The Times, They are a-Changin’

Posted By on February 23, 2021

I am sad to say that it appears to me that Street & Smith’s Baseball Yearbook has ceased production. Since I was a kid, I have always bought Athlon Sports Baseball Preview, Lindy’s Sports Baseball Preview, and Street & Smith’s Baseball. It appears that Street & Smith’s has bit the dust and Athlon and Lindy’s can’t be far behind. Time marches on but the nostalgia seems to be waning.

Print media cannot compete with the speed and delivery of the internet. For the Record, Lindy’s picked the Braves and the Yankees in the World Series, while Athlon Sports picks the Dodgers and the Yankees in the World Series… with the Dodgers winning it all. Interestingly, both periodicals were released BEFORE the Dodgers signed Trevor Bauer and Justin Turner!

The Dodgers are (of course) the class of the National League and all of baseball, but the last I checked, they still have to play the games. No awards are given out before the season. Here is how some anonymous opposing scouts size up the Dodgers:

“Whatever you need, they have it – so when you go to trade with them, there’s nothing they need. That’s why they don’t make bad deals, because they’re never desperate and, at worst, can just collect more prospects to keep the pipeline going.”

Hopefully, Gavin Lux becomes what most of you and others in baseball think he can become. But, if he doesn’t, the Dodgers have CT3 this year and Mike Busch, Jacob Amaya, Zach McKinstry, Max Muncy… and even Mookie Betts who can play there.

If Diego Cartaya shows he is on a fast track, then Keibert Ruiz could be a trade chip and if he starts out well, he could be one hell of a trade chip! My point is that the Dodgers have so many options that even if players go down to injury, they will lose very little. Now, I am not saying they should trade Ruiz, but the options are incredible.

2021 is likely CT3’s last season as a Dodger, but there are replacements on the horizon… namely Jacob Amaya, Zach McKinstry, Devin Mann, and Sheldon Neuse. Andrew Friedman fully understands that “role players” can’t be overpaid.

The Dodgers’ outfield is not as deep, but there are options. Remember, that progress is not linear. We have DJ Peters, Beaty, Reks, and Raley – the last three are pretty close to the same player. It’s not unbelievable that one of those players could be an integral part of the team in 2021. The Dodgers do not need that to happen, however.

Barring trades, Hoese, Busch, Lux, Ruiz, and Neuse could all see action at one time or another this season. Then, there is the matter of injury – even devastating injury! It hasn’t happened for a while, but the Dodgers are more prepared for it than most other teams… maybe ANY OTHER TEAM!

Dodger News

  • MLB.com released their first Power Rankings of the 2021 season and the Dodgers were #1, followed by the Padres at #2. Here’s what they wrote:

This isn’t difficult — when a team has too many aces among its crowded field of starting pitchers and the biggest conundrum entering Spring Training is which potential All-Stars will get pushed to the bullpen … well, you get the drift.

The Dodgers were already the perceived best team in baseball, then they added reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer. So while we’re drooling over the notion of watching the Dodgers and Padres claw each other for the top spot in the NL West — and we fully expect that to happen — for now, Los Angeles gets deference as No. 1 in our Power Rankings.

Fun fact: the Dodgers’ record over last year’s 60-game season translates to 116 wins over a full campaign, which would have tied the 2001 Mariners and 1906 Cubs for the most in baseball history.

  • I tried and failed to get any Spring Training Tickets – they must have been swooped up early on Saturday!
  • Cassidy said that I might be the only one to be able to afford a $8,640.00 Opening Day Ticket. I am not that kind of guy, but I am the kind of guy who would rent a suite. In fact, I already checked and got a reply back yesterday from the Dodgers. Here’s part of it:

Hi Mark,

Thank you for reaching out with interest in our Bank of America Suites at Dodger Stadium!

We are just about to finalize our suite pricing and availability for the 2021 season on an individual game basis — still much to be determined in terms of pricing, fan capacity limitations, etc. but we expect to have more information in the next 1-2 weeks.

Typically our suites will hold between 20-30 guests and range in price from 5K-10K depending on the game date. We also have multi-game suite packages available in the form of 3, 5, and 10 game packages that would offer additional benefits and discounted pricing.

Please let me know what you have in mind for this season and I can certainly provide more specific details when available.

I am not sure we should do it this year with all the Pandemic stuff, but I would be willing to host 30 of my Dodger friends… probably in 2022, but it could be later this year. I’ll play it by ear!

Lodi

This article has 39 Comments

  1. Hosting a suite for all of us! 2022 can’t come soon enough. Will you also provide transportation and lodging?

      1. But parking is free and exclusively close to the entrance for suite tickets. Or so that was how it was in 2008. Saw many jealous faces as I exited my Beetle to enter the door with no line. Today is my B-day. I’m gonna be the last man standing if I can get up on my feet.

        1. I’ve got some unopened packs of baseball cards that came in cereal box’s and potato chips from 50’s and 60’s stashed somewhere here. Think I’ll release them today in hopes I’ll be able to afford this retirement with some ultra rare mint relic.

          2. Do you think they are worth more unopened? I’m fairly certain more than one pack is Bell Brand approximately four or five cards in each pack and all but one is still a mystery in each package.

          3. Unopened with any kind of card makes them more valuable. Depends on the player and the type of card. And since they are still unopened, that means they are most likely mint. That gives them greater value,

  2. I’ve already bugged my season ticket rep about finding a way to let me be part of that 20% capacity on Opening Day.

    I just want to see the banner raised on April 9. I’ll happily stay home the rest of the year (until October that is)

  3. That would be a shame if Street and Smith is no longer publishing. But it did seem to be falling behind similar publications. Nice to pick up something to read that doesn’t require looking at a screen. I probably read seven or eight baseball annuals every year. Light reading. Publications seem to come and go, but the magazine section at Barnes and Nobles seems to always attract plenty of people so I’m guessing some still like reading actual print.

    There is no question that the speed of information today moves faster than print, but much of it is probably “too much” and all the clutter is best left alone.

    One of the issues for the baseball annuals is that they still hit the shelves in February and late signings change the club dynamics. It seems like signing free agents is trending later and later. The Justin Turner situation just seemed to linger forever.

    Since this site not only provides interesting insight and the opportunity to interact with others in a civil manner, it works. Most don’t.

    Like the annual baseball publications, much of what you see on various baseball web sites is just a rehash of what everybody else is writing. For example, lots of stories on Mike Trout’s clock is ticking.

    So Clayton Kershaw isn’t planning to retire anytime soon. Wow, that was a rush. Just about every sports page and baseball media site had Kershaw retiring after 2021. What we use to refer to as a slow news day. Not much to write about. Find something, anything, blow it out of proportion. Let the frenzy begin. Never thought he was planning to retire.

    Decided to pass on spring training this year, too many uncertainties, like will you be able to walk around, watch batting practice and bullpen sessions. The games are games, more fun to wander around the complex.

    Good column, Mark.

  4. Mark, I am available for filling out a luxury suite roster. I behave myself around others, am housebroken, and I can engage conversationally on a wide range of subjects. Thank you for your consideration.

    2. I used to be house broken. Nowadays it’s a race to make it in time to the toilet. Sadly that’s not just being funny.

    1. The suites keep it stocked with the dogs, you have to buy adult beverages at the bar. But they bring around a dessert cart that’s free. They provide better food than hot dogs.

  6. John Fogerty didn’t do himself a favor when in high school when he let the buck continue beyond him where it should of stopped there. Aside from that he still is a giant of a pioneer and a part of the fabric inside us all.

  7. I am now so glad I have never disagreed with Mark or poked him in any way. Mark is a gentleman and has tremendous vision where others can only see what is in front of them. Thesaurus lists Mark as the primary antonym for moron. So happy he is my BFF. Mark has created the best Dodger blog.

    I am going to need all of 2021 to rewrite some history but I have started the process. I am working with DriveLine’s newest employee–Dale Carnegie.

    1. Now you’d just better hope that Mark doesn’t misread antonym as synonym or you’ll be in deep trouble.

      And if Carnegie isn’t available maybe you can work with their newest employee, Mr. Bauer, who has written the sequel to “How to Win Friends and Influence Blogsters”.

    2. One can disagree with Mark on many issues and still be good friends. Him and I haven’t agreed on every issue and he’s proven to be a great friend of mine. Great article today Mark.

    1. When Larry King died a few weeks ago, St. Peter met him at the pearly gates and said “Let me show you around s you can decide where you might want to live.” Larry King said, “I have a question – Is Mark Timmons here?” St. Peter said, No, he’s not, we are not ready for him.”

      So he proceeded to show Larry all around and they finally came to a huge room, lined with gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, and sapphires. Above the gold throne was a neon sign that said “Mark Timmons.” Larry King said, “Hey wait a minute – I thought you said Mark Timmons wasn’t here.”

      St. Peter said, “He’s not. This is God’s Room, He just thinks he is Mark Timmons!”

      😉

  10. I used to go to the grocery store and check towards the middle of February to see if the baseball annuals had arrived. And I would buy all of them. Street and Smith was my favorite. I also used to get USA Today’s weekly sports paper during the baseball season. It was a lot like the sporting news and you could keep up with every team. I was actually looking for the new ones this week. None are on the shelf here. Of course like everything else in our country, the price has really risen. I thought that for a while, The Sporting News put out a baseball book also. The only one I have seen here so far this year is the Fantasy Baseball magazine which is more for fantasy geeks than fans. I always liked Street and Smith because they always had a section on the minors and up and coming kids who might be drafted. Yep, times they are a changing, and not for the better.

      1. No. They are not. For years I subscribed to Baseball Digest. It came out monthly even in the off season and it was a great source of information. Back then the subscription was about 10 bucks a year. Now it comes out bi monthly and it costs about 30 a year. Print media has gotten way to expensive for most. I mean the LA Tomes costs about 2.50 a day. I used to buy newspapers every day. Not anymore.

  12. I’ve seen that spring training rules now allow for the managers agree to quit during an inning if there has been an excessive run production and over 25 pitches, by just walking off and raising the white flag, They can also call the game after 5 or 7 innings. (what an idea to shorten games – just quit). I guess the starters would be exiting after the 3rd. I’m here to tell ya that if I bought Seat Geek box seat tickets for The Giants at the Dodgers behind home plate for $647.00 each and they quit after 5, I’d be a little pissed. The prices for the brokers (Scalpers) with less seating is off the charts.
    Seriously, I can’t see the Dodgers wanting to shorten games since they have what seems like 100 pitchers to see this spring.

    1. Given what prices are even for “cheap” tickets.. I’d be pretty angry to have a game cut to 5 innings.

  13. I also had no luck getting ST tickets. Hit refresh a thousand times and got error messages up to the point when they were all sold out. I am trying to plan a trip to ST for my son and a friend. LAWN tickets for Camelback Ranch are now going for $80 to $120 depending on the game. Which is, well… insane.

    I may have to call in favors for the first time. I’ve never been that “guy”. However, I can’t imagine spending $600 for my son and I to go to three ST games. I’ve never thought I’d be priced out of ST!

    That said, I have my deposits in for tickets to CA League games. Official start is May 4th. Quakes open the season at IE 66ers. Prices are higher than normal due to the capacity limits, but not massively so. So there will be plenty of games this year to attend, one way or the other.

    1. I plan to take in a Quake Game or two. We have a dealer in Rancho Cucamonga that we have to train. I hope it can wait until the season starts.

  14. PTBNL in the Stripling trade with the Jays has been announced, 24 year old (almost 25) Ryan Noda, a lefty first baseman/outfielder who seems to walk and strike out a lot with some decent power. Fangraphs says he may ultimately prove to be a AAAA player. Of course they probably said that about Max when we got him also.

  15. Mark if you make it to Rancho please post…..I used to live a mile from the park but moved 5 miles west to Upland….still close….been a reader for 16 years or so

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