Posted By Mark Timmons on July 8, 2021 July 8, 2021Mark Timmons
Rants & Raves
What happened the past three games is unexplicable! This is baseball. We have seen this movie before. We can’t explain it… but it happens. I am just along for the ride. This is baseball. This is life. Everything is not always puppys and bunnys!
Morality clauses have generally been held to be valid and enforceable as applied to high-profile figures, such as Trevor Bauer (California may be softer on this than many other states), but there is no way on God’s Green Earth anyone would try and enforce it now… at least until it gets adjudicated. Plainly Stated: The Dodgers are stuck with Bauer’s contract at least for the near future. I wish is wasn’t so… but it is. However, the total drivel I have seen written about this is beyind absurd! People have lost their collective minds. My personal feeling is that I have seen enougg from Trevor Bauer and wish he would go away, but that’s not likely.
First Dustin May needs Tommy John. Jo Jo Gray goes down along with a bunch of others, Could Clayton Kershaw be next? Elbow, forearm pain? It des not look good. Clayton has a lot of innings on that arm. I think he could opt for retirement rather than surgery and rehab if that is the case… and I know I am jumping to conclusions. However, this does not look good, folks!
When Andrew Friedman said “Let’s be pigs” maybe the baseball Gods said “Ok, you will be a pig, when they fly!” Maybe the baseball Gods are punishing the Dodgers for being gluttons! This could be a lost season. The Dodgers can still make the playoffs, but it’s going to be hard to win it all! This is why it is amazing the Dodgers have made the playoffs for eight straight years. This will be nine straight, but who could have envisioned all the injuries and then getting Bauerized?
It was awesome to see Jeff Dominique back in the saddle and commanding the upcoming Draft! What a job!
Making just his second start of the season, Landon Knack was dominant over his longest outing of 2021. The right-hander went six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out a season-high eight. Knack had only made one previous start this year and allowed a run on four hits over 3 1/3 innings on June 18 at Lansing. Tuesday’s rain-shortened win came at home and at the expense of that same Lansing team. The 2020 second-round pick dropped his High-A ERA to 2.82 with the victory.
I was impressed with Mitch White. I like his stuff as a reliever who pitches 1 to 2 innings.
Edwin Uceta will be back. Maybe not this year… not next! He just needs to trust his stuff more and locate better!
My worst fears about Gavin Lux are coming to pass.
I am ready to see a middle infield of Seager and Taylor.
Yoshi Tut Tut was released and passed through waivers. He will remaim in OKC and be on the Minor League Roster, but off the MLB roster. Maybe he can learn how to hit… or not!
Mike Busch and Miguel Vargas each homered for Tulsa last night.
Diego Cartaya was 2-4 last night and sits at .300 with a .988 OPS. Bring on the Loons!
Jake Vogel returned from AZ to go 2-6 with a HR nd a double last night.
Jorbit Vivas was 4-4 for RC.
Have a nice day. Julio will right the ship on today’s early game (I hope).
This article has 121 Comments
Yep, baseball happen . Captain Obvious strikes again. After the game last night Roberts told reporters, ” We need to do the little things better” No Poop there Dave. How about doing some of the big things better too, like scoring runs when you have the bases juiced??? Urias on the bump first today. 9 AM start in LA, 10 here. I could see Lux getting demoted to AAA to get his sh%% together. McKinstry has the same number of HR’s in half the at bats. This team can be maddening and I agree with MT that it is going to be very hard for them to repeat. I think they make the playoffs. But it is not going to be as easy as everyone thought at the beginning of the year. Great job yesterday Jeff. Nice to see you back if even only for a little while. I needed some comedy relief after last nights debacle, so I read about some baseball characters who were good for a laugh. Moe Drabowski was one of them. Ordered a pizza from Japan from the pen, and one time after he was taken out of a game, he called to the bullpen imitating Weaver and ordered them to get up a reliever. Joe Carter pulled a great one at the end of the season on fan appreciation day. Saying there would be a raffle for a car giveaway. He then had one of the clubhouse guys wash Derek Bell’s jeep, and later in the game Carter drove it onto the field as Bell watched unbelieving what he was seeing. The video of the look on his face is classic. But one of my all time favorite moments came in 1934 in Philadelphia. Dodger pitcher, Walter Beck was pitching against the Phillies. The wall in the outfield was tin, and Beck was giving up a lot of shots off of the wall that made a booming sound when hit. Hall of Famer, Hack Wilson, who was playing RF was getting worn out chasing baseballs. Manager Casey Stengel finally had enough and came out to get Beck. Wilson turned and leaned his head against the wall to rest..he was probably suffering from a hangover. Anyway, Casey heads to the mound to get Beck, and Beck is telling ol Case, no no….then he turns and fires the ball to right field, hitting the wall above Wilson’s head. The startled Wilson, thinking play has resumed, chases the ball and turns and fires a perfect strike to second base. Beck leaves the game, but he is Walter Beck no more, from that day on his nick name was Boom Boom.
Dodgers are snake (injury) bitten this season. So many key guys going down and then the TB case to top it off.
Should we now lose Clayton too the season probably is a lost case, at least as far as a title is concerned.
AF and the Dodgers will have to make up their mind pretty fast what direction they will go. If they think besides all the injuries and the TB fiasco they still have a shot they have to get another starter quick. They will crash and burn the bullpen arms if those bullpen games go on for much longer.
I do not understand why they are so reluctant to use Price in a starting role. Guy has done this all career long, so why not work him up quickly ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a feeling that is going to happen sooner rather than later. I also expect them to trade for a starter since there are no obvious replacements at OKC. A little early to access how long Kersh will be down. Might be they are just giving him a blow with the all star game coming up. Bauer I believe has thrown his last pitch in LA simply because I do not see this going away anytime soon.
I think Price is damaged goods. It may have been more than COVID-19 that caused him to sit out 2020!
The inability to hold base runners has become a common theme for opposing teams to exploit. Hard to imagine we couldn’t improve with a little concerted effort there. Injuries are demoralizing but work on some of these things we can control.
On ESPN last night they said that Keyshawn forearm was hurt doing weights; specifically pointing out that it was not due to throwing. Of course this is ESPN so consider the source.
ESPN is on my no fly list
Agreed!
A lot of the good talent seems to have left ESPN, but Olney still has very good sources as does, of course Kurkjian, but beyond that?
Crickets.
Only my opinion though.
Mitchell white looks like he could go into a starting role. He pitched 4 innings I mean none of them give u more than six anyway. He may not be great but he could surprise. I have never seen such a fragile bunch of Mlb players. My word Robert’s acts like this is brain surgery. These are supposed to be the best players in the world and we don’t have anybody who can start. I don’t give AF a pass on this. This has been brewing for quite a while. There should be no excuse for being in this position.
Robert’s just gave them the game by putting uceta in the 9th. He continues to do this nonsense. Uceta could have started or been used in the middle innings. We had a 5-2 lead and we’re scored on in almost every inning. U save your worst reliever to get the toughest outs. Ridiculous
I thought White looked good too.
Uceta is talented but he is just not ready for the show. Bring up someone else next time if you have to. Confidence of the kid is damage already, do not completely ruin him by getting him into situations he can not handle yet.
Quakenbush should be up next.
Go Dodgers!!!!
Its just giving Kersh a little time before the break to be strong down the stretch. If Fridays game mattered he would be in there, he was in the dugout laughing and hamming it up last night, if this was real serious he’d would have been on a plane back to LA.
Look this is going to come down to who gets hot, and at the right time. Can Buehler be our 88 Hershiser, can Muncy be our 20 Seager, can Mariachi Joe be the 18Joe. The answer is yes they can, if they get hot at the right time, watch out.
Id like to see Pepiot come up; give the kid a shot.
The last 3 games sucked, but lets take the long view here and enjoy the ride, its going to be a wild one.
MT is riding the Lux wave. He’s coming on, no he isn’t, he’s coming on, no he isn’t.
I love McKinstry’s clutch, but he isn’t the player Lux is. Z-Mach is rating out as poor fielder at every position so far. He’s 26 while Lux is 23.
The pitching staff gave up 9 runs yesterday, you aren’t going to win many of those. Reed, White and Uceta gave it up like the Farmer’s daughter, or Bauer’s house guest. Too soon?
Why is Barnes still on this team? You can go years without seeing catcher’s interference and he does it 3 times in a week? WTF???
Kenly has been giving up baserunners to the first 1 or 2 batters he faces for the last few games, only natural for Doc to bring him in with runners on.
Maybe we should have just stuck with Don Mattingly. I don’t see him making bone-headed moves anymore, but Doc never learns.
Bullpen games are for the birds. It’s no coincidence that we’re getting smoked by the Fish.
The team has played flat these last three games after stepping up and taking care of business against the Nats. The first game of the series featured 3 big names “resting”. Ever consider the team is responding in kind to these stupid roster decisions? Or, was it a 2 game hangover from the stupid 4th of July schedule that all the players complained about?
Invisible man AJ Pollock, homered with a 2-4 game yesterday but apparently no one saw it.
If you compare Marte and Pollock’s careers, you’ll see a lot of similarities. Both have played 10 years. They’re age is just a year apart. Each seems to get injured each year. They are just 6 homers apart and career OPS is just 13 points apart.
If our pitchers could hold runners on then Barnes doesn’t have to try and make up for their inefficiencies. I blame the staff. Kelly seems to be the only pitcher who threw with real purpose to first base.
Totally agree, I think Barnes is spooked on how much they are running on them. He was just trying to gain an extra split second. And totally agree if the pitchers paid a bit more attn to the runners it would not be an issue. Some guys need to tighten up on the windups & moves to the plate to get the ball there just a bit more quickly.
Cheers
Hot takes, get yer hot takes!:
1. Must be Seager who is the franchise cornerstone along with Betts. Give him the money. Who else is gonna get it?
2. Put Lux on the bench. Time for some tough love.
3. Welcome to the rotation, Price. You also take Kershaw’s veteran LHP role next year.
4. Find a way to fit in Ruiz. Whatever it takes.
5. All-star break is a good time to re-sign Taylor.
6. More prospects will be traded this deadline than usual, but emphasis will be on controllable guys.
7. Trade Pollock to Miami where he sees the ball well.
8. Speed kills.
9. Pepiot will pitch in October.
10. Bauer signing is not Pedro-for-DD or Piazza trade; it’s closer to Strawberry signing or Andruw Jones.
Dodgers send White back to OKC and call up Nunez.
This is the first I’ve hear of this. So, CK has the classic “forearm tightness” that leads inevitably to Tommy John? Ouch. At first I believed B&P’s assessment that the “injury” conveniently coincided with the ASB, this giving him a long rest.
I would assume that it would be hard to stretch out a 35 year old pitcher mid-season, especially one who hasn’t started since 2019. Even so, I’m not sure why this hasn’t been a serious consideration. The Dodgers are paying him 16 million to be a middle reliever.
I would agree that using the morality clause to sever ties with TB is the right thing to do, in spite of the desperate need for SP right now, unless of course there is some sort of smoking gun evidence that victim staged the event or that it was some elaborate extortion attempt. Unlikely, but not impossible. Even if she asked for rough sex, if she winds up with a skull fracture then TB is a sadist who needs to go away. It’s not that many of us wanted proof beyond a reasonable doubt. We just wanted to see more evidence before we formed an opinion. I’d still like to get all the facts first. BTW, I can say with a 100% degree of certainty that if TB was the model Woke virtue signaller with preferred pronouns in his social media bios then the likes of Nosler and Molly Knight would have a completely different tone. “Let’s not rush to judgment!” It’s the times we live in.
Injuries or not, my issue with this team all year has been the poor execution of the fundamentals. The 2017 and the 2020 Dodgers had an uncanny knack for winning those close games, coming from behind or winning on walk-offs. This team just has an uncanny ability to lose close games because of some mental error or lack of execution or key strikeout in a key moment. Playoff baseball is won on those key moments in key situations. I don’t think anyone here can say with confidence that the Dodgers would easily beat their first round opponent. I just don’t have confidence in this team.
I think AF understands that. It’s why he traded for guys like Jimmy Rollins or Howie Kendrick, Utley and Pujols. There is stability, scrappiness and the ability to slow the game down in key moments that sabre nerds don’t yet have a stat for. Lux is showing us the contrapositive.
Dodgers need to release TB now. I’m all for due process but a message needs to be sent that we’re a “team first” club and when you conduct yourself selfishly that impacts the team there is a price to pay. His poor judgement and resulting suspension has put the team in a situation where they have to rely upon a taxed and at times very inexperienced bullpen.
I’m looking for that shoe to drop soon, perhaps during the all-star break.
This is largely a legal matter now and has little to do with baseball. Just God forbid you don’t immediately declare you’re boycotting baseball for life immediately after–similar to how some reacted to the All-Star game being moved.
As the French say, “The extremes touch.”
They can’t. MLBPA would riot. They can probably somewhere down the line void his contract, but he is protected by his union and cannot just be released, and no way the Dodgers just eat that contract. If a way can be found to void it, that is probably how they will go.
These feels like a very emotional response. I fail to see how releasing him now would yield less strain on the bullpen. It’s not like they have a bunch of starting pitchers in the minors that are being blocked by having him on the 40 man and it isn’t like they couldn’t cut a worse pitcher if there was such a block.
The best case to rest a tired bullpen is for Bauer to return after the break. After all, before the incident he was leading the majors in IP and Quality Starts.
Similar thoughts about Urias came from people on this site, then they all cheered when he closed out the World Series.
In case you think the Dodgers’ ownership is going to make a moral statement in regards to Bauer, remember that Guggenheim are literally “The Wolves of Wallstreet”.
I just checked the aftermarket ticket prices for the upcoming series against the last place DBags. Judging by prices, I don’t see a lot of fan backlash to justify such a move.
The Dodgers did their requisite virtue signal by pulling Bauer merchandise off the shelves. I remember them doing the same to send a message to Puig. Puig remained on the team after the merch move.
No, you’re not for due process If you are suggesting the Dodgers cut TB right now, based upon the limited information you have. Of course, if the shoe was on the other foot, you’d be begging for restraint from others until all of them facts are known. Just stop.
Lux has the physical skills but he looks like a deer in headlights frozen in time. Everybody makes errors but his has cost us dearly. He just doesn’t seem to have the right mental makeup currently.
If kersh is just getting a break they sure picked a fine time. Sp in shambles bp is game but burn out.
Mckinstry scares me every time a ball is hit his way. No telling where he will throw it if he catches it.
Bellinger stating the obvious is just stalling our offense. He doesn’t appear to want to make any adjustments. Same swing every time. U would think he would b embarrassed and try to make contact. I know the game is hard blah blah blah
Where is Tommy lasorda when u need him? He had the funniest rants. I know he would not let this lackadaisical play go without some outrage. Doc just says we r prepared we r trying we will play better but we got a lot of season left.
Today’s early start game in Miami at noon EST:
RF Bett
1B Max
LF Beaty
CF Cody
C Will
2B Chris
SS Gavin
3B Zach
P Julio
Just saw that.
Two guys have multi hit game last night, both sit today. JT needs two days off in the same series right before the All-Star game? Are you freaking kidding me? It seems like every time AJ has more than one hit, he sits the next game.
Matt Beaty has 3 hits in his last 25 ABs. WTF is he doing starting and batting third?
Totally agree
I honestly did not understand bringing Kenley in when they did.
Just to bring Uceta in to lose it for us. I would have brought Uceta in, and IF he held bring Kenley in. If he holds & the D’s score in the 9th bring Kenley in. If he implodes in the 8th & D’s do not score in the 9th, game over & you have not wasted Kenley.
Lux’s AB’s were some of the UGLIEST in recent memory.
I was glad to see them drop Cody down in the order, hope he stays farther down until/if he “fixes” things.
Homer notwithstanding I would also drop Mookie down for a couple days. Those top spots in the order should be for guys who are hitting consistently IMO.
It’s remarkable how a team can be playing very good baseball and just like that against a last place team look disinterested and lacking fundamentals (like hitting a baseball in the strike zone when it’s pitched). During this series the team has KO’d 32.4% of the time. It’s made no contact about 43% of the time. They have left 56 on base. And, to put a cherry on top their defense has been awful with the catching leading the way. How Barnes has three CI recently is really hard to believe. Between the pitchers being pathetic at holding runners on first and Barnes’s weak and inaccurate arm why is he sticking his glove in the swing zone. He has no chance of throwing anyone out. And, according to Jerry Harriston Jr Smith’s fundamentals are flawed. I never understood why Smith rarely used his body to block pitches but figured the coaches knew what’s what. I guess not.
This issue with teams stealing bases on the Dodgers with reckless abandon is going to be the downfall of the team in the playoffs. So much for analytics by other teams when it comes to stealing bases. So, why aren’t we doing some stealing of our own? When Mookie is on first he takes these gigantic leads, but rarely steals. We have speed. Mookie, Lux, Bellinger, Muncy, and Taylor are capable of stealing some bases. Of course, they need to make more contact than they are currently doing in order to get on base.
I’ve been a Lux supporter so far this season. After a rough start I was for giving him a half a season to prove he deserves to start. Well, he has proven he does not deserve to start especially with his play lately. He is infuriating to watch at the plate. He watches too many down the middle, hittable pitches. I mentioned yesterday he doesn’t seem to have a plan. He’ll swing at a ball out of the zone and then watch a hittable pitch with that blank look on his face. And his fielding is become a issue.
With Kershaw on the IL there have been some wild assessments by posters above. From it’s no big deal to TJ surgery. If you read the press release it’s inflammation in the forearm (not tightness in the elbow). I think it’s giving Kershaw a midseason break that includes the All-Star break. So, he’ll probably miss 3 turns and be OK on his return. Let’s hope so.
What the heck is wrong with Mookie? As usual we get no insight from Roberts and Mookie says he’s having a bad year (yet makes the All-Star team?). Like mentioned above he’s doing poorly things he was doing well last year.
I continued to question Roberts use of the BP the last couple of months (well, actually forever). I don’t get pulling a pitcher who’s doing well in the middle of an inning. Why? It surely isn’t analytic driven. Last night was very odd. I don’t listen to Roberts’ postgame comments anymore because they nothing but clichés, bullshit, and down right lies. So, his BP use will be a beautiful mystery (to quote Aaron Rodgers).
We all waited patiently for Bellinger’s return. Me included. But, what a disappointment. What’s going on with him? Oh wait, I have an idea….never mind. When he is at bat and they have the shot from high above and behind the plate and I see damn near the entire left side of the infield wide open I’m thinking “let’s see, in the last seven games he’s batting .087, driven in 1 run, and is striking out 35% of the time maybe he might consider a bunt somewhere in the wide open space in front of your face”. Nope, let’s swing from the heels with men in scoring position in a tied game. That’s the ticket. Hell, it worked a couple of weeks ago. I keep pulling for him to be successful, but it just ain’t happening.
Enough for now. Almost game time. Hopefully, they’ll prove my comments above aint valid.
Totalmente de acuerdo en cada uno de los párrafos descritos tan acertadamente T Ray, en el beisbol como en toda competencia deportiva se puede ganar o perder ( en algunos casos empatar ), y si a nuestro querido equipo le toca perder, por lo menos espero que le pongan el 100 de su esfuerzo. Algunos se muestran asustados, otros parecen hasta cínicos con esa falta de actitud aparente ( por no conocer situaciones particulares de cualquier naturaleza por la que estén pasando algunos peloteros). Esas observaciones de los detalles de nuestros peloteros no las veo en los jugadores rivales en los juegos que desde México me ha tocado ver.
If the Dodgers release Bauer, that will likely cost them his full salary for next year, which is around $40 million, plus his third year’s salary, which is around $20 million. That devastates the payroll. They will have some substantial salaries coming off he books, including Kershaw and Jansen, but then how do you replace them? Then we have Seager and Taylor, how do we sign them?
A case could be made that the Dodgers should try to rebuild, starting right now, because next season does not look good. The problem is that they really don’t have many players that any other team wants, think about it. And which players on this roster can we legitimately count on to do very well next year? The Bauer signing, which I was all for at the time, will very possibly turn out to be disastrous to the franchise. Actually, I am still not convinced that this was not consensual “rough sex,” where he hit her too hard, but that can never be an excuse for the injuries.
I don’t know where the Dodgers can go from here. There is not a lot of talent in the minors right now. We have no young potential lineup player who projects to be a big star. Maybe we should have gone all-in on Ohtani? We were “interested,” the reports said, bu that was about it. The only player on this roster who I would consider indispensable, is Buehler. Our starting pitching for next year is very questionable. The bullpen suddenly looks better, but we have no high-end closer, unless we want Jansen back. Our best hitter seems to be Muncy, though I think that Betts will bounce back. The minor league talent is not the answer, and we have almost nothing to trade, certainly not on the major league roster, unless some team is excited about Lux, hitting .235. A rebuild, shedding payroll and then trying to pick up a few good pieces, is no fun, but we’re apparently now sunk $40 million on next year’s payroll because of Bauer. However, we are in this far, still look to make the playoffs, and I well understand the wish to go all-out for this last big chance to win a title. But do we have any legitimate chance to win it?
They won’t release him. If they can void his contract they will most likely go that route. But releasing him? Ain’t going to happen,
I have never seen a team with a 600 winning percentage sell off at the break and I fail to see how next season doesn’t look good.
Our starting pitching is suspect next year except for Buller, Urias, Bauer, May, Gonsolin, Price, Gray and maybe even Pepiot as options?
We have no young potential lineup player who projects to be a big star except for Ruiz, Busch and Vargas with few holes in the lineup to fill since AJ, Betts, Belli, Lux, Muncy, Smith, Turner and Rios are all under contract.
We have no high end closer except for Treinen and Kahnle who are both under contract next year. Ferguson and V-Gone will round out the back end.
We jumped to the top of the Power ranking in MLB this week, but we don’t have a legitimate chance of winning it?
I know that they can’t do it, the fans would be more than upset, understandably. But it was just a thought, because sometimes you need to be out in front of the curve. I will say that if Kershaw is seriously injured, they cannot win a title, not even the pennant. But they will likely play it out, hope for some players to come through or exceed expectations. I will say that the Red Sox, under different General Managers, have done an excellent job of getting out of big contracts, and then quickly rebuilding with selective acquisitions.
Kahnle was usually a sixth-inning man for the Yankees, then Ottavino, Britton, and Chapman. Ferguson could be really good, but who knows after surgery and then recovery? Other teams, at least the good ones, have strong closers. It would be nice to have gotten Iglesias, who looks very good when I see him. As for starters, if we don’t have Kershaw, we lose an all-time great; you lose Bauer; you’ve got Buehler, who is a great pitcher, you have Urias, who has not shown that he can pitch a lot of innings, you have May who is not ready until next July, if then; and you have Gonsolin who is now pitching better, but is hardly proven. And then a minor league pitcher who looks very good now, but we know those don’t always pan out, not right away. Would you rather have our starters going into next season, or San Diego’s?
His administrative leave was extended a week by agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. His lawyers and his agent totally deny the allegations. We won’t really know a thing until the investigation is over. I give Bauer an F for common sense. Padres have problems of their own, and their starting staff is short because of injury’s also. Clevenger out until next year, Lamet back on the IL. Snell has been mostly ineffective and has not given them many innings when he does start. Their pen is working more than ours. I think next years staff will be fine. Price is still under contract for one year, you have Gray and possibly Pepiot almost ready for prime time. Urias, Buehler, Gonsolin, May back around July. We also do not know who they might target in free agency or possible trade for before the deadline. Pitching is always the most flexible part of the roster.
I think the Dodgers have a lot of players other teams want:
Dodgers Select Darien Nunez
By Steve Adams | July 8, 2021 at 9:17am CDT
The Dodgers announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of lefty Darien Nunez and optioned right-hander Mitch White to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Their 40-man roster is now full.
Nunez, 28, signed with the Dodgers out of Cuba back in 2018 and has consistently posted solid numbers out of the bullpen as he’s risen through their system. He’s gotten his first experience at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2021, pitching to a combined 2.70 ERA with a 35.3 percent strikeout rate and a 12.6 percent walk rate in 30 innings. Obviously, the Dodgers will hope his control of the strike zone improves — he’s also hit a batter and tossed three wild pitches — but it’s a generally encouraging showing for the lefty.
We don’t know all the facts about the Bauer case. But I would wager that by now the Dodger owners/management do know pretty much everything. And they’re going to do what causes the minimum of amount of damage to the team, under the circumstances. How that works out contractually, we can only guess. Bottom line right now , he’s not pitching the rest of the year. Doc looked really tired yesterday.
If he is charged, the Dodgers might have the option of voiding his contract. The last 2 seasons of it are years he could opt out. If he is convicted of anything and goes to jail, that would violate the morals clause in the contract I would think. At any rate, any kind of plea bargain or conviction, his days in LA are numbered.
This 1st inning HR sheeyit is just ridiculous.
Happens to this staff a lot, but they over came it.
I totally agree, it is just ANNOYING. I generally LIKE solo hr’s if that is all you are giving up.
I like day games, but not before I had my coffee!
On a completely different note, I really miss Caleb Ferguson.
1 – They can’t exercise the morals clause in the contract at this point. He hasn’t been convicted of anything yet. If criminal charges are never brought the alleged victim can still sue. If she wins maybe then. I don’t know what the clause says but I’m sure that it’s pretty narrow – today’s athletes get away with all kinds of things (shootings, strip bars and hookers, drugs, etc.) and don’t get their contracts cancelled.
2 – I disagree with Vengeur. Bauer’s attorney wouldn’t let him talk to the team or anyone else while he’s being investigated for a crime as anything he tells anyone else can be used against him. Dodger management doesn’t know everything yet.
3 – Roberts finally said last night that they were going to start stretching Price out, but look at his numbers – they stink! In 27 innings he’s given up 38 (!) hits and 8 walks for a WHIP of almost 1.7! Maybe he can be 5th starter, but if Bauer doesn’t come back for a while (or ever) and Kershaw is out for more than a couple of weeks, they still need another starter, assuming that Gonsolin’s arm doesn’t fall off too.
4 – I don’t get the fascination with Uceta. The fact that they keep bringing him up and then they have to use him in late and close situations tells us just how few ready pitching prospects that they have and how shallow the bullpen is. White is another guy who allows too many baserunners to be effective.
5 – So how much runway do they give Lux? But what are the alternatives while Seager is out? Would you like to be the guy who gave up on Lux too soon and have him become a star wearing another team’s uniform? He has nothing left to prove in AAA – so what else do you do with him?
I pretty much agree with your take on Lux, but maybe he needs to be sent down just to shake him up a little bit
Alternatives to Lux…
Taylor moves to full-time SS pending Seager’s return;,Muncy/McKinstry at 2B, Muncy/Pujols/Beatty at 1B.
Lux becomes backup SS, pinch hitter against righties, pinch runner.
I’ll say it again: If he can’t hit lefthanded pitching at the ML level, he’s no better than a platoon guy. Think Joc with less power, fewer walks, a mediocre OBA. (Lux has the same number of HRs now as McKinstry but more than double the ABs.)
When the Dodgers send him to OKC, they should get him some work in OF because his highest value may be as utility player–and that’s OK. With his speed, he could be terrific in that role–a lefthanded hitting Taylor.
UT was supposed to be McKinstry’s job, but right now McK>Lux.
When Seager returns, who gets sent down? I think it would be between Lux and Beatty.
I agree with everything you said here, except regarding Price. If you look at his game logs, he’s given up 1 run each in his last 10 games. Coincidentally, his ERA sits at 3.58 which is the same ERA he finished the season with when he kicked our asses in the 18 WS. His WHIP is high, but I’m not that surprised considering he’s always had a high WHIP as a starter in his first inning of work. He doesn’t need to be a Walker Bueller, he just needs to be better than a bullpen game.
1 run each in two of his last ten.
So,what are our options with Bauer?Can we get out of part of the contract?If not are we held responsible against the mlb tax rule?
1. Wait
2. Wait
3. Wait
lol
Boy peeps sure want instant gratification these days.
We do not know what is true and what isn’t in the Bauer case. Contrary to what some people say, he has not admitted to anything.
So, right about now, it is felony stupid to cut him or make any conclusions. The results will be in soon.
If you read his text he has admitted to choking her unconscious
I think it could be taken either way. Context!
At her request.
At her request or not he basically admitted to choking her out. It’s whether or not they believe the other accusations or they can be proved which I’m sure it will be hard to do. It seems to me there’s enough there for MLB to suspend him if they want to they don’t have to wait for a conviction
I did not know, so possibly you do not either. But research says that type of behavior is very common in that age group. TOTALLY not safe, but common. Shocker to me, but appears to be true.
Not playing like WORLD CHAMPIONS today.
That didn’t age well.
No it figures. That’s why I never trash a player in a slump. Soon as I say it he go on a tear. Anyway glad to be wrong under the circumstances.
More change ups? The hitters adjusted and are looking for that sh*t.
Well, I guess the 5th is our one inning to score in today.
I wonder who many times Julio will bat twice in one innings in his career?
I’m rooting for Trevor. I want him back on the team ASAP.
What he does in his personal life, especially if consensual, should not define the rest of his career.
Exactly right Watford. In this country a person is PRESUMED iNNOCENT until PROVEN GUILTY or am I wrong about that?
I didn’t hear anybody say he was guilty of anything. Except being an idiot and putting his team and the league in a terrible light
So true. And consider his generation as far as this whole sordid thing. My wife more interested in details than I am, ( I do not even want to read all the crap at all and have not), read that in the 18-30 age group that whole BDSM thing is practiced by approx FORTY PERCENT. WTF are we doing these days? SHEESH
Best to wait on the Pasadena police department and Major League Baseball investigation to conclude. Same thing with Clayton Kershaw injury, best to wait for the test results.
Oh my gosh. I realize that’s difficult in today’s instant information, jump to conclusions before we know the facts, twitter society.
Okay, David Price? What’s going on? He says he wants to start, ready to get back in the rotation, but Dave Roberts plays it down. Makes sense, unless there is something we don’t know. Not much clarity here. But the Dodgers are apparently starting him Friday.
Will they finally give in and move him into a starting role? Makes sense to me since he’s pretty much always been a starter.
Guessing Andrew Friedman is focused on another starting pitcher at the trade deadline, uncertainty front and center. Maybe an additional bullpen piece.
I agree the Dodgers are not always having good at bats with runners in scoring position, more or less, LA’s downfall in this series. Dodgers are finding ways to lose games. Why is Uceta even in the game? Go one better, why is he even up. Just not impressed, not ready.
Thinking Ryan Pepiot will be up sooner than later. Deserves a shot. Could Josiah Gray get an earlier than expected?
Could Phillies explore a Zack Wheeler trade? Maybe. Probably not. If that happens, that would be worth the Dodgers exploring. Costly, but …
LA Daily News columnist Jim Alexander starts his column today, “When they cancel your bobblehead night, that spells trouble.”
Pretty much. Guessing the Dodgers are planning for the worst case scenario.
Okay, no question if the Dodgers, knew what they know now, they wouldn’t sign Bauer.
Anyone notice that suddenly Gerrit Cole is giving up lots of runs, 10 in his past two starts?
With a 5 runs lead in the 8th inning why isn’t Price in to pitch? Could it be that Dave Roberts doesn’t feel the lead is large enough? After all Batting average against Price is .328. The worst of any Dodger pitcher this year with more than 2 innings.
Tomorrow is a bullpen game again, and they have been saying the entire game that Price is starting that game, Chill dude.
I am not watching the game, but did I get this right? Urias bats (strikeout) and is then replaced on the mound without facing a batter in the 8th?????
Yes, His pitch count was 101 and he has never pitched more than 7 innings his entire career. He did what they needed him to do, 7 quality innings.
There’s some positive news!
Plus as hard as these last few games have been on us fans a .625 % on a little road trip is 100% acceptable IMO. I think “normal wishes” for winning teams is to be over 500 on the road & around 650-700 at home.
Why not a pinch hitter since you are taking him out anyway??
Because he is actually a good hitter. He is one I think FOR SURE will have a few homers in his career.
He had a hit his 2nd AB & scored & his current avg is .229 & I THINK he has the most RBI for a pitcher, or at least he did. 6-1 lead w/only 4 bench dudes right now, made total sense to me.
Cheers
When batting with two strikes CT has struck out 86 times in 159 at bats. The next closest on the Dodgers is JT with 61 in 152 at bats. CT is lost when he has two strikes on him.
Yeah but CT is full of big hits
He does need to cut down on the strikeouts though
The entire frippen team needs to cut down on the K’s. 11 more today. 36 times over the first 3 games, so 47 total in a 4 game series. That is terrible. Lux has struck out 68 times. Pitiful.
Dont know why you are so down on Lux. If you should be down on a player it is Bellinger. He and betts should be carrying this offense and they are abysmal so far.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need Belli’s D for sure, I think he should be at 6 or 7 until he “fixes” things.
Bellinger missed a large portion of spring training and an even larger portion of the season. He has played in 44 less games than Lux. Basically, he is at about 4 weeks into the season. Bellinger is not hitting well that is true, but Lux is not only not hitting, he has been lousy the last few games on defense, and defense on this team is a big thing. Bellinger at least will try to hit the ball. I have seen Lux time and time again take a pitch that is right down the middle. And for a guy who is supposed to be a contact hitter, 68 K’s are way too many. You expect Bellinger to K a lot since he is such a free swinger. I do not know what Betts problem is, but he came back and got a couple hits today. I will be glad when Seager is back and I do not have to cringe every time a ball is hit his way.
CT has always struck out a lot. Probably the biggest flaw in his (very good) game.
If he’s batted 159 times with two strikes, and got K’d 86 times, that leaves 73 times when he did something else.
I wonder how his OBA compares to others in such a situation. What is the MLB average? Just an interesting, wonky stat.
It is reported that Bauer’s administrative leave will be extended another 7 days effective tomorrow by MLB.
In talks with Sports Illustrated, Bauer admits that he would be a “bad husband”, before going on to explain his three rules when dating: “I have three rules. One: no feelings. As soon as I sense you’re developing feelings, I’m going to cut it off, because I’m not interested in a relationship and I’m emotionally unavailable. Two: no social media posts about me while we’re together, because private life stays private. Three: I sleep with other people. I’m going to continue to sleep with other people. If you’re not O.K. with that, we won’t sleep together, and that’s perfectly fine. We can just be perfectly polite platonic friends.”
What does that got to do with anything?? He’s just being honest
That’s a lot of information for somebody who wants to keep his private life private.lol
Yeah, TMI.
And we really don’t know if he’s being honest. Certainly sounds candid, but it’s also sounds boastful to me–“Yeah, I have a lot of sex with a lot of women….Wanna see some pictures?” A sportf—-r, you might say. Sort of fits his swagger on the field.
To me that quote is a bright red flag. It signals a character flaw.
I had one close friend from high school days who, over the years, kept close tabs on his “score.” He wasn’t a completely narcissistic emotional zero–but on the rare occasion he fell for a gal it didn’t end well. He was possessive and obsessive.. Oh, and about three years after one short-term hookup, the woman called an invited him over… to introduce him to the son that had red hair and freckles, just like my pal. (He actually embraced the role of part-time dad–but that went sideways too.)
Some 33 years after we were best buds, I visited him. His days as flashy financier with a swanky pad and a boat in Newport called the “Done Deal” were long past. He was 49 and terminal–esophageal cancer. I brought over my baby daughter to show her off. He was grateful when I asked him to hold her when I went back to the car for something, “I’m not contagius,” he said unnecessarily.
When it was time for us to go, he let me know what his final “score” was.
Hey, if Bauer runs for office, maybe he’d say it was just “lockerroom talk.”
I really didn’t pay much attention until he signed with the Dodgers. But when I read that, I find myself thinking, whoa, something is just off with this guy.
Plus that was over 2yrs ago. Not that he has changed since then and seems likely given his “behavior”, but the attitude seems quite acceptable to his generation, until their “hashtag me too lights” go on, then they are ready for the kill.
HEADLINE : DODGERS BOUNCE BACK AGAINST MUFFNIFICENT MARLINS . Salvage series with one win
…For the Dodgers, the injury comes at a time when the rotation — whose 3.03 ERA, 9.3 WAR, and 3.58 FIP respectively rank second, third and fourth in the NL — is somewhat depleted. …
Szymborski on the Dodgers, in general:
Question: Who will the dodgers pick up? I think Nats should at least get a call but a healthy kluber on a flailing Yankees might be a good move. Or maybe Hendricks if the Cubs flop?
Dan Szymborski: Hendricks is certainly a possibility, but the Cubs may not want to trade him at a low point in his value. I do think the Dodgers will pick up a pitcher of course. At this point, they’re going to operate as if there’s no more Bauer, I think. (but I don’t do projections for criminal investigations and player suspensions/releases) I think there will be a lot of sellers in the NL, but I’m still not sure which. It depends who thinks they have a divisional chance in a couple weeks. Because ain’t nobody in the East or Central chasing a wild card spot, at least if they’re smart.
Q: Do you have a gut feeling about how much time Trevor Bauer is going to be gone or if the Dodgers might cut ties?
Dan Szymborski: Zero. It’s a horribly messy situation. Both legally and morally and that’s before you even get to baseball
Looking for advice. I’m flying to Hawaii but making a priority of landing in LA on the 21st and going to the Dodgers game on the 22nd against the Giants. We hop back on a plane to Hawaii on the 23rd. So, basically where would be a good place to stay that I can shuttle or Uber or take some sort of transit to the ball game on the 22nd and be able to get back to LAX on the 23rd without it being a nightmare.
I have some advice for you. Take the train from the Airport to DTLA and back that way you won’t have to deal with traffic.
The Standard hotel is very close to the train station and is more of a hipster crowd. The Bonaventure is a solid choice for all types and is also close to the station.
Both are close Uber Rides, or you can hop on the train and take it to Union Station to grab the shuttle.
More to add. Red line goes from Figueroa Station to Union Station.
Green line from airport to Willow Parks staton to transfer to the Blue line which takes you to Fig Station.
You have to buy a card and load money onto it. You can do this at any station with a credit card. I think each ride is only 1.75. Don’t swipe the card at the transfer station as transfers are included.
We’re going to Hawaii as well!
We go in August, which island?
Honestly? I’d probably stay downtown. The schlep is longer to and from LAX, but the hotels are nice and the hard airport traffic can be avoided.
That’s the best way to fly to Hawaii. We usually stay a couple of days in SF before the flight to HI
We like Classic Historic Hotels. I have not stayed here for a while, but it is a Millenium Hotel, which usually means it is EPIC:
First, you nailed it about Julio righting the ship today. He’s now 11-3. When he gets through the first inning, he’s been very tough. He’s been better than his ERA suggests.
Second, I think the enforcement of a morality clause depends mostly on the wording of the contract. I think cancelling a bobblehead or other merchandise while the cloud of suspicion hovers is simply prudent public relations.
Short of a full recantation by the accuser, I think the best case scenario for Bauer is still bad. No charges but a tarnished reputation. Dodgers should probably cut ties regardless.
He was problematic before he was signed. Is he radioactive now?
Travel news. Just got confirmation of family trip to Portugal next week. 7 days in Lisbon; 7 days in Porto. Me, wife, and my two sons.
Don’t miss me too much 🙂
Take in a Fado music show and enjoy sampling the port wines.
The Netherlands are a nice place to visit. Not sure how the weather will be that time of year but so what.
I have never been there.
I love it. As beautiful as Venezia architecturally. You will have a blast. Amazing food too.
You will love the country, I went there while I was in the Army. Some great beers, nice people too. You might like to swing into Belgium while you are there also. But November can be very cold. Pack your long johns.
Amsterdam is called the Venice of the North. For a reason. Beuatiful city.#
However weather in NOV usually is on the cold and rainy side. So be prepared.
Oh, and remember, when the Dutch are talking about coffee shop it is a little different coffee shop than in the US…..(smiley).
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Hard Drugs
You’ll love it.
I’m there for a long weekend in December (hopefully)
Bacchus – Portugal is a wonderful place – people are very friendly, but be prepared for some serious heat.
Lisbon is a great place – vibrant.
Oh, it also has the Internet just in case you wanna check in here!
Here’s to hoping THE PRICE IS RIGHT on Friday. That other guy won’t be back this season so I’m done talking about him.
I’ll take 4 IP please.
Next time he can go 5.
(Hardly anyone goes more than 6 these days anyway.)
Ruiz can hit.
I think we fixed his launch angle too.
All systems go.
Radaronline is breaking some Bauer stuff.
I honestly believe now is the time to bring up Ruiz. Send down Uceta. Sitting in the bullpen is not going to help the kids confidence or stuff. He is obviously not ready for prime time.
Scherzer gave up a grand slam last night to a pitcher who was just called up from AAA. It was also his first MLB at bat. But if you look at the pitches location, it is amazing that the guy hit it at all, let alone out of the park.
Very proud of Urias today! As for Lux, I too am puzzled by his passivity on “down the middle” hittable pitches. This is a problem for many Dodger hitters, but not to that extent.
My pet peeve, already mentioned by several of you, is the Dodgers’ refusal to bunt or hit against the shift. If I were manager, every hitter would try it at least once a game. Especially Bellinger, especially with his speed. Then there’s that going for the fences (and failing) with runners on second and third, when you really need a single, thing.
Roberts’ bullpen management never ceases to amaze me. And not in a good way (I’m biting my tongue). And, as you’ve mentioned, his pulling hot players from the lineup so he can “rest” them, is nothing but dumb.
I’ve said enough. But I’m for being patient with Lux. There’s a lot of talent there. Roberts needs to work his motivational magic with Gavin, or get him professional help. It’s hard being 23–remember?
About TB. Yes, many of us women do have a visceral reaction to “dangerous” men. When he was signed, my reaction was, literally, nausea and fear (for my team). Women’s intuition is real, unless you’re 27, I guess. It does get better with experience.
Trevor is beyond help or therapy. I’m inclined to agree with the “he’s on the spectrum” theory advanced by one of our excellent commenters. I really would like this to be over. I really would like Andrew Friedman to admit he made a mistake.
Unfortunately Freidman’s hands are tied until both the police and MLB investigations are concluded, and even then he cannot really do anything. The MLBPA is a very strong union, and they are going to have a say in what happens. They already have allowing MLB to extend his administrative leave for 7 more days. This will not be over quickly. And you can bet it will be the offseason before the dust settles on this. Until ALL OF THE FACTS are known, assuming guilt or innocence is a waste of ones energy. Concentrate on the players that are there. As for resting Turner yesterday, I have little problem with that. He is 36 now, and he will most likely be in all 3 games against the Snakes, also, it was an early morning game after a night game. No way he or Pujols, the other OLD MAN on the team were going to start. As for the way Roberts handles a pen, nothing has changed in the entire time he has been here. He always makes head scratching moves. His lineups are never consistent. Most here almost went into shock when he ran the same 8 out there two days in a row last week. I cannot wait to get Seager back. As far as beating the shift goes, yeah, bunting would help some. But the better way is just taking the pitch to the opposite field. Also, Uceta does not belong on a MLB roster yet. Maybe next year when he is more mature and has more ammo in his arsenal.
Yep, baseball happen . Captain Obvious strikes again. After the game last night Roberts told reporters, ” We need to do the little things better” No Poop there Dave. How about doing some of the big things better too, like scoring runs when you have the bases juiced??? Urias on the bump first today. 9 AM start in LA, 10 here. I could see Lux getting demoted to AAA to get his sh%% together. McKinstry has the same number of HR’s in half the at bats. This team can be maddening and I agree with MT that it is going to be very hard for them to repeat. I think they make the playoffs. But it is not going to be as easy as everyone thought at the beginning of the year. Great job yesterday Jeff. Nice to see you back if even only for a little while. I needed some comedy relief after last nights debacle, so I read about some baseball characters who were good for a laugh. Moe Drabowski was one of them. Ordered a pizza from Japan from the pen, and one time after he was taken out of a game, he called to the bullpen imitating Weaver and ordered them to get up a reliever. Joe Carter pulled a great one at the end of the season on fan appreciation day. Saying there would be a raffle for a car giveaway. He then had one of the clubhouse guys wash Derek Bell’s jeep, and later in the game Carter drove it onto the field as Bell watched unbelieving what he was seeing. The video of the look on his face is classic. But one of my all time favorite moments came in 1934 in Philadelphia. Dodger pitcher, Walter Beck was pitching against the Phillies. The wall in the outfield was tin, and Beck was giving up a lot of shots off of the wall that made a booming sound when hit. Hall of Famer, Hack Wilson, who was playing RF was getting worn out chasing baseballs. Manager Casey Stengel finally had enough and came out to get Beck. Wilson turned and leaned his head against the wall to rest..he was probably suffering from a hangover. Anyway, Casey heads to the mound to get Beck, and Beck is telling ol Case, no no….then he turns and fires the ball to right field, hitting the wall above Wilson’s head. The startled Wilson, thinking play has resumed, chases the ball and turns and fires a perfect strike to second base. Beck leaves the game, but he is Walter Beck no more, from that day on his nick name was Boom Boom.
Dodgers are snake (injury) bitten this season. So many key guys going down and then the TB case to top it off.
Should we now lose Clayton too the season probably is a lost case, at least as far as a title is concerned.
AF and the Dodgers will have to make up their mind pretty fast what direction they will go. If they think besides all the injuries and the TB fiasco they still have a shot they have to get another starter quick. They will crash and burn the bullpen arms if those bullpen games go on for much longer.
I do not understand why they are so reluctant to use Price in a starting role. Guy has done this all career long, so why not work him up quickly ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a feeling that is going to happen sooner rather than later. I also expect them to trade for a starter since there are no obvious replacements at OKC. A little early to access how long Kersh will be down. Might be they are just giving him a blow with the all star game coming up. Bauer I believe has thrown his last pitch in LA simply because I do not see this going away anytime soon.
I think Price is damaged goods. It may have been more than COVID-19 that caused him to sit out 2020!
The inability to hold base runners has become a common theme for opposing teams to exploit. Hard to imagine we couldn’t improve with a little concerted effort there. Injuries are demoralizing but work on some of these things we can control.
On ESPN last night they said that Keyshawn forearm was hurt doing weights; specifically pointing out that it was not due to throwing. Of course this is ESPN so consider the source.
ESPN is on my no fly list
Agreed!
A lot of the good talent seems to have left ESPN, but Olney still has very good sources as does, of course Kurkjian, but beyond that?
Crickets.
Only my opinion though.
Mitchell white looks like he could go into a starting role. He pitched 4 innings I mean none of them give u more than six anyway. He may not be great but he could surprise. I have never seen such a fragile bunch of Mlb players. My word Robert’s acts like this is brain surgery. These are supposed to be the best players in the world and we don’t have anybody who can start. I don’t give AF a pass on this. This has been brewing for quite a while. There should be no excuse for being in this position.
Robert’s just gave them the game by putting uceta in the 9th. He continues to do this nonsense. Uceta could have started or been used in the middle innings. We had a 5-2 lead and we’re scored on in almost every inning. U save your worst reliever to get the toughest outs. Ridiculous
I thought White looked good too.
Uceta is talented but he is just not ready for the show. Bring up someone else next time if you have to. Confidence of the kid is damage already, do not completely ruin him by getting him into situations he can not handle yet.
Quakenbush should be up next.
Go Dodgers!!!!
Its just giving Kersh a little time before the break to be strong down the stretch. If Fridays game mattered he would be in there, he was in the dugout laughing and hamming it up last night, if this was real serious he’d would have been on a plane back to LA.
Look this is going to come down to who gets hot, and at the right time. Can Buehler be our 88 Hershiser, can Muncy be our 20 Seager, can Mariachi Joe be the 18Joe. The answer is yes they can, if they get hot at the right time, watch out.
Id like to see Pepiot come up; give the kid a shot.
The last 3 games sucked, but lets take the long view here and enjoy the ride, its going to be a wild one.
MT is riding the Lux wave. He’s coming on, no he isn’t, he’s coming on, no he isn’t.
I love McKinstry’s clutch, but he isn’t the player Lux is. Z-Mach is rating out as poor fielder at every position so far. He’s 26 while Lux is 23.
The pitching staff gave up 9 runs yesterday, you aren’t going to win many of those. Reed, White and Uceta gave it up like the Farmer’s daughter, or Bauer’s house guest. Too soon?
Why is Barnes still on this team? You can go years without seeing catcher’s interference and he does it 3 times in a week? WTF???
Kenly has been giving up baserunners to the first 1 or 2 batters he faces for the last few games, only natural for Doc to bring him in with runners on.
Maybe we should have just stuck with Don Mattingly. I don’t see him making bone-headed moves anymore, but Doc never learns.
Bullpen games are for the birds. It’s no coincidence that we’re getting smoked by the Fish.
The team has played flat these last three games after stepping up and taking care of business against the Nats. The first game of the series featured 3 big names “resting”. Ever consider the team is responding in kind to these stupid roster decisions? Or, was it a 2 game hangover from the stupid 4th of July schedule that all the players complained about?
Invisible man AJ Pollock, homered with a 2-4 game yesterday but apparently no one saw it.
If you compare Marte and Pollock’s careers, you’ll see a lot of similarities. Both have played 10 years. They’re age is just a year apart. Each seems to get injured each year. They are just 6 homers apart and career OPS is just 13 points apart.
If our pitchers could hold runners on then Barnes doesn’t have to try and make up for their inefficiencies. I blame the staff. Kelly seems to be the only pitcher who threw with real purpose to first base.
Totally agree, I think Barnes is spooked on how much they are running on them. He was just trying to gain an extra split second. And totally agree if the pitchers paid a bit more attn to the runners it would not be an issue. Some guys need to tighten up on the windups & moves to the plate to get the ball there just a bit more quickly.
Cheers
Hot takes, get yer hot takes!:
1. Must be Seager who is the franchise cornerstone along with Betts. Give him the money. Who else is gonna get it?
2. Put Lux on the bench. Time for some tough love.
3. Welcome to the rotation, Price. You also take Kershaw’s veteran LHP role next year.
4. Find a way to fit in Ruiz. Whatever it takes.
5. All-star break is a good time to re-sign Taylor.
6. More prospects will be traded this deadline than usual, but emphasis will be on controllable guys.
7. Trade Pollock to Miami where he sees the ball well.
8. Speed kills.
9. Pepiot will pitch in October.
10. Bauer signing is not Pedro-for-DD or Piazza trade; it’s closer to Strawberry signing or Andruw Jones.
Dodgers send White back to OKC and call up Nunez.
This is the first I’ve hear of this. So, CK has the classic “forearm tightness” that leads inevitably to Tommy John? Ouch. At first I believed B&P’s assessment that the “injury” conveniently coincided with the ASB, this giving him a long rest.
I would assume that it would be hard to stretch out a 35 year old pitcher mid-season, especially one who hasn’t started since 2019. Even so, I’m not sure why this hasn’t been a serious consideration. The Dodgers are paying him 16 million to be a middle reliever.
I would agree that using the morality clause to sever ties with TB is the right thing to do, in spite of the desperate need for SP right now, unless of course there is some sort of smoking gun evidence that victim staged the event or that it was some elaborate extortion attempt. Unlikely, but not impossible. Even if she asked for rough sex, if she winds up with a skull fracture then TB is a sadist who needs to go away. It’s not that many of us wanted proof beyond a reasonable doubt. We just wanted to see more evidence before we formed an opinion. I’d still like to get all the facts first. BTW, I can say with a 100% degree of certainty that if TB was the model Woke virtue signaller with preferred pronouns in his social media bios then the likes of Nosler and Molly Knight would have a completely different tone. “Let’s not rush to judgment!” It’s the times we live in.
Injuries or not, my issue with this team all year has been the poor execution of the fundamentals. The 2017 and the 2020 Dodgers had an uncanny knack for winning those close games, coming from behind or winning on walk-offs. This team just has an uncanny ability to lose close games because of some mental error or lack of execution or key strikeout in a key moment. Playoff baseball is won on those key moments in key situations. I don’t think anyone here can say with confidence that the Dodgers would easily beat their first round opponent. I just don’t have confidence in this team.
I think AF understands that. It’s why he traded for guys like Jimmy Rollins or Howie Kendrick, Utley and Pujols. There is stability, scrappiness and the ability to slow the game down in key moments that sabre nerds don’t yet have a stat for. Lux is showing us the contrapositive.
Dodgers need to release TB now. I’m all for due process but a message needs to be sent that we’re a “team first” club and when you conduct yourself selfishly that impacts the team there is a price to pay. His poor judgement and resulting suspension has put the team in a situation where they have to rely upon a taxed and at times very inexperienced bullpen.
I’m looking for that shoe to drop soon, perhaps during the all-star break.
This is largely a legal matter now and has little to do with baseball. Just God forbid you don’t immediately declare you’re boycotting baseball for life immediately after–similar to how some reacted to the All-Star game being moved.
As the French say, “The extremes touch.”
They can’t. MLBPA would riot. They can probably somewhere down the line void his contract, but he is protected by his union and cannot just be released, and no way the Dodgers just eat that contract. If a way can be found to void it, that is probably how they will go.
These feels like a very emotional response. I fail to see how releasing him now would yield less strain on the bullpen. It’s not like they have a bunch of starting pitchers in the minors that are being blocked by having him on the 40 man and it isn’t like they couldn’t cut a worse pitcher if there was such a block.
The best case to rest a tired bullpen is for Bauer to return after the break. After all, before the incident he was leading the majors in IP and Quality Starts.
Similar thoughts about Urias came from people on this site, then they all cheered when he closed out the World Series.
In case you think the Dodgers’ ownership is going to make a moral statement in regards to Bauer, remember that Guggenheim are literally “The Wolves of Wallstreet”.
I just checked the aftermarket ticket prices for the upcoming series against the last place DBags. Judging by prices, I don’t see a lot of fan backlash to justify such a move.
The Dodgers did their requisite virtue signal by pulling Bauer merchandise off the shelves. I remember them doing the same to send a message to Puig. Puig remained on the team after the merch move.
No, you’re not for due process If you are suggesting the Dodgers cut TB right now, based upon the limited information you have. Of course, if the shoe was on the other foot, you’d be begging for restraint from others until all of them facts are known. Just stop.
Lux has the physical skills but he looks like a deer in headlights frozen in time. Everybody makes errors but his has cost us dearly. He just doesn’t seem to have the right mental makeup currently.
If kersh is just getting a break they sure picked a fine time. Sp in shambles bp is game but burn out.
Mckinstry scares me every time a ball is hit his way. No telling where he will throw it if he catches it.
Bellinger stating the obvious is just stalling our offense. He doesn’t appear to want to make any adjustments. Same swing every time. U would think he would b embarrassed and try to make contact. I know the game is hard blah blah blah
Where is Tommy lasorda when u need him? He had the funniest rants. I know he would not let this lackadaisical play go without some outrage. Doc just says we r prepared we r trying we will play better but we got a lot of season left.
Today’s early start game in Miami at noon EST:
RF Bett
1B Max
LF Beaty
CF Cody
C Will
2B Chris
SS Gavin
3B Zach
P Julio
Just saw that.
Two guys have multi hit game last night, both sit today. JT needs two days off in the same series right before the All-Star game? Are you freaking kidding me? It seems like every time AJ has more than one hit, he sits the next game.
Matt Beaty has 3 hits in his last 25 ABs. WTF is he doing starting and batting third?
Totally agree
I honestly did not understand bringing Kenley in when they did.
Just to bring Uceta in to lose it for us. I would have brought Uceta in, and IF he held bring Kenley in. If he holds & the D’s score in the 9th bring Kenley in. If he implodes in the 8th & D’s do not score in the 9th, game over & you have not wasted Kenley.
Lux’s AB’s were some of the UGLIEST in recent memory.
I was glad to see them drop Cody down in the order, hope he stays farther down until/if he “fixes” things.
Homer notwithstanding I would also drop Mookie down for a couple days. Those top spots in the order should be for guys who are hitting consistently IMO.
It’s remarkable how a team can be playing very good baseball and just like that against a last place team look disinterested and lacking fundamentals (like hitting a baseball in the strike zone when it’s pitched). During this series the team has KO’d 32.4% of the time. It’s made no contact about 43% of the time. They have left 56 on base. And, to put a cherry on top their defense has been awful with the catching leading the way. How Barnes has three CI recently is really hard to believe. Between the pitchers being pathetic at holding runners on first and Barnes’s weak and inaccurate arm why is he sticking his glove in the swing zone. He has no chance of throwing anyone out. And, according to Jerry Harriston Jr Smith’s fundamentals are flawed. I never understood why Smith rarely used his body to block pitches but figured the coaches knew what’s what. I guess not.
This issue with teams stealing bases on the Dodgers with reckless abandon is going to be the downfall of the team in the playoffs. So much for analytics by other teams when it comes to stealing bases. So, why aren’t we doing some stealing of our own? When Mookie is on first he takes these gigantic leads, but rarely steals. We have speed. Mookie, Lux, Bellinger, Muncy, and Taylor are capable of stealing some bases. Of course, they need to make more contact than they are currently doing in order to get on base.
I’ve been a Lux supporter so far this season. After a rough start I was for giving him a half a season to prove he deserves to start. Well, he has proven he does not deserve to start especially with his play lately. He is infuriating to watch at the plate. He watches too many down the middle, hittable pitches. I mentioned yesterday he doesn’t seem to have a plan. He’ll swing at a ball out of the zone and then watch a hittable pitch with that blank look on his face. And his fielding is become a issue.
With Kershaw on the IL there have been some wild assessments by posters above. From it’s no big deal to TJ surgery. If you read the press release it’s inflammation in the forearm (not tightness in the elbow). I think it’s giving Kershaw a midseason break that includes the All-Star break. So, he’ll probably miss 3 turns and be OK on his return. Let’s hope so.
What the heck is wrong with Mookie? As usual we get no insight from Roberts and Mookie says he’s having a bad year (yet makes the All-Star team?). Like mentioned above he’s doing poorly things he was doing well last year.
I continued to question Roberts use of the BP the last couple of months (well, actually forever). I don’t get pulling a pitcher who’s doing well in the middle of an inning. Why? It surely isn’t analytic driven. Last night was very odd. I don’t listen to Roberts’ postgame comments anymore because they nothing but clichés, bullshit, and down right lies. So, his BP use will be a beautiful mystery (to quote Aaron Rodgers).
We all waited patiently for Bellinger’s return. Me included. But, what a disappointment. What’s going on with him? Oh wait, I have an idea….never mind. When he is at bat and they have the shot from high above and behind the plate and I see damn near the entire left side of the infield wide open I’m thinking “let’s see, in the last seven games he’s batting .087, driven in 1 run, and is striking out 35% of the time maybe he might consider a bunt somewhere in the wide open space in front of your face”. Nope, let’s swing from the heels with men in scoring position in a tied game. That’s the ticket. Hell, it worked a couple of weeks ago. I keep pulling for him to be successful, but it just ain’t happening.
Enough for now. Almost game time. Hopefully, they’ll prove my comments above aint valid.
Totalmente de acuerdo en cada uno de los párrafos descritos tan acertadamente T Ray, en el beisbol como en toda competencia deportiva se puede ganar o perder ( en algunos casos empatar ), y si a nuestro querido equipo le toca perder, por lo menos espero que le pongan el 100 de su esfuerzo. Algunos se muestran asustados, otros parecen hasta cínicos con esa falta de actitud aparente ( por no conocer situaciones particulares de cualquier naturaleza por la que estén pasando algunos peloteros). Esas observaciones de los detalles de nuestros peloteros no las veo en los jugadores rivales en los juegos que desde México me ha tocado ver.
If the Dodgers release Bauer, that will likely cost them his full salary for next year, which is around $40 million, plus his third year’s salary, which is around $20 million. That devastates the payroll. They will have some substantial salaries coming off he books, including Kershaw and Jansen, but then how do you replace them? Then we have Seager and Taylor, how do we sign them?
A case could be made that the Dodgers should try to rebuild, starting right now, because next season does not look good. The problem is that they really don’t have many players that any other team wants, think about it. And which players on this roster can we legitimately count on to do very well next year? The Bauer signing, which I was all for at the time, will very possibly turn out to be disastrous to the franchise. Actually, I am still not convinced that this was not consensual “rough sex,” where he hit her too hard, but that can never be an excuse for the injuries.
I don’t know where the Dodgers can go from here. There is not a lot of talent in the minors right now. We have no young potential lineup player who projects to be a big star. Maybe we should have gone all-in on Ohtani? We were “interested,” the reports said, bu that was about it. The only player on this roster who I would consider indispensable, is Buehler. Our starting pitching for next year is very questionable. The bullpen suddenly looks better, but we have no high-end closer, unless we want Jansen back. Our best hitter seems to be Muncy, though I think that Betts will bounce back. The minor league talent is not the answer, and we have almost nothing to trade, certainly not on the major league roster, unless some team is excited about Lux, hitting .235. A rebuild, shedding payroll and then trying to pick up a few good pieces, is no fun, but we’re apparently now sunk $40 million on next year’s payroll because of Bauer. However, we are in this far, still look to make the playoffs, and I well understand the wish to go all-out for this last big chance to win a title. But do we have any legitimate chance to win it?
They won’t release him. If they can void his contract they will most likely go that route. But releasing him? Ain’t going to happen,
I have never seen a team with a 600 winning percentage sell off at the break and I fail to see how next season doesn’t look good.
Our starting pitching is suspect next year except for Buller, Urias, Bauer, May, Gonsolin, Price, Gray and maybe even Pepiot as options?
We have no young potential lineup player who projects to be a big star except for Ruiz, Busch and Vargas with few holes in the lineup to fill since AJ, Betts, Belli, Lux, Muncy, Smith, Turner and Rios are all under contract.
We have no high end closer except for Treinen and Kahnle who are both under contract next year. Ferguson and V-Gone will round out the back end.
We jumped to the top of the Power ranking in MLB this week, but we don’t have a legitimate chance of winning it?
Vegas wholly disagrees here’s the odds.
LAD +350
Cheaters +600
Pads +675
CHIW +700
NYM +900
I know that they can’t do it, the fans would be more than upset, understandably. But it was just a thought, because sometimes you need to be out in front of the curve. I will say that if Kershaw is seriously injured, they cannot win a title, not even the pennant. But they will likely play it out, hope for some players to come through or exceed expectations. I will say that the Red Sox, under different General Managers, have done an excellent job of getting out of big contracts, and then quickly rebuilding with selective acquisitions.
Kahnle was usually a sixth-inning man for the Yankees, then Ottavino, Britton, and Chapman. Ferguson could be really good, but who knows after surgery and then recovery? Other teams, at least the good ones, have strong closers. It would be nice to have gotten Iglesias, who looks very good when I see him. As for starters, if we don’t have Kershaw, we lose an all-time great; you lose Bauer; you’ve got Buehler, who is a great pitcher, you have Urias, who has not shown that he can pitch a lot of innings, you have May who is not ready until next July, if then; and you have Gonsolin who is now pitching better, but is hardly proven. And then a minor league pitcher who looks very good now, but we know those don’t always pan out, not right away. Would you rather have our starters going into next season, or San Diego’s?
His administrative leave was extended a week by agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. His lawyers and his agent totally deny the allegations. We won’t really know a thing until the investigation is over. I give Bauer an F for common sense. Padres have problems of their own, and their starting staff is short because of injury’s also. Clevenger out until next year, Lamet back on the IL. Snell has been mostly ineffective and has not given them many innings when he does start. Their pen is working more than ours. I think next years staff will be fine. Price is still under contract for one year, you have Gray and possibly Pepiot almost ready for prime time. Urias, Buehler, Gonsolin, May back around July. We also do not know who they might target in free agency or possible trade for before the deadline. Pitching is always the most flexible part of the roster.
I think the Dodgers have a lot of players other teams want:
1. Ruiz
2. Pepiot
3. Miller
4. Cartaya
5. Vargas
6. Pages
7. Gray
8. Busch
9. Knack
10. Robertson
plus several more!
Dodgers Select Darien Nunez
By Steve Adams | July 8, 2021 at 9:17am CDT
The Dodgers announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of lefty Darien Nunez and optioned right-hander Mitch White to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Their 40-man roster is now full.
Nunez, 28, signed with the Dodgers out of Cuba back in 2018 and has consistently posted solid numbers out of the bullpen as he’s risen through their system. He’s gotten his first experience at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2021, pitching to a combined 2.70 ERA with a 35.3 percent strikeout rate and a 12.6 percent walk rate in 30 innings. Obviously, the Dodgers will hope his control of the strike zone improves — he’s also hit a batter and tossed three wild pitches — but it’s a generally encouraging showing for the lefty.
We don’t know all the facts about the Bauer case. But I would wager that by now the Dodger owners/management do know pretty much everything. And they’re going to do what causes the minimum of amount of damage to the team, under the circumstances. How that works out contractually, we can only guess. Bottom line right now , he’s not pitching the rest of the year. Doc looked really tired yesterday.
If he is charged, the Dodgers might have the option of voiding his contract. The last 2 seasons of it are years he could opt out. If he is convicted of anything and goes to jail, that would violate the morals clause in the contract I would think. At any rate, any kind of plea bargain or conviction, his days in LA are numbered.
This 1st inning HR sheeyit is just ridiculous.
Happens to this staff a lot, but they over came it.
I totally agree, it is just ANNOYING. I generally LIKE solo hr’s if that is all you are giving up.
I like day games, but not before I had my coffee!
On a completely different note, I really miss Caleb Ferguson.
1 – They can’t exercise the morals clause in the contract at this point. He hasn’t been convicted of anything yet. If criminal charges are never brought the alleged victim can still sue. If she wins maybe then. I don’t know what the clause says but I’m sure that it’s pretty narrow – today’s athletes get away with all kinds of things (shootings, strip bars and hookers, drugs, etc.) and don’t get their contracts cancelled.
2 – I disagree with Vengeur. Bauer’s attorney wouldn’t let him talk to the team or anyone else while he’s being investigated for a crime as anything he tells anyone else can be used against him. Dodger management doesn’t know everything yet.
3 – Roberts finally said last night that they were going to start stretching Price out, but look at his numbers – they stink! In 27 innings he’s given up 38 (!) hits and 8 walks for a WHIP of almost 1.7! Maybe he can be 5th starter, but if Bauer doesn’t come back for a while (or ever) and Kershaw is out for more than a couple of weeks, they still need another starter, assuming that Gonsolin’s arm doesn’t fall off too.
4 – I don’t get the fascination with Uceta. The fact that they keep bringing him up and then they have to use him in late and close situations tells us just how few ready pitching prospects that they have and how shallow the bullpen is. White is another guy who allows too many baserunners to be effective.
5 – So how much runway do they give Lux? But what are the alternatives while Seager is out? Would you like to be the guy who gave up on Lux too soon and have him become a star wearing another team’s uniform? He has nothing left to prove in AAA – so what else do you do with him?
I pretty much agree with your take on Lux, but maybe he needs to be sent down just to shake him up a little bit
Alternatives to Lux…
Taylor moves to full-time SS pending Seager’s return;,Muncy/McKinstry at 2B, Muncy/Pujols/Beatty at 1B.
Lux becomes backup SS, pinch hitter against righties, pinch runner.
I’ll say it again: If he can’t hit lefthanded pitching at the ML level, he’s no better than a platoon guy. Think Joc with less power, fewer walks, a mediocre OBA. (Lux has the same number of HRs now as McKinstry but more than double the ABs.)
When the Dodgers send him to OKC, they should get him some work in OF because his highest value may be as utility player–and that’s OK. With his speed, he could be terrific in that role–a lefthanded hitting Taylor.
UT was supposed to be McKinstry’s job, but right now McK>Lux.
When Seager returns, who gets sent down? I think it would be between Lux and Beatty.
I agree with everything you said here, except regarding Price. If you look at his game logs, he’s given up 1 run each in his last 10 games. Coincidentally, his ERA sits at 3.58 which is the same ERA he finished the season with when he kicked our asses in the 18 WS. His WHIP is high, but I’m not that surprised considering he’s always had a high WHIP as a starter in his first inning of work. He doesn’t need to be a Walker Bueller, he just needs to be better than a bullpen game.
1 run each in two of his last ten.
So,what are our options with Bauer?Can we get out of part of the contract?If not are we held responsible against the mlb tax rule?
1. Wait
2. Wait
3. Wait
lol
Boy peeps sure want instant gratification these days.
We do not know what is true and what isn’t in the Bauer case. Contrary to what some people say, he has not admitted to anything.
So, right about now, it is felony stupid to cut him or make any conclusions. The results will be in soon.
If you read his text he has admitted to choking her unconscious
I think it could be taken either way. Context!
At her request.
At her request or not he basically admitted to choking her out. It’s whether or not they believe the other accusations or they can be proved which I’m sure it will be hard to do. It seems to me there’s enough there for MLB to suspend him if they want to they don’t have to wait for a conviction
I did not know, so possibly you do not either. But research says that type of behavior is very common in that age group. TOTALLY not safe, but common. Shocker to me, but appears to be true.
Not playing like WORLD CHAMPIONS today.
That didn’t age well.
No it figures. That’s why I never trash a player in a slump. Soon as I say it he go on a tear. Anyway glad to be wrong under the circumstances.
More change ups? The hitters adjusted and are looking for that sh*t.
Well, I guess the 5th is our one inning to score in today.
I wonder who many times Julio will bat twice in one innings in his career?
I’m rooting for Trevor. I want him back on the team ASAP.
What he does in his personal life, especially if consensual, should not define the rest of his career.
Exactly right Watford. In this country a person is PRESUMED iNNOCENT until PROVEN GUILTY or am I wrong about that?
I didn’t hear anybody say he was guilty of anything. Except being an idiot and putting his team and the league in a terrible light
So true. And consider his generation as far as this whole sordid thing. My wife more interested in details than I am, ( I do not even want to read all the crap at all and have not), read that in the 18-30 age group that whole BDSM thing is practiced by approx FORTY PERCENT. WTF are we doing these days? SHEESH
Best to wait on the Pasadena police department and Major League Baseball investigation to conclude. Same thing with Clayton Kershaw injury, best to wait for the test results.
Oh my gosh. I realize that’s difficult in today’s instant information, jump to conclusions before we know the facts, twitter society.
Okay, David Price? What’s going on? He says he wants to start, ready to get back in the rotation, but Dave Roberts plays it down. Makes sense, unless there is something we don’t know. Not much clarity here. But the Dodgers are apparently starting him Friday.
Will they finally give in and move him into a starting role? Makes sense to me since he’s pretty much always been a starter.
Guessing Andrew Friedman is focused on another starting pitcher at the trade deadline, uncertainty front and center. Maybe an additional bullpen piece.
I agree the Dodgers are not always having good at bats with runners in scoring position, more or less, LA’s downfall in this series. Dodgers are finding ways to lose games. Why is Uceta even in the game? Go one better, why is he even up. Just not impressed, not ready.
Thinking Ryan Pepiot will be up sooner than later. Deserves a shot. Could Josiah Gray get an earlier than expected?
Could Phillies explore a Zack Wheeler trade? Maybe. Probably not. If that happens, that would be worth the Dodgers exploring. Costly, but …
LA Daily News columnist Jim Alexander starts his column today, “When they cancel your bobblehead night, that spells trouble.”
Pretty much. Guessing the Dodgers are planning for the worst case scenario.
Okay, no question if the Dodgers, knew what they know now, they wouldn’t sign Bauer.
Anyone notice that suddenly Gerrit Cole is giving up lots of runs, 10 in his past two starts?
With a 5 runs lead in the 8th inning why isn’t Price in to pitch? Could it be that Dave Roberts doesn’t feel the lead is large enough? After all Batting average against Price is .328. The worst of any Dodger pitcher this year with more than 2 innings.
Tomorrow is a bullpen game again, and they have been saying the entire game that Price is starting that game, Chill dude.
I am not watching the game, but did I get this right? Urias bats (strikeout) and is then replaced on the mound without facing a batter in the 8th?????
Yes, His pitch count was 101 and he has never pitched more than 7 innings his entire career. He did what they needed him to do, 7 quality innings.
There’s some positive news!
Plus as hard as these last few games have been on us fans a .625 % on a little road trip is 100% acceptable IMO. I think “normal wishes” for winning teams is to be over 500 on the road & around 650-700 at home.
Why not a pinch hitter since you are taking him out anyway??
Because he is actually a good hitter. He is one I think FOR SURE will have a few homers in his career.
He had a hit his 2nd AB & scored & his current avg is .229 & I THINK he has the most RBI for a pitcher, or at least he did. 6-1 lead w/only 4 bench dudes right now, made total sense to me.
Cheers
When batting with two strikes CT has struck out 86 times in 159 at bats. The next closest on the Dodgers is JT with 61 in 152 at bats. CT is lost when he has two strikes on him.
Yeah but CT is full of big hits
He does need to cut down on the strikeouts though
The entire frippen team needs to cut down on the K’s. 11 more today. 36 times over the first 3 games, so 47 total in a 4 game series. That is terrible. Lux has struck out 68 times. Pitiful.
Dont know why you are so down on Lux. If you should be down on a player it is Bellinger. He and betts should be carrying this offense and they are abysmal so far.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need Belli’s D for sure, I think he should be at 6 or 7 until he “fixes” things.
Bellinger missed a large portion of spring training and an even larger portion of the season. He has played in 44 less games than Lux. Basically, he is at about 4 weeks into the season. Bellinger is not hitting well that is true, but Lux is not only not hitting, he has been lousy the last few games on defense, and defense on this team is a big thing. Bellinger at least will try to hit the ball. I have seen Lux time and time again take a pitch that is right down the middle. And for a guy who is supposed to be a contact hitter, 68 K’s are way too many. You expect Bellinger to K a lot since he is such a free swinger. I do not know what Betts problem is, but he came back and got a couple hits today. I will be glad when Seager is back and I do not have to cringe every time a ball is hit his way.
CT has always struck out a lot. Probably the biggest flaw in his (very good) game.
If he’s batted 159 times with two strikes, and got K’d 86 times, that leaves 73 times when he did something else.
I wonder how his OBA compares to others in such a situation. What is the MLB average? Just an interesting, wonky stat.
It is reported that Bauer’s administrative leave will be extended another 7 days effective tomorrow by MLB.
In talks with Sports Illustrated, Bauer admits that he would be a “bad husband”, before going on to explain his three rules when dating: “I have three rules. One: no feelings. As soon as I sense you’re developing feelings, I’m going to cut it off, because I’m not interested in a relationship and I’m emotionally unavailable. Two: no social media posts about me while we’re together, because private life stays private. Three: I sleep with other people. I’m going to continue to sleep with other people. If you’re not O.K. with that, we won’t sleep together, and that’s perfectly fine. We can just be perfectly polite platonic friends.”
What does that got to do with anything?? He’s just being honest
That’s a lot of information for somebody who wants to keep his private life private.lol
Yeah, TMI.
And we really don’t know if he’s being honest. Certainly sounds candid, but it’s also sounds boastful to me–“Yeah, I have a lot of sex with a lot of women….Wanna see some pictures?” A sportf—-r, you might say. Sort of fits his swagger on the field.
To me that quote is a bright red flag. It signals a character flaw.
I had one close friend from high school days who, over the years, kept close tabs on his “score.” He wasn’t a completely narcissistic emotional zero–but on the rare occasion he fell for a gal it didn’t end well. He was possessive and obsessive.. Oh, and about three years after one short-term hookup, the woman called an invited him over… to introduce him to the son that had red hair and freckles, just like my pal. (He actually embraced the role of part-time dad–but that went sideways too.)
Some 33 years after we were best buds, I visited him. His days as flashy financier with a swanky pad and a boat in Newport called the “Done Deal” were long past. He was 49 and terminal–esophageal cancer. I brought over my baby daughter to show her off. He was grateful when I asked him to hold her when I went back to the car for something, “I’m not contagius,” he said unnecessarily.
When it was time for us to go, he let me know what his final “score” was.
Hey, if Bauer runs for office, maybe he’d say it was just “lockerroom talk.”
I really didn’t pay much attention until he signed with the Dodgers. But when I read that, I find myself thinking, whoa, something is just off with this guy.
Plus that was over 2yrs ago. Not that he has changed since then and seems likely given his “behavior”, but the attitude seems quite acceptable to his generation, until their “hashtag me too lights” go on, then they are ready for the kill.
HEADLINE : DODGERS BOUNCE BACK AGAINST MUFFNIFICENT MARLINS . Salvage series with one win
Fangraphs on Kershaw’s injury:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/kershaw-lands-on-injured-list-as-dodgers-rotation-uncertainty-grows/
…For the Dodgers, the injury comes at a time when the rotation — whose 3.03 ERA, 9.3 WAR, and 3.58 FIP respectively rank second, third and fourth in the NL — is somewhat depleted. …
Szymborski on the Dodgers, in general:
Question: Who will the dodgers pick up? I think Nats should at least get a call but a healthy kluber on a flailing Yankees might be a good move. Or maybe Hendricks if the Cubs flop?
Dan Szymborski: Hendricks is certainly a possibility, but the Cubs may not want to trade him at a low point in his value. I do think the Dodgers will pick up a pitcher of course. At this point, they’re going to operate as if there’s no more Bauer, I think. (but I don’t do projections for criminal investigations and player suspensions/releases) I think there will be a lot of sellers in the NL, but I’m still not sure which. It depends who thinks they have a divisional chance in a couple weeks. Because ain’t nobody in the East or Central chasing a wild card spot, at least if they’re smart.
Q: Do you have a gut feeling about how much time Trevor Bauer is going to be gone or if the Dodgers might cut ties?
Dan Szymborski: Zero. It’s a horribly messy situation. Both legally and morally and that’s before you even get to baseball
Looking for advice. I’m flying to Hawaii but making a priority of landing in LA on the 21st and going to the Dodgers game on the 22nd against the Giants. We hop back on a plane to Hawaii on the 23rd. So, basically where would be a good place to stay that I can shuttle or Uber or take some sort of transit to the ball game on the 22nd and be able to get back to LAX on the 23rd without it being a nightmare.
I have some advice for you. Take the train from the Airport to DTLA and back that way you won’t have to deal with traffic.
The Standard hotel is very close to the train station and is more of a hipster crowd. The Bonaventure is a solid choice for all types and is also close to the station.
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/laxbw-the-westin-bonaventure-hotel-and-suites-los-angeles/
Both are close Uber Rides, or you can hop on the train and take it to Union Station to grab the shuttle.
More to add. Red line goes from Figueroa Station to Union Station.
Green line from airport to Willow Parks staton to transfer to the Blue line which takes you to Fig Station.
You have to buy a card and load money onto it. You can do this at any station with a credit card. I think each ride is only 1.75. Don’t swipe the card at the transfer station as transfers are included.
We’re going to Hawaii as well!
We go in August, which island?
Honestly? I’d probably stay downtown. The schlep is longer to and from LAX, but the hotels are nice and the hard airport traffic can be avoided.
That’s the best way to fly to Hawaii. We usually stay a couple of days in SF before the flight to HI
We like Classic Historic Hotels. I have not stayed here for a while, but it is a Millenium Hotel, which usually means it is EPIC:
https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/los-angeles/millennium-biltmore-hotel-los-angeles/
It’s quick to the Ravine and OK to LAX.
First, you nailed it about Julio righting the ship today. He’s now 11-3. When he gets through the first inning, he’s been very tough. He’s been better than his ERA suggests.
Second, I think the enforcement of a morality clause depends mostly on the wording of the contract. I think cancelling a bobblehead or other merchandise while the cloud of suspicion hovers is simply prudent public relations.
Short of a full recantation by the accuser, I think the best case scenario for Bauer is still bad. No charges but a tarnished reputation. Dodgers should probably cut ties regardless.
He was problematic before he was signed. Is he radioactive now?
Travel news. Just got confirmation of family trip to Portugal next week. 7 days in Lisbon; 7 days in Porto. Me, wife, and my two sons.
Don’t miss me too much 🙂
Take in a Fado music show and enjoy sampling the port wines.
Have fun
Thank you, friends.
My wife just informed me we are going to Amsterdam in November for a week.https://www.tradefairdates.com/Aquatech-M7413/Amsterdam.html
The Netherlands are a nice place to visit. Not sure how the weather will be that time of year but so what.
I have never been there.
I love it. As beautiful as Venezia architecturally. You will have a blast. Amazing food too.
You will love the country, I went there while I was in the Army. Some great beers, nice people too. You might like to swing into Belgium while you are there also. But November can be very cold. Pack your long johns.
Amsterdam is called the Venice of the North. For a reason. Beuatiful city.#
However weather in NOV usually is on the cold and rainy side. So be prepared.
Oh, and remember, when the Dutch are talking about coffee shop it is a little different coffee shop than in the US…..(smiley).
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Hard Drugs
You’ll love it.
I’m there for a long weekend in December (hopefully)
Bacchus – Portugal is a wonderful place – people are very friendly, but be prepared for some serious heat.
Lisbon is a great place – vibrant.
Oh, it also has the Internet just in case you wanna check in here!
Here’s to hoping THE PRICE IS RIGHT on Friday. That other guy won’t be back this season so I’m done talking about him.
I’ll take 4 IP please.
Next time he can go 5.
(Hardly anyone goes more than 6 these days anyway.)
Ruiz can hit.
I think we fixed his launch angle too.
All systems go.
Radaronline is breaking some Bauer stuff.
I honestly believe now is the time to bring up Ruiz. Send down Uceta. Sitting in the bullpen is not going to help the kids confidence or stuff. He is obviously not ready for prime time.
Scherzer gave up a grand slam last night to a pitcher who was just called up from AAA. It was also his first MLB at bat. But if you look at the pitches location, it is amazing that the guy hit it at all, let alone out of the park.
Very proud of Urias today! As for Lux, I too am puzzled by his passivity on “down the middle” hittable pitches. This is a problem for many Dodger hitters, but not to that extent.
My pet peeve, already mentioned by several of you, is the Dodgers’ refusal to bunt or hit against the shift. If I were manager, every hitter would try it at least once a game. Especially Bellinger, especially with his speed. Then there’s that going for the fences (and failing) with runners on second and third, when you really need a single, thing.
Roberts’ bullpen management never ceases to amaze me. And not in a good way (I’m biting my tongue). And, as you’ve mentioned, his pulling hot players from the lineup so he can “rest” them, is nothing but dumb.
I’ve said enough. But I’m for being patient with Lux. There’s a lot of talent there. Roberts needs to work his motivational magic with Gavin, or get him professional help. It’s hard being 23–remember?
About TB. Yes, many of us women do have a visceral reaction to “dangerous” men. When he was signed, my reaction was, literally, nausea and fear (for my team). Women’s intuition is real, unless you’re 27, I guess. It does get better with experience.
Trevor is beyond help or therapy. I’m inclined to agree with the “he’s on the spectrum” theory advanced by one of our excellent commenters. I really would like this to be over. I really would like Andrew Friedman to admit he made a mistake.
Unfortunately Freidman’s hands are tied until both the police and MLB investigations are concluded, and even then he cannot really do anything. The MLBPA is a very strong union, and they are going to have a say in what happens. They already have allowing MLB to extend his administrative leave for 7 more days. This will not be over quickly. And you can bet it will be the offseason before the dust settles on this. Until ALL OF THE FACTS are known, assuming guilt or innocence is a waste of ones energy. Concentrate on the players that are there. As for resting Turner yesterday, I have little problem with that. He is 36 now, and he will most likely be in all 3 games against the Snakes, also, it was an early morning game after a night game. No way he or Pujols, the other OLD MAN on the team were going to start. As for the way Roberts handles a pen, nothing has changed in the entire time he has been here. He always makes head scratching moves. His lineups are never consistent. Most here almost went into shock when he ran the same 8 out there two days in a row last week. I cannot wait to get Seager back. As far as beating the shift goes, yeah, bunting would help some. But the better way is just taking the pitch to the opposite field. Also, Uceta does not belong on a MLB roster yet. Maybe next year when he is more mature and has more ammo in his arsenal.