a player they had to be willing to go anywhere and do anything to stay in baseball. Many couldn’t do much else. I know young coaches who had to be single or have a very understanding wife to change positions yearly, even in amateur ball. The Joke was “where’s Hal this year?” Hal would take any job. I didn’t lack information about the game. I lacked the willingness to accept that lifestyle. Hey I found a way to coach kids for 30 years.
    The best coaches might be successful college coaches. The Rod Dedeaux’s, Ron Polks, Paul Mainieri, Pat Caseys and my favorite Ed Cheff. Who’s Ed Cheff you ask? Best coach I ever saw. Ed coached at Lewis Clark State in Idaho and won 16 NAIA World Series titles for 1977 to 2010. Now retired, Ed knows more baseball than anybody I’ve ever known. I would talk to him and he would take a fundamental or play and take it to the next level with his own spin. And I’d think “why didn’t I think of that”. It seemed so obvious. These guys are great teachers and were successful with less then major league talent. But they didn’t know any deep dark secrets to success.
    So, I actually feel pretty qualified when I point out certain things. One is Belli’s stance. As the pictures showed yesterday, there are more ways then 1 to do things, like stance. I don’t really care if the guys has the bat up his ……. nose with his stance as long as he has an uncomplicated trigger and gets it into the correct launch position when the bell rings. Every guy in the pictures had a steady head position. Some east and west movement is tolerable but the north – south head bob is a killer. Eyes moving, up and down, prior to launch complicates seeing the ball and consistency. And why does Belli’s head move prior to load? Because he stands straight up and his head is moving down late to get to his launch position. It’s an unnecessary move. Just start there. Bend your knees.
    Now I’m sure this has been suggested and Belli doesn’t want to. And It’s likely too late for this season. It’s another winter project.

    1. Great read phil. Thanks. I believe you and I think alike on most of this stuff.

       You’ve also got a great read on Bellinger. It’s my opinion that without a subtle change in his stance, and I agree with you that ain’t likely, the way he is being pitched his only chance of success is to guess right or get a mistake. I’ve seen several mistakes he’s looked at or flat out missed (same with Muncy) so at this point I don’t know what the answer is. Back up, lighter bat, bend the knees and punish mistakes. I’m not there so I have no idea what’s being said, but from my recliner this is what I see.

       1. I see the same things from my recliner to Badger. I agree, you and I share thoughts in most areas of baseball. You know your stuff. Belli occasionally runs into a high fastball but not very often right now. He misses a lot of mistakes. I like your suggestions especially getting off the plate. Watch for those dinky, narrow batter’s box lines they’ve taken to at Dodger Stadium to let him fudge up on the plate even more.

    2. Extremely well said, PJ, what do you think about some players not being coachable a.k.a. Belli,Muncy,Pederson?

       1. Good question. Some guys aren’t coachable. They don’t like it. Others only listen to a select few. Others don’t change because they don’t think (yet) that they have a problem. It’s hard and takes time and you need to be convinced that the change will work. That’s why Belli bailed on the changes he made.

    3. If you take it that I was suggesting that nobody has any informed knowledge on this site, then I apologize for your understanding. That was not my intent. We all have different backgrounds and experiences that lend to opinions. But that is all they are. They make for good conversations, but nobody here has the opportunity to make any changes. I am not trying to take away anyone’s opinions, informed and knowledgeable or otherwise. I understand some have coached at high levels. I agree that the best players do not always make the best coaches. Up until his stroke, my son was getting calls from ML hitters to give advice on their swing. I will never tell who they were (some he will not tell me for fear I might blab-brag), but they include some well established players and a couple of All Stars.

       The beauty of this blog is the varied opinions of the LADT community. What you or Badger or me or Mark believe is the best way to counsel Belli on his swing are our opinions. If they were trusted by Belli or the Dodgers brass, we would be employed by them. Because we are not employed by the Dodgers does not make any of us wrong, but it does not make us right either.

       1. Phil, I think you are an extremely knowledgeable baseball person as is AC, 2D2, DC, Bear, SoCalBum, and many others. I have learned so much from all of you of which I am very grateful and thank you for it. I especially like your clear and understandable explanations. I am sure AC did not mean your information was not important so keep it coming.

          1. Thanks DBM. You are always a breath of fresh air. Which by the way I need badly. The air quality due to the fires is at an all time high. The Air Quality Index ends at 301 as “Unhealthy” The air is 557 right now. Can’t see a quarter mile and the smell is like sitting by a roaring campfire.

             1. No kidding. My air quality is rated “hazardess” right now for people like me. Well, going to watch the game and keep my mind off this smoky air.

          2. I forgot Mark. You, too, Mr. Timmons.

       2. The thinking that we are all informed in MY POV!

          Definitely not Jeff D.’s.

    4. This is one of the most fascinating comments I’ve read on the blog. Very well written and supported. Thanks for the Pat Casey shout out as well!

       I have a mechanics question regarding Bellinger for the not-your-ordinary armchair mechanics analysts out there. Often times, we’ll see his take this weird looking cut down chop swing where his legs remaining stationary, he sort of hinges at the waist and sort of takes a lunging/chop swing. Particularly, see it on outside pitches or when he gets fooled. It also seemed to be an actual 2 strike batting approach he took on the 2nd half of last year – not seeing it as much on two strike counts this year. It’s very recognizable just because contrasts so starkly from his normal full arcing, full torso rotational swing. It looks like crap and he mostly misses or fouls with it. What is that all about? I’d love some inside information on Bellinger, whether the annual tweaks are of his own device or the Dodgers instruction? Ripken, would change his stance or tinker every year, too. He was another player, who would go thru sensationally hot stretches and cold stretches. Ripken, basically kept up his entire career and hoping Bellinger finally sticks with something – unless his body or physical aspects to him are annually changing that would require a swing tweak, but that’s unlikely.

30. Jeff D. said above
    “5. When JT returns, the lineup changes should cease. The team will have 13 games remaining when they meet the Padres on Monday. Doc has the responsibility to fill out the lineups. Put a consistent team on the field. The batting lineup may change, but the defense needs to be consistent. I have no say whatsoever, but my defense would be:
    1B – Max
    2B – CT3
    3B – JT
    SS – Corey
    LF – AJ
    CF – Belli
    RF – Mookie
    C – Fresh Prince (Barnes catches Kershaw).
    There is no reason to show diversification. Keep players in the respective positions through the playoffs.”

    I said 2 days ago – “Players like predictability. They like to know when they will play. They like to know where they play. They would like a predictable batting order. They won’t say it to the media.
    It’s all in preparation for the stretch run and getting ready for the playoffs. We pulled this bulls**t last year and you may remember how we did in the playoffs.”
    I’m not second guessing every move Doc and AF make. I know we have injuries but I don’t like how we are preparing for the post season. And that’s been my major complaint to a couple of years now. IMO

    1. I can certainly live with that positional lineup. I might substitute Rios at third and DH Turner. Who’s your DH? If Hernandez is hitting well he can play 2b for me. I used to think Taylor and Hernandez were basically the same guy but Taylor is hitting better this year. I am waiting for Hernandez to get hot. He showed signs of it the other day.

       I’d like to be able to start Lux at second but I’m thinking he’s not ready for prime time. He does have a stick that will impress when he gets it going. I still say he needs a hundred ground balls a day, with a first baseman, for an entire off season.

       As for a different lineup every day I think this team is used to it. 1 through 5 is usually the same. After that pull names out of a hat.

31. Tonight’s lineup:

    Betts RF
    Seager SS
    Pollock LF
    Muncy 3B
    Smith C
    Bellinger 1B
    Taylor CF
    Hernandez 2B
    Lux DH

    1. Any lineup that has Muncy at third is not one I endorse.

    2. Well, that shows he still has faith in Muncy. I just cannot understand hitting a guy in as bad a slump as he is 4th. I put Smith 4th, drop Muncy to 8th, and plug Taylor in the 5 hole. Getting Lux Ab’s at DH is ok. And Muncy back at 3rd???? Not smart.

       1. Agree.

32. I win! Sborz to the alternate site! Damn I am good. LOL……..

33. Truth Hurts. I live in Meridian, Idaho. Near Boise, Idaho.

34. I have to start by saying I agree with everything being said on this blog. From the sunshine spreaders thru the doom and gloom groaners. All valid takes, or at least grounds exist for the takes. I think that’s why this team is so fun to follow – multi layers of emotions they can bring out of you. Most importantly hope.

    In the spirit of accepting contradicting views, I’m going to offer some. I think we need to express more patience at the moment. I’ve literally read articles/comments from same folks severely questioning the makeup of the team, followed by comments a week later praising the team as the best in baseball three games later – particularly after the first SD series. I’m guessing the shortened, heightened season is short circuiting our better senses at times. Basically, 50 games into a season, we should be in the middle of May right now, where the alarm would normally be dealt with more patiently. That’s the not reality this year, of course, and instead we’re heading down the main stretch. It might be the reality, but try convincing that to a player and his struggles. Just because the reality of the season is sped up, doesn’t mean the player can speed up breaking a slump. There are a myriad of examples over the recent years of this team and it’s players, surviving then persevering. They deserve the benefit of doubt and maybe it’s just not our year. No matter, we’ve got the team to win it next year and in the years after.

    Now to state something that totally flies in the face of what I just wrote. This team has been trending down since 2017. It’s right there in the record. We nearly reached the apex of winning a WS, pushing to game 7 in 2017. Next year, not quite as good to Game 5. Followed, by making the post season and getting booted in the first round in 5 games. The way it’s trending, we might not get past game 3 of the first round this year. And yet, each successive year since 2017 we’ve (arguably) improved our talent on paper either with acquisitions or player development. What’s the deal? I’d suggest it’s because we’re largely a swing big roster. Literally – with so many guys swinging for moon shots and figuratively – with a collection of players who are streaky vs steady Eddie. If we can time the post season so our players are largely hot, we’d probably sweep thru the playoffs, but that’s not really something to be controlled. If we suffer another disappointing playoff exit this year, it might be time to re-evaluate the construction of the roster and team building approach, perhaps tipping the balance a little more to the steady side. After all, patience is good, but you can only try the same thing so many times if the ultimate mission isn’t being accomplished.

    1. Not the greatest thinking here. When you get to Game 7 of the World Series it’s very hard to get much further in a season. Of course subsequent seasons won’t get as far.

       1. All depends on how far a distance you figure it is from losing game 7 to winning game 7.

          1. One game?

       2. Actually winning a WS? I get you’re point, but the larger point is that the state of the team can be interpreted many different ways and each has supporting evidence. For example, on the flip side, we lost each of the last 3 years to the eventual WS winner.

    2. Amen!

35. So, I am glad you posted this topic today. I have not been able to read all posts so I may be redundant but nobody responds anyway so here goes.

    I think doc makes many blunders but I believe pitch count is an organizational decision. We been doing it year after year and our pitchers will not go deep in the playoffs because they can’t.
    Second, our all or nothing approach i think is another organizational decision and it will not change in the playoffs this is who we are.
    Third, I don’t personally blame doc for putting bellinger and muncy in the middle of the lineup. I mean muncy best stats are at 3 in the order and bellinger is the reigning mvp. When turner is back muncy should move out of the 3.
    4th I totally agree with the dodger arrogance moving Betts to second. I don’t know who is responsible but it seems like we enjoy thinking out of the box. But moving Betts is not as bad as the joc 1b experiment or muncy batting leadoff just plain dumb. Betts can play second but the timing and arrogance this late has got to have you shaking your head.

    It seems that whoever just decides we will do this for no apparent reason. Experimenting when you should have your head down trying to solidify. The Dodgers all or nothing, starters not going deep I don’t know if that is a winning philosophy but it is ours. So far, not so good in the playoffs. Getting Kelly and Baez back should help the bullpen. Whether AF should have picked somebody up well when price opted out a 3rd pitcher should have been obvious but not easy to do. I think our bullpen is better than previous years if they are not totally burnt out.

    I agree with Mark on one thing we have the players so they have to execute. If we can have a playoff without doc being the topic we might get over the hump. Our all or nothing philosophy is certainly a question mark.

36. Not disputing how good you are Bear but it was Santana.

    1. Yep, spoke too soon, My bad…won’t happen again.

       1. Actually it might happen again, but who cares. No biggie. Unless Sborz or Santana read this blog. Then you’ll have some splainin’ to do.

37. Mic’ing Muncy? Who ok’d that move? He’s got enough to think about.

    Some very interesting reads in here today. Thanks to all.

38. I don’t know if any of you caught this but Santana was optioned not Sborz. I like that because I know Sborz is not gonna make the playoff roster and I was affraid Santana would.

39. I’m not sure what it is Cody is looking for. If you stand on top of the plate it must be to reach the outer edge with your barrel. He just looked at 2 thigh high fastballs that were right on that outer edge. Didn’t even offer. wtf?

    1. This is why it sucks to be uninformed Badger. Maybe (just maybe) scouting says the pitcher comes inside to LH power hitters when ahead in the count? Maybe the outfield was shifted in a manner that made him think the pitcher would come inside? Maybe he’s been susceptible to inside pitches lately and thought Valdez would come in? Maybe he has trouble picking up the ball out of his hand? Maybe Bellinger’s just a mental mess?

       Could be any of that. Could be none. Let’s not stress.

       1. Stress? Thanks for your concern but I’m not stressing about it.

          As for your many maybe’s, maybe you are overthinking it.

          Here’s a simpler strategy – if it’s a strike swing at it.

40. very good 5 innings by Urias. But I despair, sometimes of how difficult is for him to get the third strike or get outs

    1. That was a good outing by Urias. He still makes too many mistakes in the strike zone but he got through it.

       Smoltz making some great points about starting pitching in the playoffs this year. He believes the team that gets the most out of their starting pitching will win it all. He’s also making sense about the struggling Bellinger.

41. That was clearly one of the best games Julio Urias has pitched. He looked confident. Got the ball back and went after the batter with the next pitch. It appeared that he was just concentrating on each pitch and not trying to overthink it. He mixed his pitches well. Very well done.

42. Center cut fastballs at 91 and Bellinger and Muncy can’t even put the ball in play! This is unbelievable!

43. Not to jinx anything, but so far this is a great day to be a Dodger. We look pretty good on the field. Urias, making strides, comfortably going 6 and finding the strike zone more consistently. Sounds like good news on May and Buehler.

    That Betts/Seager 5th run combination was just beautiful baseball. Get on by walk. Take a base. Aggressive running leads to scoring via an opposite field single. Maybe its boring to some, but I love it and even prefer it to say, Betts striking out and Seager solo homering. Same net effect, but the former is personally more entertaining. If we did this up and down the lineup we’d never lose a game. Well, maybe a couple.

44. Well, that was the Urias Mark has raved about. Nice solid six innings. Some good things happening tonight, and a couple keeping the status quo. Muncy 3 K’s in 3 at bats. Missing balls he should crush. Bellinger his first AB did what we all have been asking, took the ball where it was pitched and just missed hitting it out. But the 2 at bats since, disappointing. Kike looked great his first at bat, and then not so great, but his defense has been outstanding. Lakers win and now are in the Western Conference finals.

45. Bellinger looks horrible. Don’t understand his desire to stand so close to the plate. He has a huge hole in his swing up and tight in the strike zone and can’t seem to make an adjustment. Come on RVS get him straightened out.

    KJ is no longer a trusted “automatic save” closer. His pitches don’t miss bats and he is a heart attack each time he pitches to close out a game. Horrible

46. Jansen. Get him out of there.

47. Take out this gabage of picher before lost the game. I dont why Doc Is so nice whit the players

48. I have been Dodgers all my life, but tonight I wish they lose the game, to see if they will finally get rid of Jensen …. He is no longer the closer, when are they going to understand?
    Are you still proud that the Dodgers have the best record?

49. Muncy. Arrrgh.

50. Gas Can Jansen strikes again. Why Doc did not get someone up after the first hit is beyond me. I am totally fed up with the guy. If they lose this, it is on Roberts for leaving him in.

51. KJ will say some BS in the post game that the ball wasn’t cutting, or couldn’t locate a cutter because his back was stiff or some other phantom BS reason. What Doc needs to do is proclaim boldly that Trienen is the teams closer going forward.

52. Hello why is Jansen still pitching?

    1. I can’t believe that doc didn’t take him out earlier!

    2. Because instead of his thinking cap, Doc is wearing his I am a nice guy and my players love me cap.

53. Thats totaly on Roberts

54. A decision will have to be made on Jansen soon.

55. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. You know Houston has to feel pretty good going into tomorrow’s game. Excuse me, but tonight, Doc has screwed the pooch. And it does two things if this ends the way it is right now. It pares 1/2 game off of that lead, and they wasted a great start by Urias, and cost him a win. I have zero confidence in Jansen right now, and if Roberts still does after the last two flame outs by that over rated ego driven has been, he is losing his mind. Twitter is blowing up.

    1. I’ve been uneasy with Jansen for quite a while. He just is not the pitcher he used to be. It’s a shame.

56. Difficult to know who is the incompetent, Jensen or Doc.

    1. Jansen is incompetent. Doc is crazy for believing he is still the Jansen of 3 years ago

57. So, for all the Roberts excuse makers. This is what drives you crazy. Just sit there and watch as Jansen blows the lead and more. I don’t know how he can go into the clubhouse after that pathetic display of managing.

    I can hear him now. I liked the matchup in that situation blah blah blah

58. Don’t blame Muncy!!

    1. I blame Doc for putting Muncy at 3rd. He is not the defender over there that Turner is, and he is not as good over there as Rios has shown. Two good things in that last inning, Bellinger squaring a ball up and getting a single, and Pederson hitting a shot into the gap in left center. Bad things, Taylor killing the inning with a double play ball, and the kid having no shot to extend the inning since he has not shown he can hit a curve ball. This loss is squarely on the shoulders of Roberts.

       1. Come on Bear. That is not fair. It was the players who did not execute. It wasn’t Doc that continued to pitch center cut to six straight Astros hitters. It wasn’t Doc who booted the ball at 3rd. It wasn’t Doc who was overmatched in the 9th.

          Now without sarcasm, I like Gavin Lux (not as much as Bo Bichette), but he is just not ready. I don’t know that he will be ready next Spring. He should be sent down and let McKinstry have a shot. He has two weeks to show what he can do. See if he can handle the pressure.

          1. It is fair Jeff because Doc makes out the lineups. Muncy has to execute the plays, but he is no where near as good over there as Turner, who is unavailable, but Rios has been better. I have seen too many balls get past Muncy simply because he does not have the reaction time a good third baseman has. Hell, I think Taylor would be better over there than Muncy. And it has not helped one bit that his bat has totally gone silent. Doc’s problem is that he is so confident in Jansen, that he did not get anyone up until 4 guys had gotten hits, and by the time he pulled Jansen, he was behind in the game, and there were still no outs. His confidence in Jansen is what beat them tonight.

             1. I was only kidding on the first part. It was an attempt for a joke on what Mark was saying. Okay it was a poor attempt.

59. If you ever lose a game to the ass tros I’m not a fan because this dodger group is not good enough or tough enough to win the big games. And Bellinger has this long swing that is not working.

    1. Bellinger hit two balls right on the screws tonight. Best he has looked in a week. He got a single on the second one, but Taylor hit into a DP, killing the rally. And the problem tonight was one pitcher. Jansen. He blew a win and there is no excuse for how bad he was, or Roberts allowing him to be that bad that long.

60. Why wasn’t someone warming up when KJ took the mound in the 9th? It is not like he has been unhittable. It took way too long for Kolarek to come in. I not only have zero confidence is KJ as a closer, I have zero confidence in him as a pitcher right now. I want someone telling me again why the Dodgers did not need Trevor Rosenthal.

61. The Doc apologist will be rare form soon. Look forward to how he might spin this disaster. KJ is like 280 Lbs and can no longer hit 90 MPH consistently. His pitches are slow, flat, little spin and certainly no cut.

    Standing pat at the deadline and not getting Rosenthal (as Jeff aptly pointed out) will haunt us.

62. I tuned into the game to see Jansen choke again. That was ugly.

    Who was the color guy next to Joe Davis in the booth? What a refreshing change from Orel!

63. I’m sure no one will over react.

    1. What can be said that will not constitute an overreaction?

       1. LOL

64. Jansen is washed up. It’s a shame he has a lot of heart but no game. I did not realize how far he has fallen. He has had some great moments for the Dodgers but they look long gone. I guess these guys playing chess while we are playing checkers must c it differently. Since they are making millions let’s bow.

    I don’t blame muncy I blame the guy who played him there. He should not be at third…….

    I still think we have the bullpen without Jansen

65. On the plus side, it was nice to see Will Smith have a good game.

    1. Smith has heated up considerably and should catch every day except when Kersh pitches just to keep Barnes relevant.

66. Well crap.

    It isn’t second guessing tonight. We could all see Jansen didn’t have it. And this isn’t about Rosenthal. He wouldn’t have been in there. This is about Jansen and Roberts. Kolarek would have ended the game before they got 6. And Muncy’s error cost 1 unearned.

    What to do? I doubt they do anything. Chalk it up to a bad night. If there’s another one something will be done. McGee or Treinen can handle the last inning. Heck any of our top 4 including Graterol could handle the 9th better than Jansen has.

    One more thing. Lux isn’t ready for an at bat like that last one. Hope he is learning.

    1. Badger, who was calling the game along with Joe Davis?

       1. That was John Smoltz. It was a FOX game and feed.

          1. Thanks, Bear. Excellent analysis and seemed to fit well with Joe.

             1. I’d trade Orel for him in a heartbeat.

67. This is why I always talk about the bullpen (and I might annoy people by talking about the bullpen so much) and why I am never content with the bullpen and always looking to upgrade the bullpen. Think how it would feel if this was a playoff game and better yet in a three-game series playoff game.

    1. I’ve said this a million times before and I’m gonna say it again. If you have Doc as your manager you better make sure your bullpen is top notch with absolutely no weak relievers on the roster.

    2. I honestly don’t get why it took so long to get him out of there. Kenley can’t hit his spot just above the strike zone. When he was good he was automatic hitting that spot. I think he’d be better off just throwing a four seam fastball when he needs to do that. Either way, he wouldn’t be my closer at this point.
       ~
       Since there’s been so much talk about Cody’s mechanics. I’ve noticed his hands among other things. I remember him hitting a HR his rookie year on a high fastball. I marveled at how he got on top of it. There’s so much talk about launch angle but there’s also an attack angle before you launch. To hit a ball well your hands need to be higher than the baseball. Cody’s hands are often lower than the ball now when he swings and misses. He’s only going to whiff or pop it up when his hands are lower than the ball. I saw Grandal hit one out once when his hands were lower than ball but that is real tough to do.

       1. I think two things are really visible. He is too damn close to the plate, and too upright. He does not bend his knees at all. He can get to an outside pitch, and actually hit one pretty hard tonight, but the inside pitch still owns him. Lead is down to 3 games with 14 to play. Padres have 13 left if they play all of the games they have scheduled. They do have 2 off days the last week of the season to make up the 2 postponed games. Unless they play a double header tomorrow to make up one.

          1. Correction, Padres have 14 left also. They are 3 games back. The series against SD this week is now a critical one for the Dodgers. They need to take at least 2 of 3. losing 2 is not an option.

68. Too bad he works for FOX and not the Dodgers…maybe they could trade Hershiser for him.

69. The Roberts spin machine is at work. Check out his comments on dodgers.com. Laughable. And oh yeah, Jansen is still the closer. And a couple of those hits were on his 4 seam fast ball, not his cutter.

70. I cant see Dodgers win with this closer, even the division

71. Like everyone else here, I was stunned that Doc left Jansen in so long. Part of me wondered if Doc was trying to make a point to AF, but it’s too late to for that since the trade deadline has passed. But that doesn’t seem to be Doc’s style either.

    Will Doc avoid Jansen in tough situations in the postseason again, as he did last year in game 5 against the Nationals (and lost)?

    Jansen has one year left on his contract. The offseason could be interesting. Given his history on the team, I think it would be difficult to keep him in a set-up role.

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