On a baseball diamond, things happen that defy explanation. Weird things! Things that seem illogical. Sometimes bad teams look great and great teams look bad. But, if you think we can glean anything from this one game, like any of the following, then I will pay for your tattoo (and you really do need to get one):
- “The loss was on Dave Roberts“
- “Kershaw is finished“
- “The Dodgers defense is horrible“
- “The team doesn’t care“
- “Jimmy Nelson is a bum“
It really was an ugly game. Kershaw was bad (as he frequently is in Coors). His curveball had no bite. I am not worried about 91 MPH in the first game. But 91, without his curve, is an issue. Even Ray Charles can see that. This loss had nothing to do with Dave Roberts – he did not play an inning or have an at-bat.
Turner passed Bellinger on the bases after Bellinger hit a home run which is really dumb. Don’t even try and put it on just Cody – It is on both of them. Cody Bellinger was stopped! He was watching the ball. The runner ahead should always watch the runner behind. Of course, it’s vice-versa, but JT ran right by Cody. Tunnel vision! Inexcusable on both of them! Nobody died. Move on! It won’t happen again, but it’s embarrassing!
Corey Seager had a ball go under his glove – get over it. It happens! The team cares a lot, but if you have ever watched any baseball in your life you know that this kind of stuff happens sometimes. It just does. I am unfazed! Jimmy Nelson has not pitched in 4 years. Maybe he was a little nervous. Yeah, maybe! Ya’ think?
Everything that could go wrong went wrong yesterday. Getting 15 hits and 8 BB and only scoring 5 runs is a joke. That can never happen again in the history of the world. It is impossible to get 15 hits and 8 walks and not score at least 12 runs. There is nothing to see here folks… move along! I mean, how does Matt Beaty pinch-hit and not swing? That must be on Doc. Dave told him not to swing… right?
Today is a new day and the Boys in Blue will likely come back with a vengeance. Write that down! Maybe Kershaw is in decline. Maybe Justin Turner is in decline. OK (I am not saying that is true)… but OK. The team has options. If Clayton and Justin were abducted by aliens tonight, the Dodgers would still be a super team. Yesterday was just one of these days.
Yesterday was the Rockies best game of the year. It was their World Series. They played a great game and I give them credit, but they are still a very, very bad team. Maybe they sweep this series (I doubt that), but they will not change my opinion of either team. It’s a long season… 162 games to be exact.
You lose 54 games. You win 54 games. The other 54 make or break you. The Dodgers will not win 117 games, but they may win 106. Who cares? They will be in the playoffs and the World Series. Get some perspective, but if you want me to get you that tattoo, then let’s roll!
I am anxious to see what Trevor Bauer does about his curve ball. Maybe he will pitch with both eyes shut?
Last week I mentioned the new “shenanigans” rule. Well we got to see it first hand. Cody hits a 2 run homer. Evidently Bud Black yelled shenanigans and just like that one run is taken off the board. I don’t think I like this rule.
It was a clown game!
It was certainly that. Even the home plate ump participated. (He was awful). But it was one game and I don’t expect to see anything like that again.
We are tied for last place this morning. Nowhere to go but up.
We saw on the same field how Seager and Story play shortstop. One is a much better fielder than the other. Both hit.
I am concerned about Kershaw but will wait to see him at sea level.
There is no question that Story is a better defensive SS, but Corey Seager has “IT” (whatever “IT” is). When A-Rod came to the Yankees, he was a better SS than Jeter, but Jeter played SS because he also had “IT.”
“IT” is hard to define, but I know “IT” when I see “IT.”
I saw it go under his glove again. And I saw it bounce short and to the right of first base, glove save by Muncy. Seager has it at the plate. He’s never had it in the field and the stats prove it.
Still early in a contract year. I expect more out if him. But the better he is, the more the Yankees will be willing to pay. I prefer he remain, but I would have no problem with Story at short.
I suggested this scenario to Fred ysterday – an infield of Seager, Lux, Busch and Muncy (maybe Rios). From what I’ve seen, which is limited (but I’ve read it too) Lux is quite a shortstop. That’s an infield with some serious hit potential.
Lots of basic plays didnt get made. Mookie lets that triple drop in the OF. The baserunning on the homer. Seager under the glove and base running making 3rd out at 3rd. The WP(s) for runs. Muncy and Taylor cant put the bat on the ball with no outs and runner at 3rd. Beaty watching 3 strikes. (Why was he even hitting?) A little surprising to me that Dodgers had seemingly so little focus. A little concerned about Kersh. He needs to quit being so predictable with a strike on the first pitch. The book on him now is hit the first pitch. He needs to adjust.
161 more to go tho.
Why don’t we trade Smith? He is just a mop up catcher. First game and already I am mad at Doc. On opening day you play your starters. So now the pitchers get to tell Doc who the starting catcher is going to be. Smith by most experts is one of the best young catchers in MLB. Opening day, he is on the bench. Who in the hell is the manger? It must be Kershaw.
The biggest problem with Kersh according to Roberts was that his slider was not biting like it usually does. He only had 5 swings and misses all game. Usually he gets that many in a couple of innings. Offense was not the problem. The problem was between their ears. I still have a hard time believing that a player like Beaty, who is a bubble guy anyway, just looked at 3 pitches without moving his bat. And my only summation, he was not seeing them in the shadows. Otherwise, there is no excuse for that at all.
I saw enough yesterday to just go ahead and award the WS trophy to the Dodgers, no need to even play the season, all you have to do is read the press clippings this spring, the Dodgers got it all locked up.
CAn it get any worse? I mean really, can they possibly play that bad again the rest of the season? It would be very hard to match again the depth that they sunk to in the opener. So cheer up, they can only go up from that low point.
BTW, the umping was horrendous yesterday, the guy behind the plate was so bad he would have caused a fight among parents at a little league game. The base umps were no better, to stand around with their fingers in their ass and make no call on the Bellinger HR was so amateurish, make an immediate call and if necessary let replay sort it out, by doing that at least you don’t rob the players and the fans of a totally miscarriage of the rules of the game. I put that debacle squarely on the umps, not on Belli or Turner.
Damn, I wished it had snowed heavily in Denver before game time yesterday.
I noticed some social distancing in some parts of the stands and very little in other parts or the stands. Hell, it’s a game played outdoors, open the damn doors and let the fans into the great outdoors.
These are typical of games at the worst stadium in all of baseball, plain and simple. Colorado has never won a division title and it’s understandable with this type of stadium. In my opinion MLB shouldn’t even be in Colorado. I can’t recall what broadcaster said it,(I think it was Nomar) but he said for the Rockies really need a domed stadium and I agree 100% as that would help the playing conditions compared to the current stadium.
Domed stadium is a good idea Zeke. Maybe they could control the atmosphere in it. The Rockies draw so that’s a good enough reason to keep them there. But clearly the park is an issue.
Good point about the umps signaling home run Truth. But I doubt Turner would have seen it. He saw a catch, was running back to first and nothing was going to stop him.
The problem was JT saw the umps doing nothing, like they do when a ball is in play, umps don’t do nuttin’ if it’s game on. By doing nuttin’ Turner was forced to use his own interpretation of what was going on. So he sees a ball hit a fielders glove, he then sees umps having their hands squarely planted in their ass, so 2 +2 = 4, he retreats like a madman back to first base. That situation lands squarely on the umpiring crew, they are supposed to control the game, make immediate calls (in this day and age they can let replay correct their screw ups), inform the players of what is taking place in the immediate (ie. foul ball, foul tip, balk, runner out or safe, homerun, ground rule double, etc etc etc.).
“Dodgers lose on offsides call”
Weird play. Can’t argue your take on the umps. I find them to be out of position often, more on that later, so I would never wait for their call. If it was me I find the ball before I do anything. The ball was bouncing on the other side of the fence. The outfielder’s immediate body language said he didn’t have it. All of that was right in front of Turner and he saw none of it. Why? I ask him then move on.
As a home plate ump I was taught to set up behind the plate. Well, yeah of course. Where else would you set up? The answer is “off the plate”, where that guy was last night. You should never go outside either corner. He did. His eyes were set up at least 6” off each inside corner. That puts you 2’ from the outside corner and not even ON the inside corner. I believe that’s why he was missing so many edge pitches. That strike 3 on Rios was inexcusable. The league should be having a long conversation with that guy.
Offseason plan:
1. Let Kershaw walk
2. Let Seager walk [too much $]
3. Let KJ walk [duh]
4. Re-sign CT3
5. Sign Rizzo
Move Lux to SS & Muncy to 2B.
My comments are disappearing into the ether. Wrote a long one down below that’s gone.
1. I would prefer that he retire after this year. He will not want to take a pay cut when signing a new two year deal, and he’s simply not worth elite pitcher money at this point. If his ERA is north of 3.00 and he becomes the third or fourth best starter on the team, then I hope he realizes it’s time to go so he goes out on top.
2. Maybe. It’s a lot of money. Depends if the Dodgers can juggle enough pieces to conceivably not incur a CBT repeat offender penalty AND still sign the other young guys.
3. He’s gone.
4. If he puts up the wRC+ he did in 2020, then yes.
5. I’d prefer some combination of Muncy to Cody Hoese. Rizzo a lot of $$$ and, although 1rst base D is not as critical as SS D, he’s a horrible defender.
It was in moderation. It does that when you post links sometimes. I check it periodically.
Well, yesterday’s game was an example of a complete team loss in all areas of a baseball game. Add in the terrible home plate ump and his friends who decided it wasn’t really necessary to make a call on Bellinger’s flyout/home run in a timely manner and you have what we saw. To have 22 base runners and score only 5 runs is crazy.
The Rockies (and I think the rest of the league) know that Kershaw throws first pitch strikes 70% of the time and were swinging according. Fortunately, they were mostly singles hit hard through the heart of the shift. At this stage of his career, Kershaw depends on his slider more than ever. Therefore, pitching in Colorado doesn’t do him any favors. His fastball velocity of 89-91 is not the problem. It will be interesting how Bauer does today with his reliance on his breaking stuff.
I agree with Mark in regard to Nelson’s poor showing. There has to be some nerves there after being inactive for I believe three years. Combined with the altitude he was what he was. Alexander was his usual self. A ground ball pitcher that has consistent control issues and not a hell of a lot of ground balls. I don’t know why he has been on the team for as long as he has, but I would have no problem seeing him somewhere else.
So, it was an awful game for the Dodgers, but no worries. We know they are the best team and as soon as they leave Colorado it will become apparent that that is the case.
The Turner/Bellinger gaffe was just an anomaly. It was a perfect storm of things that had to happen just so:
– Turner was watching to see if Tapia was going to catch the ball. He actually did catch it … for a split second. That’s what Turner saw, and he did the right thing by hustling back to first so he’s not doubled up.
– A split second later the ball popped out of his glove and over the fence. That’s what Turner didn’t see. Adding somewhat to the confusion was the fan who wound up with the ball being as nonchalant about it as humanly possible. It’s a little unclear watching the video what actually happens to the ball because it’s not at all apparent that it’s in that fan’s glove. It’s almost funny. There was a comment that I think describes the fan’s reaction perfectly – “He’s a Rockies fan. He can no longer feel emotion.”
https://youtu.be/RpR3Z6lRi84
– Tapia makes either a really heads up move or a clueless one if he still thought the ball was in his glove, but he immediately spins around and makes like he’s firing the ball back to first base. If Turner is still looking back this is going to add to the confusion.
– By this time Bellinger, who probably wasn’t sure if that ball was going to leave the yard, get caught or carom of the wall was hustling around the bases for what he thought might be a double or a triple. He was already halfway to second base when Turner did his abrupt about face and started sprinting in the opposite direction.
– I’m actually not sure if or when the umps actually signaled that it was a homerun. If they were momentarily confused and hesitated, this probably was a contributor.
– I’m not sure what Bellinger does in this situation if there is confusion on the field. If the onus is on him to avoid crossing Turner, he would have to make the decision to start sprinting in the opposite direction just to avoid Turner.
The one key mistake was Turner putting his head down and running back and not tracking where the throw was going. Had he done that he would have realized there was no throw.
… I was actually somewhat encouraged by the whole play because Bellinger was able to dig out a pitch on the outside part of the plate and drive it to the opposite field for a homer. The word is out and pitchers are trying to exploit that hole in Bellinger’s swing and that’s where Marquez was going. I noticed the other night against the Angels Bellinger actually began crowding the plate to compensate for this, and Quintana came back with a fastball on the inside part of the plate that completely tied him up.
I’m more concerned with Bellinger than some of the other stuff. His swing long and complicated and it’s got holes. Watching the freeway series is enlightening when you compare his swing to Seager’s, Will Smith’s and especially Trout’s. Trout’s is violent and packs a lot of energy, but it is short, clean and compact and doesn’t have a lot of moving parts or weird timing quirks. He can easily go with a pitch on the outside and drive it the opposite field.
It was a bad game and there will be more of them. But there will be a heck of a lot more good games and we’ll all be screaming come October again. As far as Nelson you could see his breaking ball had no bite to it. Night and day difference from what it looked like this spring. He will be fine as will Kersh.
Yesterday was a total Sh*_ Show, no doubt about it. The team took it easy this Spring and it shows. I was a little frustrated the last week and a half watching Mookie and Seager get pulled, or pull themselves out of games after just a few innings so late in the Spring. But hey, when you’re in 3 out of the last 4 World Series you have a choice to make. Be fresh for the start of the season, or stay fresh for the end of the season.
The Good
Lux looked just fine rolling a hot Spring into Coors with a couple of hits and his throws look fine. What ever happened to the Yips and making him a left fielder. He might just be our future SS.
The Bad
Take your pick, but I hate to see CK scraping by with a 91 MPH fastball. Judging by his comments this Spring, he had a hard time getting motivated in the offseason after finally getting that ring. He probably should have spent less time playing “We are the Champions” and more time working with Driveline like he did last offseason. Honorable mentions, hitting with runners on and defense all over the diamond. Turner, Muncy, Seager and Betts all looked like they should have spent more time on the field this Spring.
The Ugly
The Homer turned into a single and an out. Do you blame Turner for running with tunnel vision when he probably could have skipped back to the base safely, or do you blame Belli for being so damn fast? Maybe skinny Justin was showing off his newfound speed by running past second on that play?
I have a feeling that this team isn’t going to go on a 10 game win streak to start the season. But, two weeks in when they finish what they should have during Spring Training…Watch OUT!
Good takes.
Mental errors, physical errors, 91 mph fastballs, umpires that don’t look any more ready than the Dodgers did.
Rockies looked fine.
I think Penguins is right, this championship team can read the headlines and they have already won at least 105 so, what’s the rush? This is Colorado not the Padres. We can beat them just by showing up.
I was thinking about this recently. At this level I don’t know why professional players have the option of taking the off-season off, and I’m still perplexed why Graterol hasn’t pitched since the WS. If you sign a professional contract there should be some obligation to have a closer, more collaborative relationship with the team’s coaches and trainers during the off-season and have a more sports science approach to managing athletes during a time which really is the preparatory phase of the season. You can’t neglect this part because by the time the season starts it’s too late to do the strength and other base training facets that impact your performance and keep you from breaking down as the season progresses.
Coaching athletes is one of the things I do, and it’s nearly exclusively done remotely with software that tracks performance. I can monitor power output and training stress score through data analysis programs and fine tune the workouts and training based on a periodized year long approach, and there is consistent monitoring and contact with clients. Why isn’t this done at a professional level in baseball? Why don’t the Dodgers have their own Driveline like comprehensive system in place? Why aren’t athletes monitored during the off-season? Kershaw needs to work harder in the off-season to stem the inevitable age related decline in performance, and this really needs to a mandatory and expected part of baseball when you sign a $$$$$ contract.
Read somewhere how much Betts impacted the team culture when he first came over. How his work ethic and preparation influenced the other players. My first thought was “why wasn’t that culture already there?”
Badger up above suggested a future infield of Seager, Lux, Busch, Muncy/Rios. I see two problems with that:
1) Free agent Corey Seager is not going to sign with a team to become its third baseman when he’ll have multiple opportunities to sign somewhere else as a shortstop.
2) I don’t think Corey will make a very good third baseman because if he can possibly avoid it he never gets in front of a grounder. He usually approaches them from the side and fields them only with his glove hand. When I was young, I was taught to always get in front of a ground ball and field it with both hands if possible. That way if you don’t field it cleanly your body will block it and you often times have a second chance to throw out the runner. You can’t use Corey’s current approach at shortstop over at third base. Less time to react, balls come at you harder and there is no time to field them from an angle.
When Seager’s time as a shortstop is done, I see him more likely becoming a first baseman or a DH. The more I see of Lux, the more I become convinced that he could make an excellent shortstop if Corey doesn’t come back and if we don’t sign someone like Story. I’m not interested in signing Correa for obvious reasons and I really don’t think I’m all that anxious to go after Baez. For me, it’s Seager, Story or moving Lux over.
I’m as big a Seager fan as there is, but if Lux can play there you have to consider it.
It’s taught differently now Jefe. Seeing the ball from the side gives you a better look at what angle it is bouncing. It’s kinda like that line drive fly ball right at you is harder to judge because you don’t see the launch angle.
I have said since I first saw him Seager would be a great corner infielder. At 6’4” he’s got reach. His arm is certainly adequate. I just never saw him as a shortstop. He didn’t move like one. Still doesn’t in my estimation.
I agree with you regarding that all left handed infield. And yes, somebody will allow Seager to play short for them. But he’s a .33 a year dWAR player, slightly above average. At the moment we are watching several shortstops that are putting up offensive WAR numbers similar to Corey’s but dWAR numbers that are superior. I haven’t seen enough to know for sure, and I won’t be going to ST anymore to watch back field infield workouts so I can’t be sure, but my gut tells me Lux could be better at short than Seager. Shortstop is natural position and in the little time he’s had, 43 games, he’s already put up 1.0 dWAR, and it wasn’t at short where it’s easier to score if you’re good. Think about that. In 542 games Seager has put up 2.0 dWAR.
If the Yankees want to pay him $350 million to play shortstop I think they will get him. I don’t see Andrew doing that. Lindor, Story, Correa and Tatis do everything and they do it every day. Tim Anderson, Javier Baez, Bogaerts, Trea Turner – there are a lot of great shortstops in the game today. Are all of them going to get $300 million?
Once again, I will bow to your superior (at least to mine) experience and knowledge. And this time without a proviso.
Stopping to admire ones homerun, really Cody??? Makes me yearn for kangaroo court days..
We escape from Co. Monday and best not to look back… Comedy Central baseball at best…
Since yesterday I have been reading so many comments and It’s INCREDIBLE …..
First game, a simple game, a damn game and the vast majority are already angry, disappointed and giving up.
Wanting to get rid of some players, trade others, retire others.
What will happen when they win the first game? ”They are the best” ”They are the are the team to beat”
But when the next loss comes? ”They are the worst” ”They are useless”
Get comfortable, because this is just beginning, there are still another 67 losses left, and not counting those that will come in the Playoffs.
There are no children here to behave like that. I’m supposed to be one of the youngest here (50 years old). Stop behaving like rich and spoiled kids, it’s just a fucking game!
But it looks pretty hopeless.
I think I might have to become a Padres fan.
You’d better hope Jorge doesn’t know where you live. 🙂
Padres are good. You could do worse.
MLB has just announced it’s relocating the All Star game to an as yet unnamed city.
Since half the people here will be very upset with that I suggest we all try to remain civil.
All I will say is that politics and sports should not be mixed.
I canceled my NBA tickets because of it and I think it sends the wrong message.
Sports should be an escape from politics, not about it.
The Washington Post which is a liberal-leaning newspaper has repeatedly said that saying GA’s voter law restricts voting is a “false and misleading claim.” If so, why move the All-Star game and punish the people of Georgia?
It is just caving into cancel culture and it’s possible I may boycott MLB like I have the NBA. I think this could be another nail in the coffin of MLB.
I will have to think this one through, but it is a big one for me and it’s possible I am done with LADT.
Mark, you and I are at opposite ends of the political spectrum…………………..well maybe not totally opposite but there is a lot of space between us there.
Yet, we can both come here and share thoughts about a non-political topic, the Dodgers, whom we both love. I hope that after you have time to think about it, you will decide to keep LADT going. Although I do not share your viewpoint, I understand your anger and frustration with the MLB decision. We, as a country of citizens with very divergent opinions need to stay connected somehow or we will all go down in flames. Baseball brings people together. This site is one way we can do that, as long as you continue to keep a handle on the way we treat each other here.
Keeping the site going would be a public service. I hope you agree.
Nice post. I agree LADT is a public service and I appreciate your temperate response.
There are forces that are making us more polarized by the day. Unless things change it won’t end well. I agree with Mark and hate that the MLB forces us to have to choose sides rather than just enjoy something that has historically united Americans.
Jefferson & Hamilton hated each other. ‘Twas ever thus.
It’s not that difficult to see what’s going on in the state of Georgia. I have no idea what the Washington Post says but I know what damm near everyone else is saying. I support baseball’s move on this subject.
Have you read the bill? I have… and you can support MLB all you want but the bill does not restrict voting.
Actually there have been numerous articles in the Washington post highlighting problems with the GA law. As the WP has both liberal and conservative opinion writers there is a spread of opinion (although columnist Jennifer Rubin, a conservative, has written against the new law). I have not seen where the WP has repeated come out with statements saying it’s misleading.
From the WP editorial board:
Georgia lawmakers also banned mobile voting buses such as those that Atlanta’s Fulton County used to ease lines. They added voter ID requirements for absentee voting and narrowed the amount of time people have to request mail-in ballots. They placed so many limits on ballot drop boxes as to render them practically useless. So it is now a criminal offense for someone to hand a bottle of water to an elderly Black voter in Fulton County — who had to wait in line because she could not navigate the new absentee ballot requirements.
Does not sound like the WP thinks that voter suppression claims are misleading.
They eliminated mobile voting because they expanded the voting times and places.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/30/biden-falsely-claims-new-georgia-law-ends-voting-hours-early/
On Election Day in Georgia, polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and if you are in line by 7 p.m., you are allowed to cast your ballot. Nothing in the new law changes those rules.
However, the law did make some changes to early voting. But experts say the net effect was to expand the opportunities to vote for most Georgians, not limit them.
“One of the biggest changes in the bill would expand early voting access for most counties, adding an additional mandatory Saturday and formally codifying Sunday voting hours as optional,” Stephen Fowler of Georgia Public Broadcasting said in an excellent and comprehensive report on the impact of the new law. “Counties can have early voting open as long as 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at minimum. If you live in a larger metropolitan county, you might not notice a change. For most other counties, you will have an extra weekend day, and your weekday early voting hours will likely be longer.”
I read the bill. If anything it expands the ability to vote, but prevents deceased people from voting and people who have moved away from voting. Don’t insult me like the media and politicians do unless you have read the bill as well. Most people are too lazy to read it and let the liberal media explain it.
The bill does limit dead people from voting and people from voting early and often, and using others ballets because an ID and signature are required. You have to have an ID to travel, get food stamps, pay bills, etc.
What this bill does is prevent people who have no right to vote, from voting. The Dems want every vote to count and that includes the illegal ones. If their version of the bill is passed, there will never be another case of voter fraud because you will never be able to prove it.
Actually, this is not the forum for this and MLB made the choice for me.
I will have my Going Away Post in the next few days.
Godspeed to you all, but I will not be part of MLB’s actions.
Goodnight everyone!