Well, we all know about Babe Ruth. He was probably the greatest player the game ever knew. And there was Babe Dahlgren, who replaced Lou Gehrig at 1st base in New York. In 1925, while Ruth was plying his trade with the Yankees, 22-year-old Floyd Caves Herman made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He would turn 23 early in the season. Babe was born in Buffalo, New York. However, he grew up in Glendale California. At 18 he signed with a team from Alberta Canada, and he spent the next 5 years in the minors playing for 6 different teams including tours in the Boston and Detroit farm systems. In a 1922 spring training game, he was used as a pinch hitter for Ty Cobb. But Detroit had no outfield vacancy’s so they returned him to the minors where he hit .416. He was signed in 1925 for Brooklyn by a scout who said, “he looks kind of funny in the field, but when I see a guy go 6-6, I got to go for him“.
Babe Herman made his debut for the Brooklyn Robins, as they were known then, as a first baseman and hit .319. He was 4th in doubles with 35, 7th in HR’s, 11th in slugging pct. at .500. In 1927 he slipped to a .272 avg with 9 HR’s.
In 1928 he put it all together with a banner campaign in which he hit .340, 5th in the league, with 12 HR’s and 91 RBI’s. And in 543 plate appearances, he only struck out 36 times. 1929 Babe turned it up once again. He hit .381 with 21 HR’s and 113 RBI’s. He finished with 217 hits and a .612 slugging pct. The BA and Slugging pct. were both team records. He finished 2nd to Lefty O’Doul for the batting crown.
In 1930, he was even better. He hit a team-record .393 with 35 HR’s, 130 RBI’s, and a .678 slugging percentage, and 241 hits, still a team record. The BA and slugging are still team records. He again finished 2nd in the batting race, this time to Bill Terry of the Giants who hit .401. As of today, it was the last time anyone in the NL has hit .400. In 1931 he dropped to only .313 with 18 and 97. So that winter the Dodgers traded Babe along with Ernie Lombardi and Wally Gilbert to the Reds for Tony Cuccinello, Joe Stripp, and Clyde Sukeforth.
Sukeforth would have a huge impact on later Dodger teams as a coach and scout. Babe had a decent year for the Reds hitting over .300, but he was traded to the Cubs after the season. He spent 2 seasons with the Cubs and was traded to the Pirates, then went back to the Reds for the 1935-36 seasons. In 1937 he finished his career with Detroit, hitting .300 in 17 games. But in 1945 at the age of 42, Babe came back to Brooklyn and played in 37 games, mostly as a PH. He hit .265 with a homer and 9 RBI’s.
For his career, Babe hit .324 with 997 RBI’s a .532 slugging pct. and a 915 OPS. As a Dodger, his BA was .339 with a .557 slg. pct. and a .953 OPS. Babe could definitely rake. In the field and on the base paths, well, that is another story, He was once told that someone was saying he was Babe and passing bad checks. His response was, well, hit him some fly balls, if he catches any, it is not me.
One of his most famous gaffs happened in a game at Ebbets Field against the Braves in 1926. with the bases loaded, Babe tried to stretch a double off of the wall into a triple, but Chuck Fewster, who had been on 1st base advanced to third, which was occupied by Dazzy Vance who had been on 2nd but was caught in a rundown and retreated to third. Babe was running with his head down and chugged into 3rd. So now there were 3 Dodgers on the bag. Braves 3rd baseman Eddie Taylor, tagged all 3 hoping to get as many outs as possible. Umpire Beans Reardon, love that name, called Herman and Fewster out since Vance was already on the bag. Lost in the whole thing was the fact that Hank DeBerry had scored what would be the winning run on the hit. The headline was Herman doubles into a double play.
Thus the Daffiness Boys were born. Babe retired to Glendale after his playing days. His son was a mathematics teacher at Herbert Hoover High School, a cross-town rival of his old school Glendale High. Babe passed away on November 27, 1987, at the age of 84 from complications of pneumonia. He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale. Babe was a real character, and for a while, the Babe of Brooklyn.
Great story, thanks. I’m from Buffalo, NY, so this endears me to this Babe even more. I wonder why Brooklyn traded him away? I’m not sure who won the trade because all 6 names don’t mean much to me…..but it sounds like we gave up on a sure thing. I suppose Brooklyn needed more pitching. Anyhow, thanks again for the read.
Ernie Lombardi was a catcher. and is in the Hal of Fame. Most of his best years were with the Reds. Tony Cuccinello was a very serviceable infielder who spent 15 years in the majors with 5 teams. Most of his years were with the Braves. Stripp played 3rd and 1st and had a decent 10 year career. With the Dodgers he hit .295 over 6 years. Gilbert played in the majors for 5 years, and was 30 at the time of the trade, he played one year in Cincy and never played in the majors again, Sukeforth was a backup catcher who had 10 years in the majors. He was a career .264 hitter. But he spent a lot of years as a coach and a scout. He also managed the Dodgers for two games in 1947 before Burt Shotton took over for the departed Leo Durocher. But as I said, he had a huge impact on the Boys of Summer. He scouted Jackie Robinson for Branch Rickey. He also helped Robinson make the transition to 1st base so he could debut at that position with the Dodgers. But perhaps the biggest impact he made came after he left Brooklyn and went to Pittsburgh to scout for Branch Rickey after O’Malley got rid of him, The Dodgers had signed a young outfielder out of Puerto Rico, and given him a bonus, Under the rules of the time, he should have been kept on the roster, the same as a young Sandy Koufax would be in 1955. They tried to hide him in the minors and not play him very much as to keep him from attracting too much attention. Sukeforth was a Pirate scout and saw the kid taking batting practice. That winter when the rule 5 draft came along, the Pirates drafted him from the Dodgers, and Roberto Clemente became a Hall of Famer for the Pirates. As for why Brooklyn traded the promising Lombardi and probably their best hitter, only the people involved would know.
I just did some homework and looked up Ernie Lombardi…OMG, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You traded him and The Babe2 for a few mediocre players!
This has to go down as one of the worst trades in Brooklyn/LA history.
Ernie’s stats…..you won’t believe them….
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lombaer01.shtml
Times were different then, the depression had just started. Brooklyn was not the most successful franchise at the time. Lombardi was an asset, and still a kid, so they got what they felt was some value.
Love the line about fly balls! Thx Bear, really enjoyed the write up. Fun loving guy! And I hope your right about Belli but I’m a little nervous!
I get it I really do, but the guy barely has 100 at bats. He has played in a little over 30 games. He has not been healthy, and his swing has been off. But you have to believe those fastballs he is missing will be hard hit balls when his timing is right. Yeah, Herman was a character all right. And he made fun of himself.
Great job Bear! I love these pieces about the old tyme players. That 1930 season was pretty special.
It’s Monday and we aren’t going to have another game until Friday. Normally, I look forward to the All-Star game itself and fret the scheduled days off associated with it. This year, I have the opposite feeling.
Somehow we have no starters. Our most deserving is Muncy, who for all intents and purposes is having a career year. CT3 is quite possibly the best utility player in the league, so I’m excited that he’s in there and JT is also having great year, another deserved player. But, only Muncy really should have been in that starting lineup.
I won’t be tuning in because I don’t agree with companies getting into politics. It’s an obvious attempt to gain favorable legislation in the future and the consumer always loses when that happens. It basically amounts to a bribe.
I do look forward to 4 days without games. The team has been banged up all year and their play has been frustrating more often than not, so it seems. This last week has been a comedy of errors. I can’t think of a worst defensive team during our amazing run in the last decade or so. JT, Muncy, and Lux have all made multiple miscues in the last week so it’s fresh in my memory.
Not long ago this team played very clean baseball. They seldom committed errors and the bats often came up big in close and late situations. It seems that late game heroics have been few and far between this year, last night notwithstanding. Could Muncy’s walk off be a sign of better things to come in the second half?
On the bright side, we’ve played sloppy baseball, have had guys with zero experience trying to close out extra innings games, and have had more than our share of injuries, not to mention the Bauer drama. Yet we still have the second best record in all of baseball playing in arguably the toughest division.
I know I’ve been saying this all year, but the Giants will fall soon enough. Even as I say this, they are in the midst of a 4 game winning streak and show no signs of slowing down despite Longoria and Posey sitting on the IL. Even if they maintain their current pace, I don’t think they’ll hold a 2 game lead. I think our team is much more talented and will go on a run worthy of the talent that defines our roster.
By the time the break is over, the trade deadline will be just two weeks away. It will be a fun July with the eventual return of Seager, although I’m leery of bringing him back without a rehab assignment only to be inserted into the lineup during the Giants series. Lux will start to get more time off against righties as well as lefties once Seager returns. CT3 has done everything to justify playing regularly and that will eat into Lux’s playing time. I think Lux should get 3-4 games a week going forward allowing him to take a step back and think about his approach.
In the long run, Lux will become a player worthy of his prospect pedigree. There’s nothing wrong with the tools, he just needs to get his head straight. I think the Kike lovers forget his age 24 season when he hit 190 with a 607 OPS. In fact, Gavin’s current season looks a lot like Kike’s 2020 season which wasn’t long ago and Kike had parts of 7 years MLB experience at the time.
It’s always hard to say goodbye when a player moves on after rooting for him for years. I was crushed when the Dodgers traded Ron Cey, one of my all time favorites. Kike, Joc and even Alex are no Ron Cey’s. It will be tough when CT3 moves on next year unless he decides that he wants to stay regardless of money.
A few weeks ago someone was actually trying to say (with a straight face) they would rather have Verdugo than Betts. Mookie now has a respectable 839 OPS and Alex a predictable 771. Alex always had the rap of not fast and athletic enough to play CF where his bat would play, and not enough power for a corner where his arm and defense was suited for. He is living up to his expectations. Lux was taken in his draft as the player that was mostly likely to stick at SS with a bat that could be impactful.
We’ve seen flashes of that impact bat this season. I was amazed to learn that JT never had a grand slam until this weekend’s drubbing of the D-Backs on Saturday. For those with short memories who don’t thin Lux can be clutch, remember that he’s hit two granny’s this year.
Enjoy the time off, the best is yet to come. Be prepared for another big roll coming soon, without the losing streak that has followed each of our previous runs this year. I look forward to seeing the shiny new toy by the end of the month.
Muncy is in the starting line up as the DH.
Deservedly so. Thx Bear.
Yes, Muncy should start at DH… unless we can summon the ghost of Babe Herman.
Great yarn Bear, as usual. I’m curious… what are your favorite resource materials?
When I was growing up my love for baseball (especially the Dodgers) shaped my future endeavors. When I was maybe 9 or 10, mom got me the three-volume Golden Book of Baseball. (I think that was the title.) It was crammed with articles about memorable lore, historic games and characters, including fiction by Ring Lardner, The transcript of Vin’s call of the final inning of Koufax’s perfect game was in there too. I devoured it…more than once. When I was in junior high I read Roy Campanella’s autobiography “It’s Good to Be Alive” and considered it the best book ever.
As for the state of the Dodgers in 2021, the spotty defense is troubling. I think we took Kike’s glovework for granted. Lux and McKinstry certainly don’t measure up. Right now Boston is loving Kike’s as a centerfielder. He had two absolute web gems in a recent game. Should AF have brought him back? Not sure. But I am sure the faith in Lux was a factor in that decision.
I’m guessing that Lux must have been hitting lefties pretty well in the minors to put up the numbers he did–but he’s been absolutely dreadful in the majors. Seriously, if the Dodgers needed a pinch hitter against a lefty, and Lux was the last guy on the bench, I’d tell Gonsolin to get ready to hit.
In the near term, AF must be considering options in SP market. In the longer term, if the Dodgers fall short this season, I can imagine substantial changes.
Consider: Seager and Taylor will be free agents. Who is really more valuable? Seager can perform at an MVP-caliber level, but his history of injuries is troubling–as is his slow recovery–and he’s a mediocre fielder at best. If Seager comes back strong, his market value will soar–and I suspect he’ll follow the money, perhaps to the Yankees. Boras is his agent, right?
Taylor, who is much more versatile than Seager, will also attract good money–but he may feel stronger allegiance to the Dodgers, the franchise that turned him from a marginal major leaguer to an All Star. Taylor has been as durable as Seager is injury-prone. Which is the smarter investment: The Ferrari that that keeps breaking down or the BMW sedan that doesn’t?
Another great write up Bear. It’s great to read your research on Dodger players from the past. Many of us have heard their names and a few stats, but you do a superb job of putting a personal and professional life to those names and how each affected Dodger history. The details that you come up with from your research is amazing.
Concerning Bellinger even Orel made a comment after Cody KO’d with the based loaded. Orel mentioned that the All-Star break might give Cody a chance to go home in AZ and regroup physically as well as mentally. Orel said Cody needed to really take a look at his swing and approach offensively. So, if Orel knows what needs to be done I would think the hitting coaches do as well. That conclusion leads me to believe that Cody has told the hitting staff and the team to go pound sand and nothing will change. Cody gets Coors Field and more important crappy pitching after the All-Star break. From July 16 to Aug 1 the Dodgers face the Rockies six times, the D-Backs three times, and the Giants mixed in for seven games. Cody will have plenty of opportunities to face mediocre to poor pitching for the next two weeks in order to help him get back on track. In the eighth inning AB he swung at the final two strikes that were balls out of the pitcher’s hand. This indicates that his swing problems continue and now the mental aspect has become an issue. As mentioned above Mookie and Pollack are beginning to heat up. Muncy and Taylor continue to have excellent seasons. With the starting pitching having uncertainty the successful return of Seager and MVP offensive production from Cody is important for another title run.
I’m glad you made that distinction…..when you said Cody has plenty of mediocre to poor pitchers coming up that should help him hit better. But that is exactly the point I’m trying to make to show that we may be better off moving away from Cody.
Cody may be able to finally start hitting again, but chances are, it will be against generally poor pitchers, not the good ones. The good ones generally know how and where to pitch Cody and know how to implement that plan. The bad ones don’t….which is why they are bad.
What convinces me we don’t need Cody (Corey and Max are far more valuable) are his post season statistics. As we know, post season is where the big boys play. No #4 and #5 fluff pitchers who shouldn’t even be in the majors. Most teams in the playoffs have 3 solid starters and a pretty good bullpen with a top notch closer. This is where I don’t trust and don’t want to see Cody at bat. Just look at his numbers over 4 years, 54 games:
201 At bats
72 Ks
.189 BA
.262 OBP
.368 SLG
.631 OPS
8 Hr- 26 RBIs
Conclusion:
I think his long swing and smarter pitchers have figured out how to neutralize him to where he has now become a post season liability. In the post season there are no cream puff pitchers….Cody may get you an occasional blast, but is he worth the money he may want hoping to cash in on his long since past MVP YEAR. I don’t think so….we all know we probably can only keep either Corey or Cody, not both. Do I need to remind you who was clutch in all the playoff series last year and was largely responsible for all of us walking around with great big smiles the past 8 months? ( Julio Urias also). Since we probably shouldn’t pay Cody what he probably wants, why not trade him and pick up several pretty interesting prospects, and then resign Corey (and Max)?
Anyhow, thanks for listening to me….I can get rather long winded at times….but I’m an Italian retired attorney/teacher so it’s in my blood to be verbose. TM
Lo que me tranquiliza es que no eres AF y mucho menos que él, ( AF) vea este blog.
No José… ¡Tengo que ser yo!
I know he was considered a bit daffy but Herman was offered scholarships to Dartmouth and Stanford. He was also a successful businessman in Southern California. I met him in an elevator at Dodger Stadium in the 60s, I was maybe 15. My grandfather knew who he was. What I recall about him was he was big. Had hands the size of a catchers mitt.
Speaking of impressive college scholarships – “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but If we play good, we feel like we have a really good chance to win games.” Walker Buehler. That’s some Vanderbilt genius speaking right there.
Babe was a character all right. But you have to admit, the guy knew how to hit a baseball. I would have loved to have met someone like him. I met a few players in my life, most were really nice guys. I would bet Babe would have been great to have a baseball conversation with.
It was as in depth a conversation as I’ve ever had with a guy who knew Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth personally. I said hi, he said hello.
I had lunch with Maury Wills in Palm Springs around ‘91. He sat down right next to me. Gulp. We shared a pizza. Very nice man.
Andy Messermith grew up in my neighborhood. He was a few years older than me. We played a lot of tackle football on schoolyards around the area. I pissed him off a lot. I picked him off and took him out with a cross body tackle. I think most everyone in the area considered him an egotistical jerk. I know I did. Quit whining and play football cAndy Pants. Hope he’s not listening. I think he still lives around here. Actually, he (and Doug Mooers) were the best schoolyard football players in North Orange County. We had some outrageous games back then. Carloads of guys from Lakewood, Long Beach, Downey would show up. It was like gangs clashing on a football field, but, amazingly there was no fighting. Just old fashioned tackle football among young men who loved the game. I still carry the scar when I collided head first with Donny Avey. That was the day I first smoked Columbian pot. Fritz had some and we smoked it on the way to the emergency room. Didn’t feel much pain. 10 stitches around my eye. I’m rambling. Sorry. Good memories.
The lumbo used to come around late summer when the better stuff was dry. What a funky taste.
Funny stuff Badger, especially regarding Andy.
By the way, Were you saying in your first sentence that you also had a personal conversation with Babe Herman ? Was this the guy who knew Ty and Babe you were referencing?
Yeah. I was with my grandfather, a former minor league player, bartender, who had some connections. We were in the elevator at Dodger Stadium, heading down to our seats from the Stadium Club I think, and this big guy in a blue suit, no tie, steps in and leans against the wall opposite me. He looks right me, I said hi, he smiled and said hello. I didn’t know who he was. My grandfather whispered to me “son, that’s Babe Herman, one of the great hitters of all time.” Then they nodded at each other. It was a really cool moment. For me anyway. Doubt it meant much to him.
That’s what surprised me….we got rid of him when he was around 29. He still had 10 more good years left in him and it wasn’t like his last year in Brooklyn, 1931, was chopped liver…..313, 18 HR, 97 RBIs. And this coming after a .393, 130 RBI season in 1930. It did not appear Brooklyn got as much back in that trade. Oh well….you can’t win them all.
Well, if they can trade The Babe then, we can certainly trade Cody today (said while ducking).
He turned 29 the year he was traded, but he only played 6 more seasons. I do not really count 45 when he was 42 years old and nothing more than a pinch hitter. Cody turns 26 tomorrow, at the same age Babe had 68 HR’s. Cody has 127. Babe was a contact hitter in a different era. Cody has missed 60 games. Give him a chance to be healthy and have his timing back, and you will see a different hitter. Plus, with 2 more seasons after this one of team control, he is going nowhere.
Some of you are suffering from CBDS. That stands for Cody Bellinger Derangement Syndrome.
Even with the poor 2020 and a bad start to this year, he still has a career OPS better than Mookie, Seager, and anyone else on the team not named Albert.
It’s not worth debating, but at the end of the season, I will call “Scoreboard!”
Once he stops chasing, if he stops chasing, he’ll be fine. Standing straight up at 6’4” his strike zone is already tall, but his knees are a long way from the pitches in the dirt he swings at. Focus Cody.
Lol, Mark. So, just to be clear as to where you stand…
1. .do you prefer the Dodgers resign Cody over Corey during the off-season? If so, why so?
2. Are you not concerned about the numbers I posted reflecting his post season struggles over 4 years?
By the way, thanks for allowing me to be a part of your blog here. I especially love chatting with the elderly fans, seeing that at 68 years old, some might consider me in that category too (I don’t…I’m middle aged).
1. I prefer they sign Corey because Cody will not be a free agent until 2024.
2. His averages are Superstar Status, but he has had some bad stretches. I think he will get better as he matures.
Glad you are here. I’m a mere 67!
DAMN man you dude are OLD, uh, I mean middle aged. I am just a pup …… well, for a boomer at least!
Cheers!
pb+
Watch that old man stuff there bud. I have under ware older than you.
Free agent in 2024……what am I reading? Maybe I’ve been misinterpreting words…I thought we had to make a choice between Corey and Cody and I assumed it was next year. Maybe I was reading in between the lines.
With that in mind, I can be patient, eat plenty of popcorn, and watch to see if Cody can work out his batting issues these next few years. Thanks for steering me on the right path here.
They need to make a decision on Seager this year, not next. He becomes a free agent after the World Series. So they either talk extension or he walks. His agent is Scott Boras, and Bora’s clients almost always see what is out there.
Geez, you guys are ancient.
I’m a lad of 64.
I look forward to it. I hope I’m on the losing end. That will be good for the Dodgers and it’s fans.
The players I had the longest conversations with were Wes Parker, and Tommy Davis. Davis was at an event at the home I was living at in Highland Park. We talked about hitting for about 20 minutes. Really nice guy. I got to know Wes when he came to a show I gave him tickets to that I was doing in Long Beach. Great guy, got me my National Anthem gig at Dodger Stadium and used to let me use his season seats now and then. If there is a player you guys would like to see profiled on here, just let me know.
Hi Bear, always enjoy your posts. Would you be interested in covering Wes Parker and other Dodger first basemen? Don’t forget to include Dr. Stangeglove. Thanks.
Yeah Richard, I can do that.
I have had several short conversations with Clayton… especially this one with my son:
The Penguin is fun to talk to as well:
But my favorite is this guy (on the right):
Cody Bellinger is a talent but he’s really had 2 good years.
2017 – .267/.352/.581/.933, 39 HR, 10 SB, OPS+ 143, 146K in 548 PA (26.6% K rate), ROY
2018 – .260/.343./.470/.814, 25 HR, 14 SB, OPS+ 120, 151K in 632 PA (23.9% K rate)
2019 – .305/.406/.629/1.035, 47 HR, 15 SB, OPS+ 169, 108K in 661 PA (16.3% K rate), MVP, GG
2020 – .239/.333/.455/.789, 12 HR, 6 SB, OPS+ 113, 42K in 243 PA (17.3% K rate)
2021 – .176/.291/.303/.593, 4 HR, 2 SB, OPS+ 66, 39K in 141 PA (27.7% K rate)
The thing that’s tantalizing about Cody is the 1st half of 2019 – you can see how good he can be. We haven’t really seen that since the All Star Break in 2019.
He’s not quick about making adjustments and good pitchers can get him out in the same spots over and over.
Obviously, he’s been hurt and is still recovering from shoulder surgery and a broken leg, so the jury is out on 2021.
Baseball has had plenty of 1 year wonders who flame out when the league adjusts to them but who can’t readjust to the league. Cody is a great athlete – can he adjust?
I would still call 2018 good as he was 20% better than league average. 100 being average. Only this year is truly a bad year, but it’s more like 20% of a year. Considering the injury recovery, no offseason workout routine, the freak broken leg, he’s someone worth betting on for a comeback. Then consider that he’s one of the best defensive center fielders in the league and that 113 OPS+ isn’t really all that bad. Just not what we’re used to from him.
2017 – 480 AB 143 OPS+
2018 – 557 AB 120 OPS+
2019 – 558 AB 169 OPS+
2020 – 213 AB 113 OPS+
2021 – 119 AB 66 OPS+
Agreed, not sure why all those years aren’t considered good.
Except the current one, of course.
And we should always remember 2020 was a freakish and short season.
Which is why Bauer’s Cy is more dubious than most.
1. His MVP and ROY year will be baked into the asking price of any future contract. If 113-120 is the new normal, he won’t be worth it.
2. You want better offensive production from his outfielder position than 113-120. If he was a defensive wizard at SS or a catcher who handled pitching staffs, that would be one thing.
3. 100 is league average. You’re right. League average includes the Pirates and every other crappy team with mediocre players. The Dodgers have perpetual WS aspirations. It is a necessity to have players top to bottom who are much better than average. The top teams have players in the heart of the order who are around 120-150. 113 and a 30% K rate ain’t going to cut it.
I had an epiphany watching the Dodgers play the Angels pre-season. To watch Trout”s swing and then watch Bellinger was a revelation. One was short and powerful and controlled, with few moving parts. Trout was able to square on any pitch. Now when I watch Bellinger with all of his elaborate timing hitches and big looping swing it’s actually painful to watch.
He is assuredly no Mike Trout.
I guess you’ve never seen Shojei Ahtani or Vlad JR swing.
Ohtani’s slash last year while injured.
190/.291/.366/.657
Even Ray Charles can see the similarities.
Actually Ray Charles would do a better job laying off the down-and-away breaking pitch … and he dead.
https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/dodgers-2021-draft-day-2-coverage
The Dodgers drafted in Round 3, 101st overall: Peter Heubeck, RHP, Gilman School (Md.)
The win yesterday might have saved the Dodgers’ season. That may seem overstated, but considering that a loss puts us three games out, losing two out of three to the Diamondbacks, and with a week to dwell on it, I don’t think it is.
We were very fortunate to win the game. If Turner’s deep fly ball is caught, as it would be almost every time, we are down 4-2, one out, men on first and second, and Bellinger up. We probably lose. We got one run on the misplay, kept the bases loaded, then scored a run on a hit batter. Not an impressive rally, but we tied the game, and then Muncy won it.
We have these games where we pile on with 15 or 20 runs, then we have games like those we just played in Miami, where we can barely score. That is not a good thing in any sport, and we’ve seen teams like that which usually lose when they face the better opponents in big games. Hopefully Seager will give our lineup more synergy, because we have a few hitters who rarely get on base. Even with our problems, we have a solid record, but of course we are unlikely to get Bauer back any time soon, meaning we desperately need another starter, because we cannot have all these bullpen games. And we need our starters to go six innings, not four. Very hopefully, we will get Kershaw back soon, it is essential to us having a chance to go far.
Obviously, we do not want to be the wildcard; a team with perhaps the second best record in baseball, which has to play one game to stay in the playoffs, and then two series where we are the road team. Right now, I don’t know if we would beat any playoff team in a series where they have the extra home game, but maybe we will be much better by September. I don’t know what pitcher we should go after; we need someone very good, not a Ricky Nola type, though he tried his best that season, but did not do the job in his playoff start.
It’s funny; we have a fine record, but it seems that we are still in danger of not winning any playoff series, unless we improve. Fortunately, we did not lose the crucial game yesterday. I am not at all sure that somehow we will burst out and take control in the division. Obviously, much will depend on the head to head games against the Giants, as that is where it is going to be decided, they don’t lose many games to worse teams.
I’m not sure your “last night saved the season” is anymore over-stated than your comment the other day waxing on whether the Dodgers should go into full-rebuild in the middle of a season where they are coming off a World Series title and have the 2nd best record in all of MLB.
IMO, it is the instant “gratification” internet. you can pull apart every ab, every pitch, every day & SOME like to mold that into some kind of “stat” to prove their “point” and then present it to the world as your version of “the facts”. Stats are fun, often useful, but they NEVER win games. As evidenced AT LEAST once a week by Dave Roberts.
A team can “EASILY” be 4-5 back going into Sept & win their division. Happens all the time. I think attitudes are also affected by all the bullspit going into the season where every expert almost “guaranteed” that the Dodgers would win the div handily …. which they still might do.
Cheers
In the 2nd half :
The Dodgers are going to need better performances on the offensive side from Bellinger and I would say Lux, but I think Taylor should and will take over 2B when Seager gets back and if not then shame on Doc. Also a better performance from Betts would be nice considering all the money he’s been given.
On the pitching side, the Dodgers will need better performances from Price and Gonsolin (especially since they are starters now) and the bullpen, but a lot of the bullpen depends on how Doc handles it and any trade by the trade deadline.
Going 3-4 against the Marlins and Diamondbacks is unacceptable, you need to beat the teams that suck. After looking at the Dodgers and Giants schedules, I think it’s going to come down to who comes out best head to head between the 2 teams. The Dodgers will need to win 3 out of 4 against the Giants the next time they meet, a split won’t help.
The Dodgers are second in the National League in batting OPS, first in starting pitching ERA, FIFTH in bullpen ERA.
I’m surprised we are 5th in bullpen ERA….we have a bunch of guys with huge ERAs….they are being counted, right? Lol
As for Lux….I am sooooooo looking forward to Seager returning to SS and Lux being platooned. I don’t know for sure, but I would surmise Lux is batting much better against RHP than LHP. So, I imagine CT will play 2B against LHP and also relieve Turner at 3B for some time off. I personally would also play him in the outfield to give Cody some time off if he continues to struggle.
Lux .145 vs lefty’s, .261 vs RHP. All his homers off of RHP.
Wow….thanks a ton Bear….so now I know! And I’m sure Doc knows this too.
Not surprised by this….so, now I’m convinced Doc will want to build up Lux’s fragile psyche so he will only play him against RHP while platooning with CT (when Corey returns to claim his SS position).
If you take away his .145 with no home runs against LHP, I think we all can pop open the bubbly stuff and live very happily with a .261 Lux with 37 RBIs.
When you want to check a guys stats, go to baseballreference.com. Type in the players name, and when his stats come up, go to splits. You can see his career and year by year splits.
And we should always remember 2020 was a freakish and short season.
Which is why Bauer’s Cy is more dubious than most.
No 2nd round pick for the Dodgers this year ? Why ?
Big walk off HR by the Maximizer yesterday.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I might be wrong DR but I think we gave it up for signing Trev.
Because we signed Trevor Bauer in free agency which doesn’t look so free now.
WTF does that mean?
They lose a pick for signing a player who was offered a QO.,
Giants/Dodgers have made elevent picks combined, all pitchers so far for both.
On the Dodgers recent picks:
Round 3: Peter Heubeck: Over-slot probably. Wake Forest commit. Slender, 6-foot-3, 170-pound righthander, Loud three-pitch mix and has only improved his game since flashing stuff with inconsistent control last summer. …Reportedly grades out well in every spin metric…Justin Verlander pitch design….Curveball needs velo, but shape is massive… Stuff could be disgusting….good feel for spin and his changeup.
Round 4: Nick Nastrini: From UCLA…entered the year considered one of the best pitching prospects on the West Coast, but his control deteriorated rapidly in what became a miserable season. ..was demoted from the rotation to the bullpen…Has a fastball that ranges from 92-96 mph as a starter, touches 98 in relief and plays up with high spin rates at the top of the strike zone. …Good athlete… teams are hopeful they can build his confidence back up and get him back to his previous form… vertical 4-seam fastball guy…upside if he can throw enough strikes.
Round 5: Ben Casparius: miller’s crossing-esque name! Not a lot of innings. Power arm. Hard working former middle IF. …Broke through with an outstanding 2021 campaign, tying for seventh in the nation in strikeouts… quality three-pitch mix, low 90s fastball, exceptional changeup, 127 Ks in 91 2/3 IP this year … some scouts see his future in the bullpen. Others see a starter’s three-pitch mix and enough strikes to project him as a solid back-end starter.
Round 6: Emmet Sheehan: Power arm from Boston College. Interesting and big. 3 pitch mix, sits 91…. Command is raw…. Great body at 6-5, about 220….. Live arm & nasty dispo…Worth watching develop.
AF kept his perfect record through the 10th round today. All pitchers.
Andrew, could you please get us an outfielder or two tomorrow?
The system is loaded with outfielders, some are pretty good and getting better. Pitching has been a little thin
Bear, not really with the OF. There is not one OF at AAA or AA that appears to be anything resembling an everyday regular in the OF.
AAA – DJ Peters, Luke Raley, Drew Avans, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Zach Reks (when he is optioned) – Peters is struggling in OKC – .220/.320/.356/.676 with 49 K in 153 PA (32%).
AA – Jeren Kendall, Donovan Casey, Romer Cuadrado, Ryan Noda, Carlos Rincon – Casey has a chance at being a 4th/5th OF. Cuadrado and Rincon are wild cards, but do not project to be everyday regulars.
Great Lakes – Andy Pages (20), James Outman (24), Andrew Shaps (25), Joe Vranesh (23), and Ryan Ward (23). Ward is having a good season with .292/.373/.500/.873, but he is 23. Outman is hitting .244/.377/.429/.806 with 75 K in 265 PA (28%) as a 24 year old. They are both older than the average age for High A Central.
Rancho – Jake Vogel (19), Ismael Alcantara (22), Aldrich De Jongh (22), Jonny Deluca (22), Edwin Mateo (22), Sam McWilliams (23), Imanol Vargas (23). The 22 year old players are 1 year older than the average player in Low A West, while the 23 year old players are 2 years older. They should be playing at a higher level. Vogel is really the only Rancho OF that shows to be a potential everyday regular OF. I think he projects nicely as the future CF for LAD, just as Belli is due to enter FA.
Luis Rodriguez (18) is at the LAD Arizona Complex League and is getting acclimated to playing in USA.
Pages (LAD Prospect #8), Luis Rodriguez (#13), Jake Vogel (#16), and DJ Peters ((#19) are the only OF in the Dodgers top 30, with only Pages, Rodriguez, and Vogel appearing to be potential everyday regulars. But they are all in A Ball and Rookie Ball, and have a lot of development ahead of them.
As we often do, we are thinking alike on this one.
Of course, drafting outfielders this year will not likely put them ahead of any of our better outfield prospects, all of whom are still a ways a way. Unlikely we could strike gold with a college outfielder, but maybe AF will roll the dice on one.
I am trying to remain positive after what I feel is a disappointing first 91 games. I know we have the second best record in all of baseball but we have the highest payroll by far and on paper there is no doubt the most talent in the game. Every team has had their share on injuries and the Dodgers have had more than their share to their key players but with all the depth we have I would have expected much better results than what our record shows. I am not a Dave Roberts fan and I believe he has cost us at least 5-6 wins so far this season with his questionable pitching moves and his in game management. I have been a season ticket holder for 40 years and this without a doubt has been one of the most frustrating seasons I can remember. I hold out hope that things will change in the final 71 games but I am not confident with DR as our manager that we will have a chance to be back-to-back WS Champs!
Expectations for this team are through the roof. But, they have not had the team they expected to have on the field for more than a handful of games. All things considered, they have played far better than they probably should have. They have one .300 hitter on the team, only 1 walkoff win, they are below .500 in one run games, extra innings. Considering the injuries to major players and to still have the second best record in the majors tied with Boston, I think they are doing great. 2 games back at the all star break, Lots of games left with their chief protagonists. Betts is starting to heat up, Pollock is on a role, and they have not gotten one of their better players in Seager back yet. I think you are right to be a little frustrated, we all are, but repeating as World Series champs is not that frippen easy. And it is on the players to play well, all the manager can do is put them in and hope they do their jobs. Roberts still has one of the highest winning pct’s as a manager in Dodger history, and his teams have been to the playoffs every year he has been at the helm.
Is anyone watching the HR Derby tonight? Ball is flying at Coors tonight but when isn’t it!
Balls were not placed in the humidor, it is 90 plus degrees in Denver, yeah, in the heat and thin air the ball is being crushed,
Your hometown boy Trevor Story pulled off a big upset over Joey Gallo. You can sure tell how gassed these guys are getting hitting in the high elevation. Seems like the Right handed batters have an advantage over left handed batters. Pete Alonso is hitting some shots, wow!
The first ten rounds of the 2021 MLB draft are in. The Dodgers have selected 2 high school pitchers (Rounds 1 & 3), and 7 college pitchers; including 4 seniors. Color me underwhelmed with these selections. Almost everyone of them has command issues, some with extreme issues.
Round 1 (#29) – Maddux Bruns – LHP, UMS Wright Prep HS, BA Ranking #48 – Committed to Mississippi State
Round 3 (#101) – Peter Heubeck – RHP, Gilman HS, BA Ranking #103 – Committed to Wake Forest
Round 4 (#132) – Nick Nastrini – RHP, UCLA, Sophomore Eligible, BA Ranking #215
Round 5 (#162) – Ben Casparius – RHP, UConn, Senior, BA Ranking #147
Round 6 (#192) – Emmet Sheehan – RHP, Boston College, Junior, BA Ranking #342
Round 7 (#222) – Ryan Sublette – RHRP, Texas Tech, Senior, BA Ranking #376
Round 8 (#252) – Ben Harris – LHRP, Georgia, Junior, BA Ranking #397
Round 9 (#282) – Lael Lockhart – LHRP, Arkansas, 5th year Senior, BA Ranking >500
Round 10 (#312) – Michael Hobbs – RHRP, St. Mary’s, Senior, BA Ranking >500
I do not see one pitcher above who has a mid-rotation ceiling. All nine pitchers look to be relievers, although Bruns could surprise. Nastrini was pulled from the Bruin rotation and sent to the bullpen because of his dismal lack of control and command. He failed to register an out in his last two appearances, walking all three batters and uncorking 2 WP. For Lockhart, the Mayo/Callis comment was he has a fastball that sits 90-94. They then later came back and said they heard that Lockhart’s mother was a New Orleans Saints Cheerleader.
What stands out to me is that four of the nine are college seniors which screams low ball bonus dollars. Lael Lockhart being a 5th year senior is looking at a below 10K bonus. Both HS pitchers were lower ranked than other HS pitchers still on the board, also meaning IMO lower bonus allotments. Because of the number of seniors it will be interesting to see who the Dodgers draft in #11. Often times they have gone overslot with this draft pick.
Perhaps if there is a HS pitcher that they can buy out of their college commitment, he can be tapped in that spot.
Bruns is an older HS senior at 19.1, and Heubeck is 19.0.
Everywhere you turn, it looks to be a low ball bonus draft.
This draft looks very reminiscent of the 2018 draft, which was the worst draft of any of the AF/Gasparino drafts. I hope I am wrong.
Good strategy for a weak draft class, get a bunch of high risk high reward pitchers and hope a couple work out. Spend money on International hitters.
This has an odd look to it. All pitchers and only one with a lower rank # than draft #. Was that deliberate? Must have been. For what reason? Signability?
How much money is left in the International Pool? I think I read $4-5 million.
Our record in one run and extra inning games is terrible and is a reflection of the manager and his decisions to put the right players in position to win. He has not done that with many questionable decisions that have cost us games we should have won. With the amount of talent on this team, we should be able to win the tight games and it is unacceptable to continually watch our team lose games we should be winning. Yes, I agree we haven’t had our regular lineup for many games and we have really missed Seager so I am hopeful upon his return we will generate a more consistent offense.
HBD48 – you raise some good points, many of which we have discussed.
It would certainly be interesting to see how we would do with another skipper.
I think there’d be many teams happy to have the NL Player of The Week.
.391 AVG
.463 OBP
1.043 SLG
1.505 OPS
4 HR
2 2B
Well done the unassuming AJP
And to think a couple weeks ago he was called “unwatchable” . Oh well, hopefully he will continue to be watchable for a while. Good on AJ and I hope that kid of his is doing well health-wise.