If you consider all the data and analysis of baseball teams and apply it correctly, it seems likely that the 2021 version of the LA Dodgers will push 120 wins. However, I doubt that happens! To even pass 116 wins would be an amazing feat and would involve just about everything happening perfectly… which rarely happens.
There will be bumps in the road… hopefully just speed bumps, not mountains! However, big challenges are not out of the question. Stuff happens! A devastating injury can occur at any time. If it happens to Edwin Rios, Chris Taylor, or Tony Gonsolin, it’s bad, but what if it happens to Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, or Striker Buehler? Injuries occur and sometimes Tommy John Surgery is necessary. Bones can be broken, ligaments can be torn – If you have been around sports for any period of time, you are acutely aware of this.
Maybe this will be a magical year… where no serious injuries occur. Just don’t count on that. Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers certainly are not! They have wisely maintained and even added to the teams’ incredible depth, making the Dodgers the team most able to withstand devastating injuries.
I do not have any evidence to support it, but it seems to me that teams who have utilized Driveline Baseball Training for their pitchers have been relatively injury-free over the past couple of years. At least, it seems that way to me. We know that Kershaw, Jansen, Buehler, Price, Bauer, and other Dodger pitchers have been students of Driveline Baseball practices, and the Dodgers still have 25-year-old Rob Hill as Pitching Coordinator, Technical Development to minimize injuries for pitchers. In case you forgot, here’s the scoop on Rob Hill: HERE
Let’s hope the Dodgers run of good luck continue through the season… and if they are real lucky, this season could be one for the ages. Maybe that 120 Win Goal is achievable.
Spring Training News
- LH Alex Vesia has a very good shot of making the team right out of Spring Training, but if not, will almost certainly see time in the Show during the season.
- Mike Kickham, another LH pitcher who is 32 and has played in MLB since 2014, starts Sunday. He is a huge longshot… even for AAA!
- It sounds to me like Dustin May is destined for AAA to continue to develop his off-speed stuff. Gonsolin could be headed to AAA as well. They will not be there the whole season, but both could benefit from developing their pitches. Gray will undoubtedly start at AAA as well, but by playoff time, we could see all three on the MLB Roster.
- Just a note, when you first post here, your comment goes into moderation, and I have to release it. Also, if you post a link or two, it also goes there. Nothing personal… it’s just the way it is. Sometimes, I don’t look at the site for a few hours, so it can sit there until I release it. It happened to a couple of people last night.
The unknown. It is always there. And it can happen before the season even begins. In 1986, Pedro Guerrero broke his leg during a spring training game. He only played 31 games that year. He had a comeback season in 87, then was traded in August of 88 for John Tudor. Cardinals definitely won that trade. Tudor over his 1yr 2 month Dodgers stint was 4-3. They got nothing out of him during the 88 season as he was injured most of the year. And he pitched 6.1 innings in the playoffs and World Series. Cardinals got 4 seasons from Pedro. The first 3 were ok. Last one he was slowing down a lot. Tudor, after his Dodger stint, went back to the Cardinals as a free agent and went 12-4 his final year. Even over the last few years some player has gone down for the beginning of the season. Kershaw with his back. I think I remember Turner going down with a wrist injury a few years ago.
Ruiz is still not in camp. The team is working to get him there. When he does arrive he will have to go through Covid protocols. # 3 catcher right now is Tom Federowicz.
Look what happened to Ethier? An unexpected injury that ended his time with the Dodgers even though he bravely tried to come back. I liked Pedro Guerrero and was sorry to see him get traded. I hope I won’t get in trouble by saying I named my parrot, “Pete” after him.
Pedro Guerrero was my first ever “favorite player”
My son-in-law named his dog after Michael Norris… “Bear.”
Well, maybe he doesn’t know Michael, but it sounded good!
😉
Question is: Can he spell and write with the same sense of humor as Michael?
He is in charge of Video Production at my company and has a sick sense of humor! 😉
Here are some examples of videos would not let him publish:
This one is particularly corny and my son-in-law is the one with the hat and cigar:
Those are funny
My first favorite player, and my favorite all time actor, both had the same nickname. Duke. Duke Snider and John ” Duke” Wayne.
But this is his best quote:
I was always partial to ” Fill your hands you son of a bitch! “. Got a T shirt with that on it along with the Bold talk for a one eyed fatman. Or another, Mr Rat, I have a writ here that says you are to quit eating Chen Lee’s corn forthwith, now it’s a rat writ writ for a rat, and this is lawful service of same. Try saying that 3 times fast!
Pity that John Wayne Airport will change it’s name.
Blame that on the cupcakes. Pure BS in my mind.
He was a white supremacist and the continued use of his name gives tacit approval to the endemic and structural nature of white supremacy that permeates our history and institutions, and your defense of his white supremacy is evidence of your own complicity in white supremacist power structures. In fact, your use of cupcake as a gender suggestive pejorative is a reaction borne of your own white fragility and transphobia, and is example of how language reinforces and perpetuates the gender normative heteropatriarchy.
I wish baseball would start. I think we’re all getting bored.
I assume that is satire!
Like I said. I’m getting bored without actual baseball.
I am in no way a white supremacist. His beliefs were his own. I purely liked the guy for his acting. Doesn’t mean I was in his camp politically or in any other way. I get offended by those who think that simply renaming and removing a statue changes history. Hence the phrase cup cake. You disagree, that is your problem not mine. You know nothing about me personally, so just keep that opinion to yourself.
I was satirically mocking modern Woke social justice cancel warriors. This is genuinely how they talk. While I believe you are offensively mistaken about Matt Beaty’s offensive prowess (I’m kidding. I’m not actually offended), I don’t believe that you are a white supremacist.
I apologize Patch, I took it seriously. My bad. Wayne was a product of his era. Born in 1907. I bet you could not name many white men born in that era who were not racists. But I only ever saw Wayne talk about racism once. In an interview with Playboy. I cannot remember the year. But the way he talked, you would not believe he was a white supremacist. He was one of the few who treated the Native Americans with some respect in most of his movies. His portrayal of Mexicans was very respectful when he did The Alamo and many of his later westerns. And the few times he had black actors in his movies, they were treated well too. One of the things I loved about the movie 42 was that they did not white wash the racism Jackie faced from some of his own team mates. 3 of them ended up being traded to the Pirates. One was one of the most popular players ever in Brooklyn. Dixie Walker. When I was in the Army and stationed in Germany, we had a race riot of sorts at our barracks. There was a battalion of combat engineers there who were probably 75 percent Black troops. As a couple of them walked by one of our buildings, one of the Southern guys, from Georgia called them a bunch of names, and it was on. We had 4 Black’s in our battery, and they joined in with our guys to try and protect the moron who opened his mouth from getting his ass beat good. Took a couple of hours and 20 MP’s to calm things down. The idiot was transferred to another after he got 15 days in the stockade.
As your stories illustrate, the way we see other people is much more complex and nuanced, and can change, sometimes in an instant. My grandfather had pretty entrenched racist views. He passed in 1990. As a culture now we focus on the things that make us different and divide us rather than the things we have in common that unite us. I hope this phase in our history passes into history’s dustbin soon.
My first name is John. My middle name was almost Wayne. I’m happy I got a different middle name and my younger brother got the first name Wayne. My grandfather George had the middle name Washington.
My foster brother when he was adopted by my former foster parents got to choose his name. His first name was already John, but he changed it to Jon Wayne.
With proper rest and usage could Kenley be a top closer this year? He doesn’t have to close every opportunity. He was pretty good last year except for a couple of September meltdowns. If he has regained some cut and control it could happen! That would be huge!
I really think he is going to go with multiple closers this season Cassidy. If for no other reason than to keep Jansen fresh. And I doubt he works back to back games.
Here’s my closing depth chart:
1. Jansen
2. Treinen
3. Knebel
4. Graterol
5. Gonzalez
In case of emergency, Urias.
I don’t think Kenley is done. He just isn’t as resilient as he used to be, and really can’t go out on back to back days anymore. Roberts was pretty high on what he’s seen from Kenley so far, but then again, Roberts is a Ra Ra guy.
I’m kind of excited about the prospect of Knebel, Kenley, Bazooka and Treinen …and Urias/May in the playoffs being able to close out games. I think the bullpen will be fine.
Peter Gammons has an interesting piece today in the Athletic on the need for pitching depth – both SP and RP – due to the increase from 60 to 162 games this year.
Most GM’s looking to need 7-10 SP and 10-15 RP to get through the year. Lots of discussion on LA and their depth.
Who are the players that you are most excited about this year? For me it’s Urias and Lux! It those 2 have big years then look out. It’s how many games above 100!will we go!
Two good choices. I think Urias is poised for the breakout we’ve been talking about for years, and I’m really looking forward to see how Lux does.
I’m also looking forward to the possibility of Bellinger getting is stroke back and being 2019 Bellinger.
Don’t know if “excited” is the right word but I’m fascinated to see how Bauer 2021 plays out, both on and off the field.
Your choices are good.
Maybe add Yesia.
Vesia there DL.
A theory: Taylor will be a full-time utility player, meaning he will start as many games as Muncy, Pollock, Turner.
However, those games will be spread among 2b, ss, 3b, lf & cf.
It’s possible he may end the year with as many starts as anyone not named Betts, Bellinger or Seager.
Dodger Digest guy floats 8y/$237m extension for Seager. I’d do it.
Terrence Gore was signed to a minor league deal by the Braves. Joc Pederson said he turned down more lucrative offers for the chance to play everyday with the Cubs. He would never have gotten that opportunity here. If anyone is looking for a really cool Dodger jacket, they are selling a warmup jacket that has 7 time champion on it and all of the patches from those World Series at the MLB shop. I think it is right around 150, but you could order it today and using the code, it was marked down to 112.99