First, a look back at baseball in Ogden which has maintained a small town atmosphere.
The Ogden Raptors are the Dodgers’ Rookie League team in the Pioneer league. The Raptors are an advanced rookie team that became affiliated with the Dodgers in 2003. Prior to that, the Ogden team was an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ogden, with a population of about 83,000, claims to be the oldest settlement in Utah dating back to 1845 and has a long history with minor league baseball of over 100 years.
The Raptors are blessed to play in one of the most beautiful settings in professional baseball. In fact, Lindquist Field, which was built in the heart of downtown Ogden in 1997, was named the “Best View” by Baseballparks.com – not just in the Pioneer League but in all of Baseball. Digitalballparks.com gave Lindquist Field the same honor and also awarded it the 2007 Ballpark of the Year. Not alone in their assessment, a staff writer for Grand Slam Enterprises, Inc. also named the view beyond the fence as the best in professional baseball. The outfield fences are set against a breathtaking panoramic view the Wasatch Mountains, which majestically stand at 9,000 feet above sea level.
The Raptors have led the Pioneer League in attendance every year since 1997 and did so again in 2019 with an average attendance of 3,951. The continued yearly attendance is due to the historically strong fan base and is buoyed by the ownership’s efforts to thank the fans in a variety of creative ways. Since 1997 upwards of one million free general admission tickets have been given away at local restaurants, thus supporting the team and the restaurant industry.
“There’s a million of them (tickets),” said Raptors president and general manager Dave Baggott. “That’s a lot of them. It’s an unprecedented program. No one has ever done it. I challenge any other company to donate $5 million (worth of product) to their communities.”
Baggott made another strong commitment to the fans way back in 2013.
“We want to celebrate the history of baseball in Ogden, and there is quite a history here,” Baggott said. “Our goal for our 20th year is to increase that fan experience and thank our fans for the support they’ve always given us.”
Two events of note were part of the 2013 Ogden Raptors promotions. One was to honor and recognize the Dodgers’ first stint in Ogden, then called the Ogden Dodgers. The Raptors had a poster giveaway night to honor members of the 1968 Ogden Dodgers team that included Steve Garvey, Bobby Valentine, Bill Buckner and manager Tommy Lasorda, who were part of a run that saw Ogden sweep four consecutive Pioneer League championships. Tommy won three of those championships with the Raptors from 1966-68 and 14 of the players he managed in Ogden went on to play at the MLB level. In 2009 his Ogden jersey, number 4, was retired, and Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey proclaimed July 10, 2009 “Tommy Lasorda Day” in the city.
The second event is a bit off topic but demonstrates the family-like atmosphere of baseball in Ogden. The Raptors honored Robbie Parker, who more than a decade ago served for three seasons as “Oggie,” the Raptors’ lovable dinosaur mascot. Perhaps it was not so much to honor Robbie but to help him and his family through a very trying time. Our hearts all broke with the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, none more so than that of Robbie Parker and his family.
A decade ago Robbie Parker in his worst nightmare could not have ever dreamed of the horrific tragedy that his family would have to endure. On that fateful day last December, Robbie, his wife Alissa and their two other little girls would lose their adorable daughter and sister, 6-year-old Emilie, forever. On July 20, the Raptors remembered and honored Emilie and the Parker family by holding a special night in her memory.
“Our players are going to wear pink jerseys, her favorite color, with her name on the backs of their jerseys,” said Baggott. “We’ll auction those jerseys off for $500 each, and all the proceeds will go to the Emilie Parker Fund. We want to pay tribute to a fallen child who did not get a chance at life. This will help raise money for their other two daughters and allow their family to come out and enjoy a night of baseball with us and our great fans. It’s our small way of trying to help them overcome a terrible, devastating tragedy.”
https://www.ksl.com/article/26077647/raptors-honor-emilie-parker-raise-money-for-foundation
Most of the Raptor players don’t live in apartments, hotels or dorms but instead live with a ‘Host Family.’ They move in with a local family while they play for the team. Each player, often more than one per host family, has a home away from home. The host family program gives the young players a stable environment in which they have the security of surrogate parents, eat well, get proper rest and share in household duties. I can picture a host Mom watching over a professional baseball player, seeing the needs of the young man, not the player. One can only imagine the lifetime bonds that develop among the players and their host families with whom they share their successes and more importantly the times when they do not succeed.
The Ogden Raptors do not play in a small town as I remember a small town. The Liverpool Larrupers did play in a small town of about 2,500 people in Nova Scotia, Canada in the 1950’s, a time when young players, mostly from New England, lived with host families. Ogden, with a population of around 83,000, is more of a small city than a small town, yet team management and the people of Ogden have managed to maintain that small town baseball atmosphere that I remember so well. Dave Baggott, twenty-seven years as president and general manager of the team, seems to have a different philosophy regarding the fans that support the team. It isn’t ‘how can I get you into the stadium,’ but rather ‘what can I do for you once you have paid your $9.00 general admission and entered the stadium?’
This is how baseball is supposed to be or how it was in Ogden. The Raptors are an integral part of Ogden and Dave Baggott intends to keep it that way. MLB announced last November that part of a plan to streamline minor league baseball included eliminating 42 minor league teams. The plan would eliminate the rookie level Pioneer League in which the Raptors play.
This brings us back to Dave Baggott who instantly spoke out against the plan.
Baggott said in December 2019 that the idea of increased costs and poor facilities is a “made-up excuse” and said “they would rather disconnect grassroots baseball from millions of Major League Baseball fans so they can save approximately $600,000 per team.”
A congressional bipartisan committee was set up December to go to bat for minor league ball.
Reps. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., David McKinley, R-W.Va., Max Rose, D-N.Y., and Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, announced the formation of the Save Minor League Baseball Task Force, saying they will advocate for communities that stand to be most harmed by the proposal. The lawmakers said they would monitor ongoing negotiations between major and minor league baseball as well as discuss potential legislation if and when it becomes necessary.
Raptors President Dave Baggott was among Minor League Baseball officials and team owners who talked strategy with the task force in Washington. Baggott said in places like Montana and Utah, local minor league teams are fans’ only connection to major league baseball.
“To cut that off at the knees and immediately alienate millions of baseball fans around the country, just doesn’t make any sense to me,” he said. “I just don’t think baseball’s that stupid.”
Baggott said negotiations between major league and minor league officials are still in early stages and nothing has been finalized and might not be for some time. He said he fully intends to have baseball in Ogden next year and beyond.
https://www.standard.net/sports/ogden-raptors/ogden-raptors-team-president-punches-back-against-insanity-of-minor-league-contraction-proposal/article_7aef1eb5-efed-55f1-915a-cdbb923f48a9.html
“We just finished our 26th year in Ogden and I want to have another 26, but I want there to be value in our franchise,” he said. “I want our public, our fan base to confidently know that we intend on going nowhere.”
If the “insanity” plays out as proposed, Baggott said that, aside from lawsuits filed by all 42 teams and their municipalities, the Raptors will play professional baseball at Lindquist Field in 2021 and beyond, whether as an independent team or “affiliated like we all want.”
The Raptors said in a Facebook post:
“We all know MiLB is affordable baseball that allows everyone, not just folks in big cities, to experience everything weird and/or wonderful about this great sport.”
That’s the way it should be.
I have never been to Ogden, but have heard how really cool it is. I too think there will be baseball in Ogden… but maybe not the way it was. Yesterday, I had about an hour and a half drive back from Nashville, Indiana, which is a beautiful, scenic path. I was listening to MLB.Radio and Jim Duquette and his sidekick were discussing MiLB contraction and Ogden came up.
Duquette said he felt very bad for many of the players and some of the teams, but went on to say “Why did this take so long?” MLB is a business and his point was that at least half of the players have zero chance of playing in MLB, so why should MLB waste money on them and why should they not do something with their life that is rooted in reality (his words, not mine).
He said that MLB pays for everything: bats, balls, transportation, meals, uniforms, etc. and gets nothing back except to use that team to grow their players. He said that there has to be a better way. He said that with analytics and many other things, that player development is now much more efficient and all of these teams are unnecessary. “I feel bad for the people affected by this, but it makes no sense to continue on the same path.”
He says the plan is for each team to own their own farm teams – this will prove to be very interesting because I know that teams like Indianapolis have been family-owned by the same family since 1957. I am sure MLB will have to pay a premium. On the other hand, what are their options? Start an independent league? I do thank that will happen, but to what degree?
Duquette says that MLB wants to improve the training facilities and stadiums and pay the payers they keep at a much higher rate. I can see both sides of this debate, but can MiLB survive if they have to buy all their bats, balls, uniforms, transportation, etc. without raising ticket prices dramatically? This is going to prove to be very interesting!
Great blog, Harold!
“There has to be a better way”
I hear that a lot these days.
Baseball will hopefully be made available through independent leagues. They won’t necessarily be professional, but they can be sponsored by local businesses. As I have mentioned, I was able to play in an Over 30 MABL until I was 56. It was competitive, played on excellent fields and it didn’t cost me anything. Sutter Home Winery sponsored us with great uniforms and basic equipment. That will hopefully continue as will youth leagues. As for the pros, 3 development teams are probably plenty and they can afford it. Like most businesses the bulk of the money is at the top. There is no reason MLB cannot help pay a living wage to minor league players. Independent leagues will remain as they are and have always been. And they will be scouted. Young players can play in college as well and maybe, just maybe, more should consider an education at the same time they hone their ball skills.
This will work out exactly as it must. Will it do so with a consciousness for ALL involved? In today’s America I doubt it. But, you never know.
Thank you DC for bringing to light the plight of Minor League Baseball. I have never visited Lindquist Field in Ogden but visited the city many times when I lived in Utah. The minor league field in Salt Lake City had the same majestic views of the mountains. Although the SLC team was situated in a large city, it still had the feeling of a small town atmosphere in regards to their fans and the support they gave.
Dave Baggott was so right when he said in places like Montana and Utah, minor league teams are fans’ only connection to Major League Baseball. Sometimes they are the only connection to any professional sports outlet.
Let us hope the members of Save Minor League Baseball are successful in helping minor baseball and the Ogden Raptors will play next year and many years to come.
I understand the other side of the argument as MLB is a business and as with any business it’s object is to make money. That is, as much as possible for the stakeholders. With MLB teams willing to pay their players millions of dollars per season I just don’t see that $600,000 savings per team is very significant. There is more to it than that. Maybe they are following the Houston model of limiting minor league teams. But, let’s be honest with the motive and don’t try to convince me that you must save $600,000 so you can pay minor league players a decent wage.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/do-we-even-need-minor-league-baseball/
I am without doubt totally one-sided in my view that sees MiLB as the lifeblood for MLB. Take away minor league ball and what will happen? That will not happen but just highlights the significance of the minor leagues. Players don’t come out of college and go straight to the pro ranks as they do in basketball and football.
The minor leagues are also the grounds for young fans to become baseball fans with a family venue, affordable prices, entertainment for young people. If MLB is less interested in fostering a new generation of baseball fans than saving $600,000 so be it, I guess.
Not sure about the ecosystem of the Minor Leagues and what the future holds. Thank you for that effort.
What I am sure of is I want the Dodgers to slow down the Padre March today. What a great barometer to where we stand. We got to see the bullpen yesterday, Kershaw today. Hope Clayton had his Wheaties this morning.
Shout out to Chris Taylor and Will Smith. They continue to show up and contribute. If we can win THIS series it will be huge. If we have a set back, it gives the brain trust a chance to tweak things. With Baseball, Football, Basketball (and Hockey) all going on at the same time, it’s a mid-Covid dream life for spectators. Tonight, I’m all in on the Dodgers. Beat the Madres!
Finally, a BIG series to test us! 3 games in San Diego vs the hot Padres. Granted, we won’t face Cleavinger, but let’s go take 2 of 3 and show them who’s boss in the NL.
Also interesting how, if playoffs started today, we’d have to face SF and then SD in the first 2 rounds. This next 6 weeks is going to be a wild ride, kids!
That depends. We have to win first and so do the Pads. And they would face who? The 5 team? Right now that would be the Phillies. Who have a pretty decent offense, and some pretty good pitching. And in a 3 game set, anything could happen.
Great article Harold. Of course I saw the LA Angels, and the Hollywood Stars when I was a kid. But LA has never had a small town feel. When I was in the Army, and stationed in El Paso, we went to the AA games there. But again, El Paso feels nothing like a small town. The first real experience I had like that, and so far the only one, was when I laid over on a run in Fredericksburg Maryland. I had nothing to do on a Sunday, and the Fredericksburg ball park was right across the street from the truck stop. Fredericksburg at that time was an Oriole farm team. High A ball. The park itself was very nice, and very affordable. I got a box seat for 7 dollars. The food was not over priced, and it was pretty good. They were playing a Pirate farm team. About the only names I recognized were a couple of the coaches who had big league time. I think contraction will come. But most of it in the form of the rookie leagues. The AZL will continue, but the Dodgers will probably field one team instead of two. And since there is so much talk of reducing the amount of players selected in the draft, not sure the need would be there anyway. It is a little weird to talk about reduction of the minors. I do not remember those days, but at one time, The Cardinals had 22 teams and 800 players. Baseball needs small town America to be part of it’s baseball family. And they had an event that was postponed by Covid that proved that point. There was supposed to be a game at the Field of Dreams between the Yankees and the White Sox I think. They had even erected some 5,000 portable bleachers for the game. And Iowa City is definitely small town America.
The Dodgers and Padres are in a dead heat in runs scored. The Padres are 6 runs ahead but have one more game played and the Dodgers average about 6 runs a game.
The Dodgers still are the class of MLB in pitching with a 2.97 ERA. The Indians are second at 3.24 and the closest NL team is St. Louis at 3.80.
The Dodgers bullpen is 2nd to the A’s with a 2.71 ERA. The Braves are next at .5 runs more a game. The Dodgers are 5th in Bullpen innings.
Among starters, the Dodgers are 2nd in MLB to the Indians in Starter ERA (3.22 to 3.09).
Now, they have to execute!
A couple of things about last nights game. A-Roid does talk too much. He seems to not have any humility, and he is probably POed that MLB did not take his bid for the Mets. But his eval of Bellinger’s stance and swing was spot on. I noticed quite a while ago that Belli has been stepping in the bucket a lot. And he does look off balance when he swings. Congrats to Albert Pujols who hit # 660 last night. Tying Mays for the 5th spot. His next target is 36 homers away…..A-Roid. Gonzalez is the new Vulture. He swooped in and got the win last night. His 3rd. Which means he has more wins than Gonsolin, May and Buehler combined. The bullpen as a whole did a great job, and the solo shot Springer hit off of Floro was a non factor. The Bazooka is a real weapon! And ya gotta love the kids exuberance. I thought for a few he was going to throw an immaculate inning. But 3 K’s I ‘ll take that anyday. Kenley actually had a clean inning. With a 7 run lead and no pressure, he just attacked the hitters. Lamet, and Davies the Pads starters for game 1 & 2. No starters listed for the Dodgers, but Roberts said May will start one of the games. Max Muncy should never hit 4th again this year. He now has 50 strikeouts. His OBP is way down, and his slugging pct is at .333. Also he should not play 3rd ever again. Turner will most likely be activated Tuesday. I know Mark loves the numbers, but the Mets have the best team BA at .278. And MLB rates offenses by OPS, not BA, runs scored or anything else, and by that standard, the Braves are # 1 with an OPS of .834. The Dodgers are at .814. Padres come in at .827. The Dodgers have the largest run differential at +103, SD is second with a +78. The Dodgers bludgeon the opponents. But, they are not very good in close games. In one run games they are 5-5. They might be the quote ” Best team in the league” And they lead the league in many categories, but they had better start playing like one really quick or they could be in second place by Thursday morning.
Great article Harold. If minor league teams are contracted, MLB should be able to pay the players on the minor league teams that still remain a living wage. For the guys who would normally have been playing ball and who won’t have those teams any longer, maybe independent league expansion will be the answer.
2020 has been a crazy year, but at least we have baseball.
Just came across this stat comparison for this year:
MVP Cody Bellinger 174 ab 10 HR 22 RBI .218 bat avg .295 OBP .420 slug $11.5M sal
Joc Pederson 103 ab 6 HR 12 RBI .184 bat avg .282 OBP .398 slug $7.75M sal
Fat, Washed Up Matt Kemp 103ab 6 HR 21 RBI .252 bat avg .325 OBP .456 slug $ 1.0 M sal
Yeah, Matt is doing well in the mile high. His team is not. He has gained some weight hasn’t he?
Joc looks quite satisfied to have a few million in the bank (salaries to date $16.9 million) a lovely wife, 2 kids and a dog. Baseball doesn’t look like it interests much these days.
ARod contradicted himself a bit regarding Cody. He first said in this short bizarre season it would be difficult to correct all that is wrong with Cody’s swing but then he said he’s too good not to turn it around. Which is it? Who knows, but against better pitching I wouldn’t count on it. He also hinted that Muncy won’t get together in two weeks. Until further notice those two are in the bottom of my order. Betts, Seager, Turner, Smith, Pollock, Taylor, not necessarily in that exact order, then Bellinger and Muncy. If they get it together Bellinger, Muncy, Betts, Seager, Turner in the late innings could produce a couple of runs.
Kershaw tonight, biggest series of the season, no excuses. Let’s see what happens.
Haven’t seen him posted yet, at least not on the Dodgers web page, but winning tonight is essential. Then the lead is back to 3 1/2 and you are guaranteed to be in first when you leave town and head to Denver for the final four road games of the year. A’s then Angels next week at home. A’s are without Chapman the rest of the year, but yesterday they signed Jake Lamb.
Badger. The F35’s never came to Boise. They were a finalist, but another air base was given the contract. We have the Warthogs. They fly over the city, but very quietly, until they get away from the city.
Gotta love the Warthog. Awesome aircraft. When I was in basic in El Paso, we were right across the street from Biggs airbase. It was a SAC base, so they had B-52’s taking off all of the time. Did not get much sleep when those baby’s took off.
That’s good to know Al. Those F35s are screamers and I read there were a lot of people not happy with the prospect. A good friend of my wife moved just north of Eagle, on a hillside there. She loves it.
This is the high point of the season. I suggest Roberts do this:
Nothing would break their spirit like a good, old-fashioned beat-down!
If you told me the numbers of Belly, Muncy, Joc and Lux In mid September before this season began who would have thought we’d have the record we have! Wow! Still don’t have a lot of confidence heading into the post season tho!
I still believe we are the best team. Look what we’ve done without Price, several starters off and on the IL, and Bellinger, Joc, Muncy and Lux sucking a begonia. Weird year. I believe we will remain favorites, even if San Diego catches us.
I hope you’re right, Badger. In a long series, with everyone healthy, I agree with you. In a short series, anything can happen. I hope that our pitching predominates, but these teams are both very good, and little things may tip the balance one way or the other.
Max Muncy is the one that concerns me the most, when he was in Oakland he was not good and then he came to the Dodgers and for two years he was quite good, but now he is performing very similarly, in general, to when he was in Oakland.
My question is which is the real Muncy, the one in Oakland or the one in Los Angeles?
When Mad Mac was it the A’s, he had 5 HR in 245 PA’s and had a .290 OB%.
In 210 PA’s he has 10 HR and a .333 OB%.
He is what he is and I think he will be just fine.
Cody and Max have 2 weeks to figure it out. Joc may do it too… but I have less hope for him.
Muncy concerns me the most because he seems to have lost all confidence. Joc hit the ball hard a couple of times last night and had a nice gapper on Saturday night. He may just be distracted from the trade stuff, a pregnant wife, and now a new born. I think he will focus come postseason.
Mark, I hope you’re right, I’m worried about Muncy
After this pitiful performance tonight, we all should be.
But can we beat the AL champion and win a WS. The AL is much stronger than the NL this year.
You do not know that until you play them. The White Sox are a dangerous team, as are the Rays. Yanks have loads of injuries, and their starting staff is in a worse state than ours. Cleveland still has decent pitching, but their offense is flat and they have lost quite a few in a row. I will feel better about the Dodgers if they win say 8 of their last 13. Starting with a win tonight, and then at least taking the series from the Pads. Losing 2 is not an option. They can handle the Angels and the Rockies who make up 7 of the last 13. But the A’s and the Pads are going to play them tough.
I don’t agree – I think both leagues are pretty evenly matched, but if you combine Runs versus Runs Allowed, the Dodgers and SD and #1 and #2 in all of baseball.
It makes me very funny to read that everyone is very concerned about the series against San Diego, they are the ones in second place, they are the ones who made a lot of changes, they are the ones who try to reach first place, they are the ones who want to to win, they are the ones with the pressure …. They are very lucky so far. Also I do not understand why many consider the stupid clown Tatis as the future MVP of this year….
If the admiration for SD is so great, then off this blog, this is for the LA Dodgers…I just hope Jensen doesn’t come in to pitch!
Jorge, that was uncalled for. The Padres may be in second place, but they have no pressure on them at all. They were not expected to be this good. The Dodgers are carrying a lot more expectations. And simply put, Muncy, Bellinger, and Joc are under performing, Jansen has been hit hard, and all of the load is on the bullpen. Kersh has been the only consistent starter. To say the pressure is on the Padres is really not true. Luck has nothing to do with the way they have performed. They may not have as much depth as the Dodgers have, but they lost their starting first baseman and have not skipped a beat. I honestly think you are mistaking RESPECT for admiration. And it is for Jeff to decide if someone should be off of this blog, not you, and certainly not using that kind of language. Chill dude.
And his name is Jansen. He’s like the Dodger with the most seniority on the team.
That would be Kershaw. He has been a Dodger for 13 years, Jansen for 11. Next is believe it or not, Turner and Baez with 7 years each.
The swear word has been eliminated. I understand tensions get heated at this juncture of the season. but I think everyone can make their point without swearing.
I feel the same. I just wanted to say that was off base and did not need to be said that way.
Just doing the Math it doesn’t seem like many people want to go to the games. Average attendance 3,951, but $5,000,000 in tickets given away? Seems like there must be lots of free tickets that are never used.
That was upwards of 1,000,000 tickets given out over 16 years, starting in 1997, which if averaged comes out to 62,500 a year. The $5,000,000 is at $5.00 a ticket.
During the 2019 season the Raptors overall attendance was 146,301. Even back in 2013 when the comments were made the Raptors overall attendance was 124,687. It seems the promotion might have worked quite well.
Good article and good comments today. Here’s my take:
1 – On minor league ball, the minors exist for one reason – to get talent to the majors. I enjoy going to minor league games too (in Sacramento, the AAA River Cats), but MLB has no responsibility to continue any minor league franchise. It’s totally wrong to require a business to operate a franchise in a given location because it has operated there in the past. I question how this will hurt MLB in the long run but don’t believe that any one has the right to require MLB to keep operating a minor league franchise anywhere.
2 – ARod is spot on with Bellinger. He is too close to the plate causing him to pull off of the ball, open his right hip, swing off balance and on his heels, slowing his bat speed and reducing his ability to make contact. It’s a minor miracle that he has done as well has he has. If ARod has figured it out (and several others who have posted here) then surely the Dodgers’ coaching staff has also, which raises questions in my mind as to Bellinger’s coachability. If this isn’t fixed by the post-season then Belli will have yet another ugly playoff performance.
3 – While the Dodgers have a very good record, they still have several glaring problems:
a – Problems hitting LHP – (.722 OPS against vs .847 against RHP)
b – Innings pitched per game started – 4.7. They will expose the bullpen and lose games that they should win. Buehler didn’t show up ready to pitch and Roberts has babied the young starters all year long.
c – The black hole that is 2B.
d – Surprisingly, given the team’s advantage against RHP, the inability of the LH power hitters (Bellinger, Muncy Pederson) to hit their weight.
This looks like the year that the Dodgers can finally win it all – but I’m concerned that they don’t seem to be addressing the obvious problems that need to be addressed so that they can do it.
Fun article about Don Drysdale’s exploits with a bat in 1958 – 7 HRs hit in 24 AB!
https://www.sbnation.com/secret-base/21222742/don-drysdale-los-angeles-dodgers-home-runs
he had and even better year at the dish in 1965. 7 homers, 19 RBI’s .300 BA .331 OBP, .508 slg pct, and a OPS of .839. In 58 he hit .227, his OBP was .261. His Slugging and OPS were higher. probably because he only had 66 at bats. In 1965 he had 130. Big D did not walk much.
Nice comfortable win last night
* Good for KJ getting right back on the horse and having a clean inning. I haven’t changed my thoughts on his role in the future but I admire his fortitude. I certainly don’t want him to fail.
* A-Rod – I can’t stand the guy but he was spot on his analysis of Belli’s swing woes. Badger, Bear, me and others have all pointed out the same things: head movement causing pulling off pitches, severe bucket foot, poor balance and standing on the plate. All of this causes timing issues and lack of consistency. For starters, bend your knees into an athletic position and Get OFF the plate.
* I haven’t talked at all about next year. I’m concerned about now. But I will say that if the DH stays, and I think it will, I would like to see a permanent DH weapon in that role and not just a player who isn’t on defense that day. An Edgar Martinez type. That might be JT. A right hand bat with power as DH would help. The last 2 games had Joc and Lux in the 8 or 9 holes and they were 0 for 8. A total waste of a spot that should be a weapon.
* Cool article on Joe Davis today in the Athletic. Joe pulled off an unusual double header Saturday calling a college football game from the Fox studio followed by the Dodger game with Smoltz.
* DBMom mentioned Smith Field in SLC as another park like Lindquist Field with a great view of the Wasatch Mountains. Salt Lake has had baseball at that spot where Smith Field is since 1915. It was Derk’s Field forever until the rebuild. U of Utah plays there along with the Bees. Besides Lindquist Field in Ogden, BYU has a baseball complex just up the street in Provo. Utah Valley U has a great park close by in Orem that they share with the Orem Owlz in the Pioneer League. Lots of quality baseball and facilities all close by.
* Absolutely great article and pictures today Harold. Terrific work. You touched a hot spot with me on the contrition of 42 minor league teams. Your comments about the importance of affordable, family-friendly baseball for the grass roots baseball fan is spot on. The spin that MLB can’t afford to increase minor league salaries and afford the $600,000 to support the 42 teams is bullshit. Manny Machado makes $51,000 every at bat. 12 at bats would support the 42 teams on the block. Manfred, the puppet for the owners , is bound and determined to make this happen which has been made easier by the pandemic.
* Mark mentioned listening to Duquette on the radio where he said that MLB pays for everything: bats, balls, transportation, meals, uniforms, etc and gets nothing back except to grow their players.
I don’t believe that’s true:
MiLB teams pay for a portion for bats and balls. MiLB pays for transportation (air and ground) for MLB employed players and staff. MiLB pays for batting cages, batting practice equipment and maintains the ballparks to MLB standards. MiLB pays all the uniform costs and frequently picks up the tab for housing and cars for the coaches and support personnel.
As part of the current agreement MiLB annually incurs expenses in excess of $60 million in cash, goods and services tied to players, coaches and staff
In addition, over $20 million a year is paid by MiLB to the Commissioner’s Office in a “ticket tax” to pay nearly 50% of player salaries below AA levels.
* many have mentioned a “Dream League”. Basically, independent teams and leagues not supported by MLB financially, just verbally. When looking a sustainability of independent baseball, a 20:year look (1999-2019) at independent baseball’s 5 largest leagues shows that just over a 100 teams participated and just 11 that started in 99 still exist in 2019. Local communities and local owners can’t make it without MLB financial help.
Again, great stuff Harold. Thanks for the post.
Phil, nice stuff. Yes, went to Smith’s field often. It was a beautiful and clean ballpark and easy to get to, not downtown, so parking was good. Lived 4 blocks from the U of U. Used to hear concerts in my back yard. Also, think Raley’s field is a very nice ballpark. And if my memory serves me well, which is not as often as I would like, I thought that the players had to pay for hotels, transportation to and from the Dodgers big club etc., and given not a lot of money to eat on.
By the way DBM, when they started the more elaborate pre and post game spreads in an MLB clubhouse, they reduced the meal money from $100 per day to $25.00 a day, across the board even in MiLB. (When they’re playing). You have to tip out the clubhouse guy out of this as well. Not a problem at MLB minimum of half a million a year. Tougher on minor league money for 5 months.
In 2019, Cody Bellinger was the NL MVP. Watch this video and tell me that his swing is much different and see where he is standing:
It’s always easy to figure out other people’s problems. If A-Rod saw where he set up last year, he would have told him to move. A-Rod is a blow hard!
If you keep doing what you’ve been doing…..
The point is it ain’t working. All anyone is suggesting is for him to back up. If he did he could step forward TOWARD THE PITCH and have a much better chance of getting barrel to ball. ARod may indeed be a blowhard but he’s spot on with this.
Not the same swing at all. He is falling backward, swinging from his heels, unbalanced now. Not last year. Different swing.
I actually see a lot less head drop last year and a shorter stride. He’s taller at the plate. I watched his head drop a foot last night and much worst balance than last year. Way more spinning off the ball. That video shows him hammering pitches that he is missing now, especially pitches at the top of the zone. So if we are all wrong about this, why don’t you tell me what’s different and why he’s missing pitches he smoked before. Bad luck? Small sample size at 48 games?
This has nothing to do with anything, but it popped up on my YouTube Feed today and I felt compelled to share it:
Today vs Lamet:
Mookie
Seager (DH)
Joc (LF)
Muncy (1b)
CT3 (ss)
Belli (CF)
Rios (3b)
Lux (2b)
Barnes
Kersh
Just saw that lineup. Why in the hell is Muncy still hitting cleanup> ???? Doc is NUTS.
Joc hitting 3 is even funnier to me.
In his pre-game presser, when asked why Joc was batting third, he advised about Joc’s prior experience against Lamet…3 for 7, 1 double, and 2 HRs, 1 walk, and 1 K. In addition, in the #3 slot, Joc figures to get more ABs, and if the Padres bring in a LHRP, Doc can PH Pollock or Kike’ in that spot. With regard to Muncy, he simply says he has all the confidence in the world in him.
Excuse me, but what has Muncy done in the last 10 days to give Doc confidence? Between him and Belli, they have driven in one run this month. I would rather see anyone but Muncy hitting 4th. Barnes would be a better choice…better yet, CT 3.
I am just the messenger. I am not defending it.
I sure do not know who is writing these lineups. Really strange. Oh well, guess they know more than I.
Well Joc and Max, today’s a great day to start waking up!
We need you in October
Joc, Muncy,…. Taylor……Bellinger, Rios, Lux, Barnes. I don’t know about this. Sure hope I’m wrong.
Don’t shoot the messenger, Bear. Thanks for Doc’s explanation, AC.
Doesn’t Doc want to win an 8th straight division title? He must know something I don’t, batting Joc, Muncy, Bellinger 3,4,6. Add to that Barnes and Lux starting. And no Smith arguably our hottest hitter right now, not even for DH. No Pollock either.
No offense to any of those guys. Barnes is a fine back up catcher, Lux just might not be ready yet, we know what Joc, Muncy, Bellinger are capable of. But these 3 games against the Padres are the most important games when it comes to winning an 8th straight division title.
I hope I am wrong and Doc is right because I want the division title streak to keep going.
I hope you’re wrong as well, but I agree with your assessment.
Either way, Kersh has to be big today, especially with the bullpen game yesterday
And Doc gets to reinvent the wheel every day. Don’t play your hot guys. 48 different line ups in 48 games, and counting.
If Kershaw is pitching, he prefers Barnes. He gave in and had Smith last time. And he got lit up in Az. So, Barnes is back in there. Kersh’s wants trump anything else.
Also in his pre-game presser, Doc did say that he did want to give Smith time behind the dish with Kershaw for experience with Kersh if needed. But for the foreseeable future, when Kershaw is pitching, Barnes will be catching.
Oy vey
I love bellinger but I cannot hardly watch him bat at this point. He is way over swinging. He will end up with back problems if he continues this out of control off balance swing. He reminds me of a pitcher who gets men on base and try’s to throw a 105. Calm down get a base hit. This is so obvious surely the decision makers can see.
Cohen agrees to buy the Mets. Waiting on approval by the other owners. Sandoval signs with the Braves, Hoskins to 10 day IL
Dodgers batting lineup vs Dinelson Lamet:
Joc – 3-7, 1 double, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 K – .429/.556/1.429/1.984
CT3 – 2-6, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 4 K – .333/.429/.833/1.262
Max – 1-6, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 3 K – .167/.375/.667/1.042
Corey – 2-7, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 K – .286/.375/.429/.804
Betts – 1-3, 0 walk, 1 K – .333/.333/.333/.667
Cody – 3-13, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 5 K – .231/.286/.231/.516
Edwin Rios – 0-1- .000/.500/.000/.500
Gavin Lux – 0-2 – 2 K, .000/.000/.000/.000
Austin Barnes – 0-2, 1 K – .000/.000/.000/.000
Team vs. Lamet – .255/.364/.553/.917
Padres batting lineup vs Clayton Kershaw:
Tatis, Jr – 3-5, 2 walks – .600/.714/.600/1.314
Machado – 5-15, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, 2 K – .333/.333/.733/1.067
Austin Nola – 1-3 – .333/.333/.333/.667
Wil Myers – 4-37, 1 RBI, 2 walks, 13 K – .108/.171/.108/.279
Team vs. Kershaw – .217/.273/.317/.589
Not tonight. Lamet owned them. Kersh sailing until the 7th. Doc pulls him with 1 out and 2 on, and the wheels come off of the buggy. Muncy two very bad plays at first. Late throw home, and then a throw into left field trying for a DP and the Pads score 5. To win this debacle they need a huge comeback against a much improved Padres pen. Doubt they have it in them. Lead will be down to 1 1/2 games. At least Turner comes back tomorrow,
“Kenley Jansen, who has pitched in back-to-back days, is unavailable tonight. He might be the only high-leverage reliever down.” from ESPN.
Me says, Praise Jesus!
if the lineup is set by a computer. So why a manager? …. I hope I’m wrong and the Dodgers tonight hit well, But baseball is mental and it helps a lot with confidence and Polock and Smith. Even Hernandez are in a better time than Joc, Lux and Muncy. Let’s go blue’s
Two fist ks for Joc and Muncy
First two innings kinda went as expected.
I got a question for anybody who can answer it. When a guy gets on base the pitcher looks at either the second baseman third baseman or shortstop and points to that guy. What is that about?
If I understand the question, runner on first? For the middle guys it’s who’s got the bag on a come-backer. Not sure I see pointing at the thirdbaseman routinely. With runner on 2nd it would be who’s coving what side on a bunt.
He agrees to who will throw the ball to him if he receives it. for double play
Ok thanks guys.
Dodger bats look pathetic. Luckily, CK is pitching well. How long will he be able to go tonight? Would love to see him get a complete game and give the BP a rest. Will Doc be able to handle such a radical thought?
Uh-oh. Here we go. CK gives up an HR!
Grisham. Where’s Joe Kelly when we need him??
Now,, how in the he hell Dodgers will get a run?
I would keep CK
Unbelievable! Doc pulls CK. Even the San Diego announcers seemed surprised by this. Doc is heartless.
Dodgers 3 for 23 with 11 k’s after 7. So far this lineup is performing as expected.
I certainly don’t expect them to perform like this, but I do expect Doc to perform as advertised! Our best pitcher he pulls out of a game that’s tied and has 9K’s. Muncy mistake cost another run.
Of course, you will second-guess, Mr. Second-Guesser, Sir!
You are so predictable!
I would have left him in Mark. But that is me. And it has nothing to do with second guessing. He still had good stuff. The second hit went to where a 2nd baseman would normally be playing. That is why I hate the shift. And in the late innings, I would not use it. Pederson was playing way too far off of the line with a RH batter up, and that is also dictated by some computer readout that says tendency’s . Protect against the ball down the line. If he was playing 20 feet closer to the line, that pop fly would have been the second out.
Max Muncy got paid before this year in what looked like a bargain.
Maybe it’s not a bargain
Muncy@###@@
Total lack of execution!
Can Doc take himself out of the game?
Looks like a playoff game. Bats don’t score for Kershaw, he leaves with runners on base and Baez lets them all score after Doc makes a terrible decision. Seen this before.
I was thinking the exact same thing.
This team has been Muncy’d.
And Kershaw got out pitched.
Is it worth staying up for two more at bats? Yeah. I guess so.
Kershaw did not get out pitched. He got let down by his manager, his relievers and his defense.
Clayton pitched great tonight. Gave up one homer after ump squeezed him on strike one.
Gave up ground ball hits against shift that defense could not convert and then coach Roberts puts in Báez who continues his habit of allowing Kershaw inherited runs to score. Kershaw pitched as well tonight as he has in the last 3 years. Love his competitiveness and his talent. Great job Clayton!
The padres are better than the dodgers right now. The padres management chose to try to win this year at all costs and added 9 MLB players while the dodgers traded a MLB starter and added nobody at the trade deadline. The padres added an ace pitcher, a closer, two starting catchers, 3 other relievers and utility players. The dodgers still have the talent to win this year, but it will be much tougher to beat the Padres due to the trade deadline activity. And the Dodgers have many holes in their lineup with Bellinger, Joc, Muncy, Lux all hitting near or below 200. With the playoff setup this year, any team can win, so maybe the dodgers can get hot at the right time. But right now it looks like the Padres have the Talent, swagger, and front office approach to beat the dodgers this year.
Whatever happens… it’s all on Doc!
Players don’t have to execute.
Only Doc does!
Stupid S___t!
Yes, your comments are just that.
It spews out of your mouth with precision.
Of course, we will never know, but if Kershaw had given up a 3-Run HR, the same fans would have eviscerated Doc. This is why I thoroughly despise second-guessers.
Battling for first place and pull your best pitcher after an infield hit and a shift beater for Pedro Freekin Baez. One whole game off the IL.
This is all on the players, not on the manager.
Get a clue!
Doc is your primary 2nd guesser. How do you remove a pitcher like CK with 9K’s, 1 HR, and still pitching very well? This is the primary reason they are losing this game. Make no mistake. Yes, Baez should have been better, but he is not really in top form this season while CK is. Doc is the guarantee that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Just a bad luck charm.
Vaunted Dodger BP, vaunted Dodger offense blah blah blah. Muncy got paid and looks like the Oakland A’s player that was cut. Bellinger looks like a shell of his former self, Lux is not ready, Will Smith sits, but hey we have Mookie to save us.
Love the Dodgers, but they are on the verge of losing the division to a very hungry team who just may want it more. Standing pat at the deadline believing the press clippings that we had the best team in baseball might have created a complacent feeling, while Preller sent a strong and resounding message to his team…….we’re in it to win it…eff you Dodgers!
In a very weird way I’m almost tired of watching baseball. No fans, no excitement….maybe just Covid exhausted. Is it 2021 yet?
Doc went with the relievers that I would’ve went with (McGee also). So to me that was not Doc’s fault. And you know me I’m not a fan of Doc. The only questionable thing is taking out Kershaw.
Kershaw a warrior. The ‘pen let him down tonight. The offense stinks. It mostly has for several weeks.
It’s easy to say that it’s on the players to execute, but it’s up to the manager to pull the right levers to put the players in the best possible position to do so. Baez just came off of the DL – he had only pitched 1 inning before bringing him into the highest possible leverage situation. I would say that Roberts didn’t put Baez in the best position for success under the circumstance.
This is the Dodger offense against playoff pitching! Ouch!
The next pitch Clayton threw would have been #100.
Roberts made a decision.
Baez did not pitch badly – he had no defense.
It’s not always someone fault!
Like the old Eagles song:
I turn on the tube and what do I see?
A whole lot of people crying, “Don’t blame me”
They point their crooked little fingers at everybody else
Spend all their time feeling sorry for themselves
Victim of this, victim of that
Your mamma’s too thin, your daddy’s too fat
[Chorus]
Get over it
Get over it
All this whining and crying and pitching a fit
Get over it, get over it
[Verse 2]
You say you haven’t been the same since you had your little crash
But you might feel better if I gave you some cash
The more I think about it, Old Billy was right
Let’s kill all the lawyers, kill them tonight
You don’t want to work, you want to live like a king
But the big, bad world doesn’t owe you a thing
[Chorus]
Get over it
Get over it
If you don’t wanna, you might as well quit
Get over it, get over it
[Bridge]
It’s like going to confession every time I hear you speak
You’re making the most of your losing streak
Some call it sick, but I call it weak
Yeah, yeah, yeah
[Verse 3]
Yeah, you drag it around like a ball and chain
You wallow in the guilt, you wallow in the pain
You wave it like a flag, you wear it like a crown
Got your mind in the gutter, bringing everybody down
You bitch about the present and blame it on the past
I’d like to find your inner child and kick its little ass
[Chorus]
Get over it
Get over it
All this bitching and moaning and pitching a fit
Get over it, get over it
[Chorus]
Get over it
Get over it
It’s gotta stop sometime, so why don’t you quit?
Get over it, get over it
Mark, you might not like it, but fans are entitled to complain when things go wrong. And yes, it is on the players to perform. But CK at 100 pitches is better than Baez just off of the IL. I have seen CK throw a lot more than that and still get hitters out. Of course, we will never know how he would have done, but he should have been given the opportunity to lose the game on his own. Not by the bullpen and defense not getting the job done, Their 6 game lead is down to 1 1/2. They are not playing like the best team in baseball, and the Padres are playing free and easy. And they have exactly 12 games to get their collective shit together. Or they might find themselves in 2nd place come the end of the year. That is the facts, not someones delusion or second guessing. I respect your opinion a lot. And sometimes you need to understand the frustration of some on here, and their reason for it. Doc is not the whole problem by a long shot. But he is far from perfect as a manager no matter how many games he has won.
100 pitches? Big deal. The moment Baez came in we all knew what was going to happen.
~
As long as Muncy and Bellinger continue to play like this the Padres are the better team. I’m sitting Muncy for Turner tomorrow. BTW, the Padres schedule is much easier than the Dodgers the rest of the way.
I find it amusing that your source of revealed wisdom is old rock or country songs written by guys who were probably high when they wrote them.
And what’s the big deal about 100 pitches? All of the great Dodger pitchers in the past routinely threw over 100 pitches.
No problem taking Kershaw out . Its the Defense that kills me.
Dodgers folding like a deck of cards. 4 players under the Mendoza started. This was an important game and will certainly be a statement game by SD who look like the best team in the West.
the Dodgers were the best team in baseball for the first 40 games of the season. Now they’re not. Same players, different results. Question is: which Dodger team will show up in the playoffs? Past post-season results doesn’t give me a lot of comfort. But hope springs eternal…
Hopefully a spark will be provided when Turner returns tomorrow.
Well at least that is over. Couple of things, Bellinger has moved back off of the plate a little. He was getting around better on the inside pitch. 14 K’s, 2 extra base hits, one a blooper. 1 very crucial error that allowed the game to get out of reach. Middle of the lineup had 10 of the 14 strikeouts. Rios and Pederson struck out 3 times apiece. I like Edwin’s power, but he has a huge K rate. They left double figure men on base again. And they have lost 5 of their last 10, and SD has ripped off 8 straight wins. Like they say, it is how you finish that counts. And SD at this point is playing better baseball. 12 left. Time to step on the gas. They get Turner back, but they need something positive out of Pederson, Muncy and Bellinger. Muncy had a hit and a walk, but also struck out twice. His continued lack of production is hurting this team, and it is really too late in the season to see what guys like Raley and McKinstry could bring to the table. Pederson, as Badger said, looks totally disengaged at this point. And other than his double last night against the Stros, he is not making solid contact. Two of the best hitters on the team spend the entire game on the bench. And Joe said something during the broadcast that struck a chord. If the Dodgers are so analytics driven, how could they not know that Lamet has worse stats against RH hitters? He has reverse splits. Righty’s hit him better than lefty’s. I know Pederson had good numbers against him coming in, but the way he has been hitting this year, you can throw all that stuff out of the window. Very disappointing game. They have to play better. And whether anyone believes it or not, the really need to win these next two games. And Davies has owned them.
Gonsolin tomorrow, and May on Wednesday.
A lot of things went wrong tonight, beginning with that bizarre lineup. Sounded like most of us had a problem with that. Pull Kershaw, leave him in, I don’t know. I doubt it would have mattered. We only scored 2 and we gave them 2 unearned. Play like that and you deserve to lose.
The team isn’t playing well. That’s obvious. The Padres are playing well. It’s quite possible they will continue to play well. They’re a good team.
The fact is we are not good defensively. Our pen looks like it’s suffering from overuse. I’m not saying I believe that, I’m just saying they look like it. It would appear we have one starter that can go 6+ so we are going to need that pen. Pederson, Bellinger and Muncy look like crap and I don’t know that won’t continue. Lux and Rios are looking like disappointments.
Put it all in the rear view and move on.
The team has a few series’ left to get it together. It starts tomorrow. Take the next 2 then go pound Colorado. Next at bat, next pitch.
When you baby all the starters the pen gets warn out. The Dodgers played bad all around but if you never stretch a guy out or just make the number 100 a mark you can’t go past the pen will eventually get beat especially when they’re facing the same four teams over and over. They baby Urias, May, and Gonsolin to no end and won’t let Kershaw go past 100 when he’s dealing.
~
I prefer Bellinger in CF, but Muncy’s D has just been awful. I honestly think his best position is 2nd base. A first baseman who can stretch at all gets an out on that infield single.
if the Dodgers do not win a title this year, it will not be because Roberts took Kershaw out, though I do not think that Roberts is very good game manager. It will be because the Dodgers did their usual thing at the trade deadline, which is nothing. Yes, occasionally they have done something, Machado being their big short-term pickup. But usually at the trade deadline, they do not want to pick up a contract longer than half a season, or to give up much in the way of minor league talent. So they essentially let the Padres pick up by far the best pitcher available, and also a reliever who was once one of the best, and is regaining form. So now it looks like the Padres are better, not just this year, but for the next few years. We will see, of course, but it seems like they will be. In some sense, Roberts is a red herring, as the real problem is an ownership which always stops short of making the late season deal which would solidify us not just for the playoffs, but for the next season, too.
Hill, Darvish, Machado, Watson were all acquired at the deadline. Mookie was acquired before the season started. If the Dodgers lose it will because of their disappearing bats. They need to hit to be able to overcome any gaffs Roberts will make.
I am with Badger, They need to put this one in the rear view mirror, and move on. But I also think that Roberts needs to just put the 8 best men on the field and forget the analytics. And that would not include Muncy and Joc. Muncy is just not one of the best on the team right now, and he has made critical errors both mental and physical that have cost the team runs, and eventually wins. 5-5 while SD is 9-1 is not going to get it done. I am all for calling McKinstry and maybe even Peters up and giving them a shot for a few days. A little youthful exuberance might be nice. I mean Lux does not look too excited at all.
My point is that no matter what Doc did it would have been wrong because that is the narrative many of you adopt. If Kershaw stayed in and gave up a 3-Run HR, I have no doubt that you would have said “Doc should have taken him out.” I have seen and heard it too many times. I know how they work. Yes, Bear – they can have their opinions, but I am just calling BS. It’s pure second-guessing because, in their opinion, Doc is the problem… and maybe he is, but using that way of thinking ALWAYS puts it on Doc… no matter what!