With Mark on the 10-day inactive list to attend to family business in Las Vegas (ever notice how these trips are never to Des Moines, Iowa or Wichita, Kansas?), Jeff (AC) was desperate for some assistance on the LADT writers roster. With his options limited, he had to resort to adding someone from the alternate training site, and had no choice but to call on me, the Zack Reks/Edwin Uceta of bloggers, to make a pinch-hit/relief appearance. Here’s hoping that I don’t look at three strikes across the plate and whiff mightily or walk three in a row on 12 pitches. The good news is, I’ll be optioned out as soon as this article has been written.
● Well, that was one of the more interesting trade deadlines I’ve experienced. 21 trades in all. No less than 9 players that played in this year’s All-Star game switched teams. Two teams that won the world series within the past 5 years completely dismantled their teams. It was a wild ride!
● This trade deadline, I also confirmed that there are much better things for me to do than to check MLB Trade Rumors every few minutes to see who the Dodgers have acquired. I’ve never much been a huge fan of roller-coaster rides, whether physical or emotional. This deadline was quite the roller coaster ride for me. Not feeling certain that the Billy McKinney acquisition, thrilling as it was, would get the Dodgers to the finish line, I spent some time that I couldn’t really afford to waste checking in on MLB Trade Rumors every so often. This is how the roller-coaster ride went: on July 29 at 4:19 p.m., Ken Rosenthal’s report (rumor) was “BREAKING: Padres Close To Acquiring Max Scherzer.” This led to my “Crap, you have got to be kidding me!” 400-foot drop. On July 29 at 7:23 p.m. “Dodgers Acquire Danny Duffy From Royals.” Seriously? He won’t be able to pitch until the end of August. Come on AF, we got to do better than that, the Padres are getting Scherzer for crying out loud! As I went through some jerky turns, and then at 12:02 a.m. on July 30, “Dodgers Acquire Max Scherzer and Trea Turner From Nationals For Four Prospects.” Sweet, I have reached the end of my exhilarating ride!!! At 70, that’s becoming more difficult for me to take.
● I didn’t mean to malign Danny Duffy in any way by my earlier comment. I think he will be a very fine pitcher for the Dodgers. He’s a local boy from Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, California. Once he returns to the mound, it will make it a lot easier for the Dodgers to send Gonsolin or Price, or both, to the bullpen, and that alone should help strengthen the team.
● Getting Max Scherzer was nice. If he pitches anywhere close to how he has consistently performed, what a major add he is to the starting staff. If Max wasn’t good enough, I still can’t get my mind around the fact that we got Trea Turner too! Acquiring Trea is not quite as exciting as getting Mookie, but it is pretty doggone close. I have long pined for a Brett Butler-type lead-off hitter, and Turner is every bit of that. He is good! I’m not sure how Doc will order his lineup, but if it’s me it would be TT, Betts, Cory, Mad Max, Fresh Prince, Belli, and AJ, with CT3 rotating regularly with Pollock and Belli, depending on the handedness of the opposing pitcher. I might also consider relegating Bellinger to the bench (More on that below). Just think of the quality pitches that Betts will see with Turner on base. Pitchers have to pay attention to him on first and they have to be mindful of his running ability. Infielders will also have to cheat on the shift.
● Despite getting two of the better players in the game, many still believe that AF did not do enough. He should have added a front-line reliever, or two, or three. Perhaps another big bat. Actually, he should have acquired all the star players. I read one comment where the person wondered why AF “does not even try” to make the team better. Say what??? For certain there are questions about the bullpen. But what exactly should AF have done? Do you not believe that the front office analyzes all available players, compares them to their own, and works hard at making their team better. It amazes me that many still believe that no effort is made by the front office to make the team better. One of the easiest things to do in sports and life is to sit on the sidelines and complain. Complaining and nit-picking require virtually no effort and involve no risk. Moreover, it is so easy to say that we should have obtained such and such player because we could have offered more than the other team. But, is it as simple as that? I agree that the bullpen presently gives me some pause for concern. That said, if the pen performs as they are capable, I think it is good enough to win another world series. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. t wasn’t that long ago that fans were clamoring for Felipe Vázquez of the Pirates. I’m glad we dodged that bullet.
● Some have argued that we gave up a lot for Scherzer and Turner, and that may be true. Keibert Ruiz and Jo Jo Gray are nice players who may have helped the Dodgers down the line. Casey and Carrillo also have the possibility of helping the Nationals down the line. But, we know for certain that Scherzer and Turner will help. They are proven, quality players. Let’s revisit some of the past deadline deals(not as extensively as Bear did in his recent marvelous article) and look at the prospects the Dodgers traded to get much-needed help. In 2016 Grant Holmes (a first-round pick), Jharel Cotton, and Frankie Montas went to the Oakland Athletics for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick, who at the time was the top pitcher on the market and one of the better outfielders(I know, he didn’t pan out); in 2017 the Dodgers traded Hendrik Clementina (minor leaguer) and Scott Van Slyke to the Reds for Tony Cingrani. They also traded A.J. Alexy (minors), Brendon Davis (minors), and Willie Calhoun to the Texas Rangers for Yu Darvish. They also traded Oneil Cruz (minors) and Angel German (minors) to the Pirates for Tony Watson; in 2019 they traded Rylan Bannon (minors), Yusniel Diaz (minors), Dean Kremer (minors), Zach Pop (minors), and Breyvic Valera to the Orioles for Manny Machado. Without debating whether the players acquired performed as expected(hoped), are there any prospects on this list that you truly miss? While they are all fine players, as far as it goes, in my opinion, there is not a single one of those prospects that would make a difference on the Dodgers’ current roster. Admittedly, I feel different about Kaybear and JoJo. I expected and believed they would be an important part of the Dodgers’ future. However, it’s just as likely that 4 years down the line we may view them similarly to the players traded for Hill, Darvish and Machado. It was a price to pay, but the Dodgers received great quality in return. Heck, truth be told, if the Nationals had asked, I would have readily thrown in Lux, Gonsolin, and Bellinger as long as they added Juan Soto to the deal.
● I also find it interesting that, indirectly, Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp helped us acquire Betts, Scherzer, and Trea Turner. Let that thought sink in. Two players the Dodgers no longer needed or wanted on the roster helped them acquire 3 of the game’s better players. The Reds kindly gave us Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray for them (and Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer). With Puig and Kemp off the roster, Alex Verdugo was provided the opportunity to show how good he could be. He along with Downs were then traded for Betts. Now Gray has been flipped for Scherzer. Thank you Yasiel and Matt!!! Six degrees of separation!
● Some may argue that the prospect cupboard is now bare for the Dodgers. I say not so fast. Here’s a shortlist of current prospects that I believe have a very good chance of making it to the big leagues: Catchers: Diego Cartaya and keep your eye on Carson Taylor; First Base: Brandon Lewis; Second base: Michael Busch and Devin Mann; Shortstop; Jacob Amaya, Wilmen Diaz and Leonel Valera; Third Base: Miguel Vargas and Kody Hoese; Outfield: Andy Pages (pronounced “paw hey”), Luis Rodriguez, Jose Ramos, James Outman, Jake Vogel, and Ryan Ward; Pitchers: Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, Landon Knack (an underdog favorite of mine), Andre Jackson, Clayton Beeter, Maddux Bruns, and Carlos Duran. There are several more, but I’m just not as familiar with all of them. Also, other than Bruns, I have not included any other players drafted this year.
● This past week I came across Thomas Paine’s famous quote from his book “The Crisis”: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” I read these words as I was watching Kenley Jansen blow the second of two straight games to the Giants. Please understand, I don’t, for a millisecond, equate the battle for liberty and freedom to a few losses in baseball. That said, I couldn’t help but think, in a strict sports context, that in this quote, there was some correlation to the Dodgers’ season in 2021. I haven’t quite fully figured out all of that correlation, but I do think that some of the Dodger players are like the “soldier and the sunshine patriot” that Paine spoke of. This team, more than those in the past seems to lack any fire and spark. They seem to lack any sense of urgency. Because I don’t have access to the clubhouse, I’m not prepared to make judgments on the team merely by the limited things I can view on the TV from my recliner. That said, it would be nice to have a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant go into the clubhouse and verbally kick some butt and take some names.
● This article was finalized after Friday night’s loss to the D-backs. That game, particularly the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings, was a microcosm of the Dodgers’ season. The Dodgers open the 6th with 4 straight hits and score their first run. Bases loaded no outs. Then Smith strikes out on a check swing. Arguably it was a bad call, but he watched the first two pitches go right down the center of the plate without lifting the bat off his shoulder. Pollock follows with a sac fly to deep right-center that’s caught on the warning track. Down by one, and Bellinger, as has been his trademark this year, can’t catch up with 94 mph fastballs and meekly pops out to left. Opportunity wasted. What we need now is a shut-down inning. What we get instead, is the bullpen giving both runs back to the Serpientos. Frustrating. 7th inning, McKinney starts us off with a single, Beatty follows by doing what we all have been clamoring for, hitting away from the shift for a single to left. Taylor then follows with a two-run triple. Man on third, with no outs, the heart of the lineup coming up. D-backs bring in a 29-year-old lefty making his major league debut. Things are looking good. Easy, peasy, right? Nope! What follows are two of the worst at-bats that I’ve seen from Max Muncy and JT. Muncy strikes out flailing away at a pitch that was a foot off the plate. JT follows that with a weak pop
foul to the first baseman for the second out. Seager then ends the inning by grounding out to second. One fair ball out of three at-bats. Talk about frustrating! Top 8th, first two get on only to have Belli, yet again, hit a lazy pop foul to left field. After a McKinney ground out advances the runners, Albert Pujols, mercifully, singles in a run to tie the game. Tie game. Bottom of the 8th we get to yell at the TV as we watch Jansen navigate his way through yet another stressful inning. Thankfully, Carson Kelly, apparently feeling sorry for Jansen, swings at a pitch out of the strike zone (although who knows what this ump would have called it), to strikeout. This pretty much summarizes the Dodgers season. Moments of frustration, followed by some moments of excitement, only to be brought down by more frustration. It’s time for this team to go on a nice 20-2 run and put my baseball world back in its proper orbit.
● I don’t know what to make of Bellinger. Perhaps the thoughts of becoming a father have caused him to lose focus. My theory is that his decline started at the same time that the Dodger fans began screaming “MVP, MVP” every time he came to bat. If you go back and check, his stats, they started to plummet when those chants began in earnest. Whatever the reason, he needs to stop this nonsense now and begin to hit. Otherwise, Roberts needs to put his butt on the bench. I think even Steve Lyons would agree that he is a worse rally killer than a home run.
● It was reported that Kenley Jansen was really ticked off because he wasn’t named to the All-Star team. Since then, he has pitched like he absolutely didn’t deserve to be on the All-Star team. On the other hand, maybe he’s exacting some twisted revenge on Doc for not naming him to the team. Who knows, but I sure hope that 1st half Kenley reappears soon because I do not enjoy watching this version.
● As the Dodgers’ struggles continue, Orel Hershiser’s announcing seems to get worse. Mind you, Hershiser seems like a really nice guy who would be fun to have at a backyard barbeque and chat with. But the constant “Bellinger just got under that pop foul Joe.” “If he hits a 3 run home-run here, it might help him get back on track.” “The Dodgers are only down 5-1, and if they score 3 here, it will get them right back in the game.” No kidding. Once or twice in a game is okay, but when it goes on and on, it becomes virtually unlistenable. Not only that seems to drag Joe Davis down with him.
● I have no opinion on what should happen to Trevor Bauer, as I have not heard the evidence. As with most things presented by the media, I trust and believe very little. What I do know is that the standard of proof for obtaining a temporary restraining order(TRO) is very low. They are routinely issued without any evidence presented from the party against who the order is sought. That’s why they are temporary. Typically, a hearing for the permanent injunction is scheduled within 21 days after a TRO is issued. Moreover, restraining orders require proof of some sort of immediate threatening behavior which has affected the protected party or by which there’s reasonable cause to believe the protected party may be affected. If the party said or did something threatening a year prior, and has done nothing else since you will probably not obtain a permanent restraining order. Also, the difference between a domestic violence restraining order(DVRO) and a civil harassment restraining order is that the DVRO involves some sort of intimate relationship. DVRO’s also tend to include showings of emotional, psychological, and/or physical abuse. In most cases where the parties were dating, and no longer see each other, or where they haven’t seen each other for quite some time, they will stipulate to some form of stay-away order and there will be no hearing for a permanent injunction(restraining order).
● In an effort to see the heads on some of the commentators on this blog explode, Jon Weisman wrote a nice article on Dave Roberts’ Hall of Fame potential as a manager. You can find it at:
It’s certainly true, that Doc makes some maddening decisions (but honestly, which manager doesn’t?). I remember one of the first articles I wrote on this blog, I shared my thoughts on how Roberts compared to other hall of fame managers and concluded that all in all, he was doing a good job. I was called a few names for that article. Oh well, I haven’t changed my opinion.
● I’ll end with this if you think the Dodgers are infuriating, folks you could be a Cubs fan. My son Joel, is a die-hard Cubbie fan. After this trade deadline passed he, along with thousands of other Cub fans checked into therapy. Can you envision what would happen if AF did what Hoyer just did with the Cubs? There would be mutiny all across Dodger blogdom.
I think you are more like the Albert Pujols of bloggers. You don’t play every day, but when you do, you make it count!
P.S. Cubs fan? You should have raised him better than that! Of course, I can’t say anything. Neither one of my boys like baseball!
Great read! Glad to have you back in the lineup.
Great article, indeed.
You, kind Sir, are a great pinch hitter. I hope Mark calls your number more often. You add balance and a slightly different perspective to some matters on this blog.
Thank you!
Dodgers win, Dodgers win…….Yeah!
Even Cody got two hits (I will take infield hits all the time)!
Bullpen game was near perfect save two pitches. Even Edwin Uceta looked dominating…albeit against the worst team in baseball with a 5 run lead. Also Love me some Kelly and Trienen.
Man, I can’t wait for Turner and Seager to be everyday players. I’m drooling just thinking about our lineup.
Oh, one more thing…..think long and hard about moving CT3 to the bench….it makes no sense to me.
TM
1. 2D2 knows he can write here whenever he wants. He’s just too busy suing people! 😉
2. Cody is trying to go the other way when possible. I get tired of all the “He doesn’t listen.” He’s in a slump and it is as much in his head as it is in his swing!
3. Uceta is a future piece for the bullpen… probably not this year, but he flashes his stuff at times.
4. CT3 will not be benched… but he might play 5 or 6 positions a week!
5. I hope the Dodgers can re-sign CT3, but he is in line for a 5 year/$75 MIllion deal (I think). He’s 31… maybe. Pollock comes off the payroll next year!
I want to see this lineup:
1. Betts RF
2. T-Turner 2B
3. Seager SS
4. Muncy 1B
5. J-Turner 3B
6. Bellinger – CF (Split up the RH Hitters)
7. Smith C (Makes them throw Belli better pitches)
8. Pollock LF
WOW! Where’s CT3? He subs for both Turners, Betts, Bellinger, Pollock, and Seager once a week. He’s the real Swiss-Army-Knife!
This lineup is so deep, even Doc can’t screw it up. I think you can reverse it and it’s still better than anyone else’s. The bullpen is shaping up the same way if they can get Kenley’s head screwed back on right.
I like the idea of having two speedy table setters up top. It worked really well for the Nats with Turner and Eaton.
Can we possibly see Betts bat further down to take some pressure of his hip?
TT
Seags
JT
Muncy
Betts
Belli
Smith
Pollock
How the hell did we wind up with two Turners and Two Mad Max’s?
Don’t mean to turn things away from baseball, but just wanted to thank you for your answer to my question as to why you took the vaccine. And yes, that post helped me understand you a little better.
I’m German by heritage but married an Italian thirty-four years ago, so I’ve spent these past years with her family and seen a lot of yelling, hand waving and eaten some of the best food ever. I wouldn’t give up that experience for anything. Italian passion gets scary sometimes but it comes from the heart. Maybe that describes you as well.
Anyway, back to baseball. When Mookie’s hip gets better, having him and Trea at the top of the lineup, if Doc will turn them loose, will completely change the dynamic of this offense. I think we’re in for some fun times.
I agree with everything you said here. I bet your wife is really smart too. I haven’t met one yet that wasn’t. 😉
You really hit the jackpot trading German food for Italian. My wife is Scottish and English, no wonder I do all of the cooking.
AF is a boss. I think he made this lineup and bullpen as idiot proof as possible. Jansen, Doc and Health are the only things that worry me.
My son-in-law is Italian. “Salimeno” is his sirname.
I call him “Meatball” and he calls me “Dad.” 😉
Hey Blue, if you like your ITALIAN wife, then you will like me!
“Now that’s a spicy meatball…..”
TM
You are right this lineup is real deep. You are wrong Doc can and will screw it up. TRUST ME.
Wrong Mark, Pollock has one more year guaranteed and a team option in 2023.
It’s a $5 million buyout. I do not see them paying him $10 Million in 2023.
Neither do I , but he gets 16 mil next year.
Maybe this explains Pollock’s salary drive.
Pollock’s average is up over .300 now and his OPS at .888. He’s really coming on strong.
That’s just a tick below Trea Turner’s .890. While Mookie hasn’t been up to Mookie standards, his OPS is now at .886. By that measure, AJ is grouped closely with both Justin and Trea Turner and Chris Taylor, with Smith not too far back at .846. Muncy, of course, leads the pack at .971.
It’s weird, frankly, that the Dodgers don’t have a better record, but they have a habit of packing opacking that they pack the offense into blowouts like today’s–and then it just disappears. The lack of clutch hitting is apparent in their abysmal record in extra-inning and one-run games. Trea Turner should help that, with both his bat and legs.
One fun stat to add: Against lefties, Pujols has had an OPS of .976, a mark exceeded only by Muncy and Taylor.
Belli is way down in Lux territory. It’s certainly best, I think, to keep Belli and his glove in the starting lineup, trusting him to reclaim his mojo. But if it’s tight down the stretch, Belli might need to sit.
Good read.
How does one not like baseball? The only guys I know that don’t have an interest in baseball were those who couldn’t play it.
I get the seeming lack of intensity, but I think I understand it. These guys know they are good. They also know it’s a long season. They believe they will win the Division. I do too.
Orel can be hard to take. Last night he said something that piqued my interest – Cody might soon try a slight change in his batting stance. Where have we heard that before? If he changed nothing in the stance and swing, but choked up with 2 strikes, I think he would make contact far more often.
Bauer. What we continue to read is about a restraining order. This case is not about a restraining order. At what point do we get to what this case is really about? Was he given permission to beat her up and have anal sex with her or not? And if he’s found not guilty will MLB allow him to pitch again? Why must this drag out. I’ve learned in legal cases the longer you can draw things out the better. Cops involved in arrests, lawyers, witnesses even judges, move around a lot and the longer you can stretch things out the more likely you can squeeze things through. I don’t believe that applies here. I think they want this to drag out til Christmas when baseball season is long over and people are busy thinking about buying their kids the new GI Joe with the Kung Fu grip. Distract them. People are easily distracted.
We have a good chance to pick up a game today.
I’m with Tony Kornheiser. I don’t understand why Washington would trade Turner.
Wouldn’t it be wild if this was the rotation in September:
1. Buehler
2. Scherzer
3. Kershaw
4. Urias
5. Bauer
You never know.
I may be in the vast minority concerning Bauer but I hope he does come back this year. I would also reverse him and Urias as he has never pitched more innings than he has this year. Previous high was 2014 at 87.2 innings. He is already at 124.2 innings and I fear something may happen to his arm.
Orel is like your crazy uncle who talks too much. Half the time you don’t hear him, but sometimes he makes up for it!
If also fit that description. Maybe that’s why I love him so.
I think Ruiz was why. The Nats are very thin at catcher. Ruiz can fill in right away or next year. They wanted him for trading Scherzer. I suspect AF said I’ll give you Ruiz and a few more if you include Turner. Most likely the Nats are not competitive next year. They get more now then trading Turner in his walk year.
Makes sense I guess. The idea you can get an All Star 5-7 WAR shortstop for a catching prospect seems a bit far fetched, but, it happened. Lucky us. Turner at short, Seager at third, Muncy at first, JT at DH, Smith, Taylor, Mookie wherever he wants to play…. damm. Abundance.
I think there is no doubt that Ruiz will be a great player, but I don’t know if Gray will be, he could be a Pedro Martinez, or a Julio Teheran, only time will tell, but what is certain is that Turner and Scherzer are going to help right now, not tomorrow, today, which is when they are needed to win another championship, don’t worry about the prospects, there will be more, they are not the only ones or the last to be traded
Great comment Jorge. Totally agree.
If we think about it, having “lost” Ruiz and Gray was a great loss?
Where and when would Ruiz play? And Gray, when?
Dodgers lose this playoffs because didn’t have a good hitter like Turner or another ace like Scherzer?
Well, at least we still have Ruiz and Gray, who will help us win several championships in the future! Right?
Hey Jorge. I spent a lot of time and ink defending your Tatis comment yesterday. The least you can do is let me know if you intended it as a racial slur or not.
I share your hatred for the Padres, but I still hate the Giants and Astros more in that order.
I know Bulldog, I always read the comments although I do not comment much, and I appreciate what you wrote, and I must add that it seems that many misunderstood my words, everyone knows that I hate that shitty team and those clowns.
Among Latinos we express ourselves this way, but more than anything it is a silly way of putting nicknames, do you remember the movie “back to the future”? Bufford says monkey face to Marty (cara de mono), that’s what I call my nephews, and I just saw a series on Netflix “Orphan black” where the protagonist says little monkey to her daughter, it’s not that bad, should be a little less sensitive, among Latinos to call us chango, burro, negro, or even pendejo it is something very common.
But if you say “chinga tu madre” to a Latino, then there is a problem!
I offer an apology if I offended someone here, or if I hurt susceptibilities, but in the end, there is freedom of expression, there are people who say morons, idiots and other things and no one is offended, then why i cannot do the same against someone who is a real asshole?
And by the way, I don’t hate SF, because LA needs SF to keep the rivalry alive, LA without SF or SF without LA is not the same, while HOU can go to hell, although I would settle if that pair of Fags of Correa and Altuve disappear!
LOL – I’m not touching that last sentence.
I won’t “touch” it, but I will stand up and applaud it.
cheers
pb+
I think I want to move to Mexico, right next door to Jorge.
I noticed that nobody could answer WABlue’s question about giving an example of why Roberts is a good manager. Before it was withdrawn!
OK, I will “SCOREBOARD!”
And… you can say all you want about how Friedman gave him a great team, but how many managers with great teams have failed?
I do not understand irrational hatred!
Do you understand rational hatred? Some actually believe their hatred is justified. I hear it all the time. Counter point of life – an attack on life, freedom, country. Like the current attack going on in our health care industry. People must love what they are defending in order to hate their attackers effectively. I learned that as a 19 year old walking patrol in the DMZ.
Yes, it is possible that Bauer pitches again. I’d like to ask the lawyers here, can she drop the charges at this point? Can this be settled between the lawyers?
I am not a lawyer, but I have acted like one at times. Here’s the answer: The only party that can drop domestic violence charges is the district attorney.
That’s incorrect Mark. She filed a request for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order. These are typically heard before a civil or family law Judge. The DA is never involved at this point. The DA brings criminal charges in the criminal court. As far as I know, that has not been done.
Maybe there’s a criminal lawyer on here that has a different insight. I would welcome hearing their opinion.
Badger-the simple answer is yes. That would involve the stipulated stay away order that I referenced. Moreover, presently as far as I know, criminal charges have not been filed. Nor has she filed a civil suit for damages. Thus, she can walk away and all these matters go with her.
I don’t know how that would impact MLB’s investigation though.
Mark says no, you say yes.
At what point do we find out that he has actually been charged?
I’m assuming if this fades away MLB can just suspend him “time served” and allow him back. People do have a tendency to forget and move on. Plenty more to be angry about out there. Personally I don’t care what happened. Two bizarre people doing weird stuff to each other is no business of mine. Like the rest of the public not involved, which is everybody here, when it comes out like it did I just put forth a guess.
I find it odd that people say however things turn out he will never pitch for the Dodgers forward. He does have a thing called a ‘contract’ so to me it seems MLB may find themselves having to defend in court their moves without due process. I don’t know/think if TB admitted to anymore than having sex with the space-case and her claims have not been proven as of yet.Q
Before it was withdrawn? I guess it disappeared into the black hole.
What I don’t understand is the duality of your love for Doc vs your hatred of Mattingly. They are the same manager for the Dodgers from where I’m sitting. Can you rationally explain what makes you hate Mattingly and not Doc?
Maybe you’re right and Doc is just the victim of hindsight. Maybe all managers are. It’s hard to quantify their effect on the game. Maybe I just don’t agree with all the platoons, double-switches and platoon split matchups.
Maybe I should spend time meditating on the subject. But, I don’t agree with the metric of win-loss record. There’s certainly many examples of managers who were great with one team and bad with others. Torre, Mattingly, Bochy and Melvin come to mind.
Surely Doc is the beneficiary of great teams. His record is on pace for a Hall of Fame trajectory and we don’t see the Dodgers slowing down anytime soon. It seems the only thing that can derail his trajectory is refusing a one year contract and taking a job with the Marlins. I hope he’s just as smart as Mattingly in that regard.
If he wins this year, with this “Super Team”, it will give him that much more credibility equalling Tommy’s World Series record at 2-2. But, Tommy never had a team like Doc has. Tommy had to manage against “Super Teams” with the Big Red Machine in division and those 88 Mets and A’s. He had to play against heavily favored Yankees teams in 3 of 4 World Series, not the thrift store budget Rays. Tommy’s teams were never the favorite in his World Series appearances. In fact they where underdogs in all of them. He was also the underdog with that Gold Medal Olympic team of amateurs playing against pros. That’s exactly why Tommy’s a legend. That and his post game interviews and his on field antics. Doc is a wet paper towel in comparison.
You ask how many managers with great teams have failed? At least one every year. If you make it to the World Series, you most likely have a great team. Many great teams are eliminated before the World Series. Maybe it comes down to the motivational skills of their managers.
I guess managers are like ice cream flavors. It’s hard to quantify why one is delicious for some and horrible for others.
Maybe I just don’t agree with all the platoons, double-switches and platoon split matchups.
That’s from the FO. Not Doc.
I saw on the scoreboard a disappointing 6-5 loss in extra innings to the lowly D-Backs the other day. Was this all Robert’s fault? Of course not. Does one bad game make someone a bad manager? Definitely not. However, I do think he is accountable for the poor play that caused this outcome. My hatred is rational in that I hate his style and decision making (or lack thereof). If we win a WS this year, next year and create a dynasty then I will be the first person to say his style works (still wont like it, but will accept being wrong). However, how many will people will jump from the Roberts Love Fest if the team starts going backwards? Will he now suddenly be a bad manager because of his Win-Loss record? Ok, that’s enough for me on the Roberts front. I have many Dodger opinions and Roberts is only one of them. I’ll leave on a positive note – am excited to turn the calendar to August and see if we can start to grind it out during the dog days when weaker teams fade (see Giants and Padres)!
Great read 2d2. Always enjoy your take on the Dodgers.
You refer to yourself as the Uceta of bloggers. I know you wrote this on Friday, but Uceta pitched very well last night so maybe there’s hope for you yet. 🙂
Thanks for the confirmation on the pronunciation of Andy Pages. I assumed that was the case but could never find anything to confirm it. We’ll all need to know that pronunciation at some point as I expect he’s going to make a lot of noise in the majors some day, whether that be here or somewhere else.
Lastly, I laughed out loud at your Steve Lyons reference. Got my Sunday morning off to a good start.
Thanks 2D2 for the excellent article this morning. Your take on the state of the state of the Dodgers is refreshing. I liked the link of the Puig/Kemp trade for ScherzerT.Turner was interesting. The Keibert Ruiz part was acquired for $140,000 signing bonus.
2d2 that’s an interesting pronunciation for Pages. I did a little Internet research and found that it’s a Surname from the Catalan region of Spain. Catalan is actually a distinct language and not a dialect of Spanish.
Since Pages is Cuban your pronunciation sounds correct. The Catalan version sounds more French, like Pah-jes with a soft J sound. I find language interesting, so I thought I would share.
Robert’s in the Hall is laughable. But sometimes guys are hired into a great situation. If u believe this organization is top notch then u believe it was built for a manager to win. AF provides the players and Robert’s has been provided very talented players. U cannot win without players. Put Robert’s in Arizona and c how he does. I think AF has not provided the best at times for Robert’s this year and it has shown. While I am not a huge fan of Robert’s I don’t know a manager I would replace him with unless Cora. He just has some really questionable moments like they all do.
Here is what I don’t like. He is so arrogant at times. We will just make Joc a first baseman in the middle of the season. We will just rest our starters in September and lose 15 in a row(not 15) but ridiculous lost all momentum and mb home field don’t remember. No urgency. Constantly playing the long game. Somehow ends up with uceta closing consecutive games etc. sitting guys who r hot. I could go on. His ridiculous medical reports. He is day to day and ends up out for 6 weeks. He should be back in a couple of days then out for a month. He just has no business commenting. I could go on and on but the post is lengthy enough.
I still support anyone wearing a Dodger uniform. I c other managers lacking. I just wish Robert’s felt he needs to improve but he seems very high on himself. When people who don’t follow look at the record he looks a lot better. The team surely has not over achieved.
Who would you say the Dodgers should hire instead of Roberts?
Also, what would you say to the numerous baseball insiders(managers, players, executives) who claim that Roberts is one of the smartest baseball people they have met?
I used to want AJ Ellis to be the Manager but that want has passed. Chase Utley would be awesome if he wanted to spend that much of his life at ball parks. He might have too much money to want to do that.
Utley would insist working on fundamentals. That wouldn’t fly.
John Shoemaker, Joey Cora, Craig Counsell, Mike Scioscia, Chase Utley, just off the top of my head.
Thanks so much for the great write up today 2D2. The best pitch hitting performance we have seen all year!
I don’t know who Dodger management might consider. They seem to be very happy with Roberts so a replacement candidate seems irrelevant. We complain all we want, but nothing is going to change to get rid of Roberts as long as the team keeps winning.
If Roberts is claimed by insiders to be one of the smartest baseball people then the front office must have a serious muzzle on him and make ALL the decisions for him. Because anyone with a smart baseball mind wouldn’t make many of the decisions he makes during the game. Roberts head scratching BP maneuvers over the years and especially in the postseason must be made by the front office and not by one of the smartest baseball minds. His lineups and in game decisions must be made by the front office during the game because Roberts’ baseball intellect wouldn’t make those moves. It can be the only answer for his non-informative press briefings where most everything he says is not true or is a cliché. It’s not Roberts, but the front office.
Like Aaron Rodgers says “it’s a beautiful mystery”
Totally agree with your comments on Roberts. With the talent and analytics provided by the front office I would think there would be plenty of current or future managers that would be successful.
Yes a Manager needs a good-great team to win. No argument there. Those of you that pointed out yesterday all the Mangers that had losing teams before going to a team with better players proved that point. To try to properly analyze Doc’s performance I only listed the winning %’s of Managers that managed great teams and for only their time with those teams. That is as close as I felt I could come to a valid comparison of performance. The fact that Doc has the 2nd highest winning percentage on that list says volumes. There were 3 Mangers on that list that really stood out. Bobby Cox managed a team that won 13 straight division titles with 3 Hall of Fame starting pitchers, Joe Torre managed a team that won 4 World Series, and Sparky Anderson managed a team that has 3 hall of famers (4 if you count Pete Rose). And yet doc has a higher winning percentage than all 3. Someone asked me to point out what moves Doc has made to prove he is a good manager. He fills out the lineup every day. He makes the final decision on in games moves every day. He keeps many large egos in check every day. I would argue you can’t keep winning if you don’t do those things well. We can argue a given day’s lineup, an individual pitching change, or any other in the moment managerial decision. Evaluating any Manager (business, sports, politics, etc) on those individual decisions is not only wrong, but patently unfair. Evaluating any Manager’s performance can only be right if done over his/her entire body of work. I will end by saying I have been following this great franchise since the early 50’s. I watched Bobby Thomson’s HR live on TV and went to many games at Ebbets Field as a kid, and frankly I am happy Dave Roberts is the Manager of the Dodgers.
You go, JayB.
For me, a great manager needs to find the balance between loyalty to players and making changes/hard conversations when needed. Roberts fills out the lineup card every day, but who does he sit because that guy is hurting the team right now and Roberts knows it? Roberts may be a smart baseball guy and know the right answer but if he is afraid to say it and not take action, what’s the point? Give me the manager who stands up and says “I made the wrong call and am accountable for it”. I completely agree that we dont get access beyond what we see and hear on TV/Internet so can only judge based on this information. However, based on what I see/hear, his style is too laid back and non-confrontational. Furthermore, I think we’re starting to see results from this style with really bad fundamental baseball at times. An argument can be made that this style is exactly what is needed to keep all the ego’s from the Super Team in check and maybe so. I think a great manager can make any team better. Maybe that’s taking a 50 win team to above .500. Or a playoff team to over 100 wins. What I do know is that there was talk about the most wins of any team all time at the beginning of the season BEFORE acquiring Scherzer and Turner. Now, we’re talking about scratching and clawing to beat the Giants. So, I ask- did Roberts make the 2021 Dodgers better, worse or same? Furthermore, has he made any version of the Dodgers better, worse or same throughout his managerial career? My opinion is he made them worse (despite great record) but concede that maybe the same, especially considering other managerial options. I would have a hard time being convinced he made them better. If he makes the Hall, you can chalk that up to right place, right time.
The pre-season projections were all based on an incredible lineup, incredible starting rotation, and a more than adequate bullpen. We have never seen the pre-season lineup, saw the pre-season bullpen a short amount of time, and saw the pre-season starting rotation about half the time.
Fangraphs had the Dodgers winning 99 games pre-season. We are currently on a 96 win pace. With the AAA+ players that have played many of our games, I would argue Roberts has made this team better.
Baseball fundamentals are in part a function of repetition. With all the changing lineups based on availability of personnel repetition is not possible. I too am very frustrated with the way this team plays, but unlike you, I do not blame Roberts, but the unfortunate circumstances the team has had to endure.
In terms of his personality, we only see what he and the team want us to see. Any opinion to the contrary of what goes on behind closed doors is ridiculous on its face.
Finally, the statement “If he makes the Hall, you can chalk that up to right place, right time” is fully disputed by the facts of him doing better (winning %) than most Hall of Fame managers who also had great players given to them.
This year has a great deal left before we can make a fair evaluation of the job he has done. Give the guy a break. He deserves it.
Excellent column, 2d2.
Yah, when I worked in government, there were no conferences in Blythe, Ca. When I worked in newspapers, there were no conferences, period. Just not in the budget.
It was Definitely an interesting couple of days. We went from Padres moving toward acquiring Max Scherzer (Rosenthal), to other teams still involved (MLB Rumors) to Dodgers making significant progress on a deal to acquire Scherzer and Turner (Passan) to a report out of San Diego about the Padres indicating chances of getting a Scherzer deal done were no longer in the cards.
It was an incredible trade deadline like nothing I’ve ever seen before with analysts pointing out teams were willing to give up actual prospects to make deal. That certainly was true for the Dodgers, who gave up their number one and two prospects to swing the deal.
I liked the deal. Although Keibert Ruiz and Jo Jo Gray are likely to have significant careers in the Majors (barring injuries), the Dodgers system has catching prospect Diego Cartaya and several pitching prospects. The system is certainly not bare.
Will Smith is developing into the top catcher in baseball and he’s an offensive force. Barnes is an excellent back-up. So no urgent need for the services of Ruiz.
Interesting stories in the LA Times, the Dodgers would like to keep Scherzer beyond this year. No surprise, really.
As to Trevor Bauer, do the Dodgers actually want him back? Apparently some players don’t, maybe a significant number. Regardless of how this turns out, he put himself at risk through his actions and I’m guessing many players feel he let the team down. Even if he does come back where will his head be, has he been working out, how will his teammates react to his presence, how will the team deal with what will become a major distraction and a media circus?
Best of all worlds for the Dodgers they somehow get out of the contract and move forward without Bauer.
Hey, I was for signing Bauer, even predicted it, social media nonsense and all. But this went beyond weird. I mean, seriously, if he told any of you that he met someone on social media who wanted to get involved in some pretty rough stuff, would anyone on this site, have said, hey good idea, go for it. I’m guessing most of you, if not all, would have said that’s a bad idea and this might go very bad and could put your career in jeopardy. Don’t go there. Not like we haven’t seen similar nonsense before, politicians, celebrities leading the parade. Never turns out well.
Again, 2d2, really enjoyed today’s write-up.
If this thing fades to black and Bauer is reinstated I think a sincere apology to the team and a humble request for forgiveness might go a long way. Do I think that will happen? Yeah, sure. Maybe. But I doubt it. No way. I have no idea.
But Mark is right. It could happen.
I just gave my home address, drivers license, social security,, bank account numbers and Mother’s maiden name to a Saudi Billionaire that wants to distribute an inheritance to me from a relative I didn’t even know I have. What Bauer did was stupider. I’ll be back in a few. I just got a call reminding me to renew the extended warranty for my car.
I understand that T. Turner cannot join the team because of exposure to Covid. In the best scenario, when could he join the team?
Minimum of 10 days, which I believe is the 6th.
Thanks Badger.
Writing is like driving with a stick shift. I’ll let that sink in a bit.
When you are moving into a new thought or want your last thought to not blur into your next sentence, depress the clutch and shift gears. Translation: Click enter twice and make a new paragraph. Two clicks adds white space between paragraphs and helps readers find your thoughts as they will not be hidden in a sea of words.
Good advice Bum. Two clicks. Double clutch. Got it.
Can you fix Pollack, Bueller, and Goselin please.
It would have been clever of me if I had used sync in instead of sink in given the analogy provided.
Scherzer will be wearing number 31. Same as he wore as a Nat. Trea Turner will be wearing number 77.
Ah, so Turner is pulling a Pujols.
Just doubling up on his previous number.
The Dodgers passed over Gabe Kapler to hire Doc. Gabe seems to be doing a better job this year with unheralded players than Doc with a team pf superstars.
Roberts is the Manager and he is going to manage the team in ways that seem illogical in a perfect world. Keeping players relevant and physically and mentally at their peaks in a long hot summer and protecting players with nagging injuries doesn’t always keep the best players in the starting lineup.
I always disliked when he would pinch hit for Joc in the fifth inning only to see a righty bat that struggles more against a righty pitcher bat two or three times later in the game. BTW, Joc is doing much better than expected against lefty pitchers this year now that he has been given opportunities.
Bill Walsh, ex-49ers Coach, told his draft scouts that he wanted to see each college players’ best 5 plays before he made a decision on who to draft. So the best players being considered were evaluated for strengths and weaknesses but Walsh wanted to know what their peaks were before making a final decision.
Bellinger passes that kind of a review. His best 5 plays are outstanding. But if he has peaked like some here say he has, what should the Dodgers do?
If the Dodgers re-sign Seager and he plays SS, Trea could be moved to CF.
If the Dodgers could trade Bellinger for someone like Shane Bieber and yes other players could well be included, should they?
1. Seager at SS and T-T in CF is a possibility in the future,
2. Cleveland would not do that deal unless you included Busch, Miller, Cartaya, and Pages.
I definitely do not think you will ever see a long term situation in LA with Seager at short and Turner in center. After next year, Trea will have the world at his feet. He’ll probably have at least 10 teams who want to sign him. He’s already stated he wants to play shortstop. If Seager has already signed here, he would only do it to play short because, for example, the Yankees would be happy to sign him to play short. He would be an improvement over what they have now.
Long story short, both Seager and Turner will be offered contracts to play shortstop. That means they won’t both sign here. I’m guessing that our shortstop in 2022 is Turner and that we wind up extending him. Seager will probably be a Yankee next year but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he becomes a Giant. Because of his injuries this year, his price will go down and other teams who would allow him to be a shortstop will be in the mix also.
Many felt the same way about A-Rod and Jeter. At the time of the trade, A-Rod was the better SS, but he agreed to move. You never know…
A-Rod really wanted to be a Yankee and he knew he’d never be accepted by the NY fans if he pushed Jeter off of shortstop. Not the same story with Seager and Turner.
If they both sign here in the next two years I’d be thrilled to have to admit I was wrong.
Maybe they extend Seager and trade Turner back to the Nationals next July. I said earlier I thought Seager would go to gnu yourk. I also thought Story might end up there this week but since that didn’t happen, maybe Corey still wants to replace Jeter. Turner is an East Coast guy, but I have no idea where he might want to play. I’m fine if he stays here and Seager leaves. I’m fine if the Dodgers sign everybody, and there will be many to sign after this year.
There is one other option, Seager at short this year and Turner in ‘22 with Lux at 2nd. If Lux starts hitting then he becomes the shortstop and AF has money available for other options. If he doesn’t hit then AF can make an offer that Turner can’t refuse. This is why I like getting Turner; plenty of options going forward.
By the way, San Diego was very surprised to here on Thursday that they were in on Scherzer. Bad info from Rosenthal.
* I would love to be a fly in the dugout and listen to the various conversations between Scherzer, CK, Striker and Albert. Scherzer seemed to be anxious to make the rounds for conversations with everybody. That’s a PhD in baseball. (it didn’t look like they were comparing notes about restaurants)
* I too hope we can re-sign CT3 as a very high priority. Mark said maybe 75 million for 5 years. I’m not sure that’s the number but that seems like a bargain to me. He looks like he could be productive into his 30’s but I don’t know about 36? I tried to look up his agent and couldn’t find it. I hope it’s not Boros who likes to test the market. I’d like to get a deal done before it comes to that.
* Seager’s bargaining position looks to have changed with Turner – 2.0 on the team. I like Seager and have been a supporter of him remaining at SS. But the $300 million type contract now seem unlikely. Wow, when you look at what could come off the books in some combinations; CK, 31 million. I’d love to see him retire as a Dodger but a serious hometown discount would need to happen. KJ’s 16 million, Cory’s close to 14 million, and who knows about Bauer’s money. That’s a cool 61 million. I know this a conversation for another time. Right now I want to watch us win games. But I hope we find a way to sign CT3 if it isn’t stupid money.
* I have no idea how JT hit that pitch up an in and close to out of the zone, for a home run. Quick bat.
* Maybe it’s just my eyes but Doc looks like he’s aged 5 years, this season.
I have been amazed at the poor quality of balls and strike calls and can’t wait for the ABS System. * But I was watching a bit of a Yankee game a while back and Michael Kay mentioned that the strike zone we see superimposed on out TV screens is NOT the same zone used to evaluate the Umpires. How many versions of this rectangle are there? Would ABS use it’s own version or the one on the screen? I’d really like more info on all this but I can’t even find reports and reviews from places where it’s in use. I did see it in Fall Ball and it was seamless and didn’t notice it. Another clandestine operation by MLB.
Just checked Phil and CT3’s agent is listed as Meister Sports Agency. They don’t have many well known clients and I’m guessing that Taylor’s is going to be their biggest signing this winter. At least it isn’t Boras. Of course nothing says Taylor couldn’t switch to Boras before negotiating a new deal.
Just a guess, but I don’t think anyone is going to give CT3 five years. My guess is he gets 4/65 and he gets it from Andrew.
Great stuff 2D. Love your writing. Just got back from the lake. Got soaked by a rainstorm in the mountains, but still caught 3 nice bows. I loved the trade. Prospects are suspects until they aren’t. They are loaded at catcher, so if Ruiz had to be in the deal, and it got us Turner I am ok with it. One thing about you lineup there 2D, you do not show JT in there. It would probably be TT, Betts, JT, Muncy, Seager, Taylor, at what ever position he is playing or Smith, Belli and the pitcher. My biggest take away from the win last night was Scherzer talking with Buehler, Barnes, Kershaw, Roberts, Prior, and sneaking up behind Turner to say hello. Also the Uncle figure of The Machine imparting wisdom to many of the players and then going out and showing how it is done with a PH RBI single and then another after he was inserted at 1B. He is a real gem. As for our manager, well, I like many have been frustrated and confused by some of Doc’s in game machinations. But I also know he is exactly the guy AF and ownership wanted at the helm. If he was as bad as everyone thinks he is, he would not have gotten an extension. Unless this team folds like a wet taco, sorry Doc haters, he is not going anywhere in the near future. Having lived through the Alston era, and then Tommy, I can honestly say, those 2 Hall of Fame managers made more than a few head scratching moves in their careers and it cost the team in the post season. 62, Alston not having someone up for the 9th, ( it should have been Drysdale) and sending Roebuck, who was gassed in the 8th, back out for another inning, then bringing in Stan Williams who was wild and could not find the strike zone, 4 runs score, game over. Lasorda, not walking Jack Clark with the series on the line. Leaving Tom Neidenfuer in to face him was DUMB. Neidenfuer was also on the mound when Ozzie Smith hit a walkoff in St Louis. Next to Jonathan Broxton, I have never been so happy to see a pitcher leave the team. And Dave has done something neither of them ever came close to doing, getting to the playoffs 8 years in a row. I know, up until the late 90’s it was World Series or bust. But Alston never went to more than 2 in a row and he did that twice, 55-56, 65-66. Lasorda did it once, 77-78. And Lasorda is adored. Granted, Doc does not have Tommy’s charisma. Nor Alston’s iron hand. And maybe sometimes he really needs to jump down these guys throats. But that is not his style. He does talk to them in private. Another thing, when he is giving updates on the availability of player who is on the IL what ever he tells reporters is not from his mouth, he is saying what the trainers or FO want him to say. I have seen many who accuse him of just being a liar. That’s pure BS. The man gets paid to be the face of the FO with the press and the public, and how often have you ever seen Friedman discuss anything like that? Dave is a players manager. His players love playing for him. He has excellent communication skills and the man is no dummy despite what many here might think. Trust me, there are times he makes me crazy with some of his moves. But ownership and AF love the guy, so you are just going to have to deal with dissapointment.
Kapler has been compared to Roberts which is like comparing steak to lobster.
Kapler may have fallen on his face with a team like the Dodgers and Roberts may have done the same with the Giants… or not.
Remember, that they ran Kapler out of Philly!
Bellinger sits today!
When I first glanced at this photo of Mitch White I thought it was Yu Darvish!
Speaking of which, I think Mitch White will be on the playoff roster and he is soon-to-be a “lockdown reliever.”
A little like Chan Ho Park also. His mother is Korean
DODGERS ACTIVATE MOOKIE BETTS, SELECT YEFRY RAMÍREZ
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers activated outfielder Mookie Betts from the injured list, selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Yefry Ramírez and optioned right-handed pitcher Mitch White and infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry to Triple-A. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred right-handed pitcher Jimmie Sherfy to the 60-day injured list.
Betts, 28, returns from the injured list after missing 11 games with left hip irritation. He was hitting .700 (7-for-10) with four doubles, one homer in his three games after the All-Star break. On the season, the five-time All-Star is hitting .270 (85-for-315) with 14 homers and 40 RBI in 82 games. He is in his eighth Major League season and is a .298 hitter with 169 homers and 549 RBI in 931 career games. He was originally acquired by the Dodgers on February 10, 2020 along with David Price from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo and minor league Connor Wong and Jeter Downs.
Ramírez, 27, was 3-3 with a 5.49 ERA (38 ER/62.1 IP) and 70 strikeouts in 15 games (12 starts) for Oklahoma City this season. He has spent parts of two seasons in Major Leagues with Baltimore (2018-19) and Pittsburgh (2019), going a combined 1-10 with a 6.32 ERA (63 ER/89.2 IP) and 89 strikeouts in 30 games (13 starts). In his minor league career, he is 43-39 with a 3.75 ERA (278 ER/667.1 IP) and 679 strikeouts in 152 career games. He signed with the Dodgers as a minor league free agent on March 25.
White, 25, made the start last night, allowing two runs in 3.2 innings with a career-matching best five strikeouts. He has appeared in 15 games (one start) for the Dodgers this season, posting an 0-0 mark with a 3.75 ERA (10 ER/24.0 IP) and 25 strikeouts. The former second rounder out of Santa Clara University is 1-0 with a 3.33 ERA (10 ER/27.0 IP) in parts of two seasons with the Dodgers.
McKinstry, 26, has appeared in 58 games for the Dodgers this season, batting .217 with seven homers and 29 RBI. In six minor league seasons in the Dodgers organization, he has hit a combined .271 (336-for-1242) with 30 homers and 149 RBI across five different levels. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 33rd round of Central Michigan University in the 2016 First Year Player Draft.
Mitch White has surprised me with his improvement during the season so far. The first couple times I saw him I was not that impressed. Mark liked him right form the get go. He, also, called Urias as a top of the rotation pitcher in which I disagreed. I thought he didn’t attack the strike zone enough and therefore couldn’t go deep into the game. , Mark was right again. He’s called for a strong BP by playoff time. With his record on pitching calls why bother doubting him. It will happen. I’ve had the Darvish look alike thoughts as well.
Mookie activated…..Mckinstry and White to OKC….Sherfy to 60 day IL….more moves coming
2b Mookie
CF Chris
3b Justin
1b Albert
SS Corey’
LF AJ
C Barnes
RF Mckinny
P Julio
Mookie at 2b
Barring injury, McKinstry will likely stay at OKC the rest of the season. White will be back.
They just need some innings from Yefry!
I’m sure Yefry can give them innings as long as you aren’t asking for effective innings. He had an ERA of 5.49 at OKC but I guess Andrew sees something that we aren’t aware of.
Why not Quackenbush? Seems like he’s been doing alright at AAA?
Agree. I asked the same question below? Makes no sense.
What does Kevin Quackenbush have to do to get a shot. 14 saves out of 14 save opportunities. 0.32 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. Yes, Yefry Ramirez started for OKC, but does anyone really believe he can go longer than what White did? I understand sending White out to bring in a fresh arm, but they do not need another starter, especially with 3 open dates in the next 8 days (after today)? Bring in the best reliever at OKC, and that is Kevin Quackenbush. In his early SD days, Kevin pitched relatively well, and had saves at the ML level. In his ML career he has 8 saves vs 3 blown saves. Kevin has a 2.21 SO/W ratio while Yefry has a 2.26 SO/W ratio. You had to make a 40 man roster spot regardless. So if he is not going to start, then why Yefry Ramirez or Kevin Quackenbush. It makes absolutely no sense to me. So for those who thinks that AF is all knowing when it comes to building a bullpen, explain this move.
I can’t. I thought he would get the call sooner.
Maybe Yefry has photos of AF and FZ.
One possible explanation, although it is out there. Ramirez was scheduled to start for OKC today. Today would be Ryan Pepiot’s regular start date. Maybe they moved Ramirez out to keep Pepiot on his regular schedule. Ramirez can pitch in an emergency at the ML level. Nah, still does not make sense. Move Ramirez to Monday night start. Quackenbush is still on the OKC roster, and he is not on the IL.
I demand an Investigation!
😉
Protection against a 2 inning start or quick injury. He could provide length. Smart move after essentially 2 bullpen games. Another game like Gonsolin with no coverage would b a disaster.
Agree with you 100% AC. It can’t be because he’s too old only 32yo. I admit I don’t know much about him, not even sure what he throws to be so effective. Either bring him up and see what he can do or release him and give him a chance to pitch for another team in the bigs.
I immediately thought of Jake McGee who seems to be doing just fine for you know who.
McGee wanted to close which is why he is gone. AF would not guarantee it.
Thanks Mark didn’t know that.
Maybe it’s because Quacks has a scruffy beard.
It is a mountain-man beard.
Notice the resemblance?
Trea Turner is scheduled to come off the 10 day IL (if he passes all other protocols) on August 7. That also happens to be the date that Clayton Kershaw is due to come off the IL. However, that date is now in question as Clayton experienced residual soreness after his 45 pitch simulated game he threw in SF on Tuesday. He was supposed to throw today either at Chase Field or Camelback. He will not throw today. Roberts says he is leaving CK’s status to Clayton and the trainers.
Dee Strange-Gordon was released and elected free agency. Just a thought. Since the Dodgers seriously considered putting Terrance Gore onto the 2020 post season roster, why not sign Dee to a MiLB contract with the idea of a PR on the ML roster in September and possibly post season? Dee is a better player than Terrance Gore. I am not necessarily an advocate, but it is a thought. I think he could score on those contact plays that Badger and Phil do not like.☺
The Indy Indians had him for a minute and I watched him at a couple of games. He looked pathetic… really!
I felt sorry and sad for him. He has nothing left… IMHO.
You may be right. I have not seen him at all. He has been released I think four times this year. If he is through, it is sad. He is a fine young man.
Maybe this is closer:
Not much push and leg drive, but I like the arm angle.
Our top 5 hitters vs LHP:
1. ‘324 AP
2. 320 Taylor
3. 317 Muncy
4. 298 Pollock
5. 286 Seager
You forgot Trea Turner. He’s hitting .406 against lefties.
Muncy is a friggin beast…..he can hit lefties with no problem. Corey not to shabby either.
As per Eric Stephen, Ramirez has no options remaining. This must be some sort of roster maneuver by AF. I would imagine Yefry’s stay here will be a very short one.
Now watch him pitch four perfect innings, strike out 10, and throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing.
They are saving Qbush for a different series later in the summer. Ramirez makes little sense on paper. This is just part of the musical chairs that is the organizational roster dance.
You could be right. Andre Jackson is in line to pitch on Monday for OKC. Give Ramirez a chance and see if you can catch lightening in a bottle. If not, he will be released. I am not sure that Trea Turner is officially on the 40 man yet. The 40-man shows 41 on the 40 man with both Ramirez and Turner. Once Turner becomes official, then they can release Ramirez with very little chance he will be picked up. If that happened to Quackenbush, somebody would have picked him up. On the 40 man, Turner is listed as Minors so I am speculating that there is more time to add him to the 40 man after a trade???
Maybe they don’t have to add him until he officially comes off the Covid list.
That is what I am thinking as well. I just do not know the rules on this one.
Yep, simple math. After a bullpen game Ramirez pitches an inning or two against the last place club. We’ll have a 4 run lead by the time we see him. He goes and Qbush comes up against the Asswipes. or maybe even later against the Mets.
No I didn’t but he won’t be playing for us until when, next week? My bad though, I should have mentioned him as a #1 when he joins us.
Somebody mentioned that Chad Wallach was claimed off waivers from Miami. I saw that as well, and this is one of those under the radar signings that may prove to be beneficial. Keibert Ruiz was going to be the third catcher, either on the 28 man (September) or on the Taxi squad. Fedex (Tim Federowicz) was signed to be the emergency catcher for LAD. However, he is on the Temporary Inactive List. I do not know the reason. That left a blind spot if either Smith or Barnes gets injured before the playoffs. Wallach is not going to replace either catcher, but he can play at the ML level in an emergency. He is on the 40 man, so he should be eligible for the playoff taxi squad without a roster move. Wallach was probably the best catcher available to fill this spot at the time of the Ruiz trade.
I’m pretty sure it’s because he’s on the Olympic team
I see Cody is taking a day off from facing this lefty. Makes sense, but I did check to see how he has done off Caleb Smith and he is 1-3 with a HR. Not sure when that HR occurred though. Could be 3-4 years ago.
Has Mookie ever played 2 B before? Is it that easy to go from OF to IF? I did it when I played High School baseball, but I would think turning the double play might be just as taxing on his hip. I don’t know though.
Mookie was a 2B who was blocked by Dustin Pedroia. He moved to RF and the rest is history. He takes balls at 2B everyday.
Second base is no easier on the hip than right field is.
It’s easier to protect a hip in the outfield as well.
They said they wanted to keep him off that turf outfield in AZ and wanted to rest Muncy.
Cody’s HR was in the 22-1 blow out at Dodger Stadium a couple weeks ago. Smith gave up 9 runs in the first inning in that game.
Leave it to the Dodgers to trade for 3 guys that are currently not able to play. Scherzer on Wednesday. Who knows about Turner. 10 days off. Berrios through 7 today for Toronto with all zeros. I hope this doesn’t just give Robert’s a chance to throw some stupid lineups out there. Betts at second. This is not little league. I understand why because it’s riskier for Betts in the outfield. Muncy out. Don’t know why but we need to win this game. McKinney surely isn’t more of a threat than bellinger. Neither is hitting but Bellinger isn’t going to hit if he doesn’t play. Mb bellinger, Muncy, and smith just need a day off. Whatever smh
Being three games back of the Giants you would think Muncy would be in there and somebody better than McKinney.
Oops I see McKinstry has been sent down.
I want to see a gymnast enter the high jump event.
Fedex is in Japan for the Olympics. Chad Wallach( who has a famous Dad) was picked up for emergency 3rd catcher. Probably be released when Fedex returns with the gold. (I hope)
Just looked. Giants 6 out of the next 9 with Arizona. They are 9-1 currently against the dbacks.
Are you trying to spoil my Sunday Lasagna dinner?
How many of us owe Pollock an apology. He is absolutely raking! And he might be hitting 8th in a healthy Dodger lineup!
Cassidy – This comment will probably wont get you too many comments!!!
But for me, you’re spot on with Pollock!!! Every team needs a guy this on & off the field..
Might I also the man who runs up hill, too many burritos etc., etc… Albert Pujols.. 3 RBI’s today..
I’m sorry AP….me bad….you much better than I thought you were.
I would use Trea Turner for RBIs with that high career batting average he has. I would bat him third and move Justin Turner and his slow wheels down to fifth in the order.
Betts
Seager
T Turner
Muncy
J Turner
Smith
Bellinger
Pollock
If anyone is struggling Taylor is the back up. This looks like an idiot/Doc proof lineup.
Andrew Friedman needs to make the bullpen idiot/Doc proof next year.
This is my best post ever. I’m on a roll.
This offense has just exploded since signing Scherzer! And I thought all he could do is pitch!
Worst pitching staff in baseball….unfortunately, the SF Giants will be playing these bums a lot this coming week. I doubt we gain on them…..just hold court is all….
When the DODGERS lose, we have about 50% more posts. Why? Because people love to bitch more than than they like to give positive reinforcement! I think they call it “Misery loves company! 😉
I’m the opposite…..I usually stay away after a loss, especially heart breaking. Love to chat when happy….
Well my top 5 vs LHP did pretty good today(Muncy didn’t play). They went 8-15 with 6 runs scored and 6 RBI and there is still one more inning to go.
Ugh! It pains me to see Jake McGee doing so well with 23 saves. He did well for us too, but I guess the powers to be still want to hand the ball to Jansen in the crunch. (Closing eyes….I have a bad feeling about this…..)
That worked out just as I thought it would.
Next up, Scherzer.
He has to wait a game. Buehler is slated to go Tuesday and Scherzer on Wednesday.
I thought Buehler was pitching Tuesday………Scherzer on Wednesday.
Buehler pitched Wednesday. Scherzer pitched Thursday. They each get an extra day rest.
Dodgers close to win. I think they can hold a 12 run lead. Mb it is little league Mookie looks at home at 2b. I knew pollock was streaky but his going to right and not being an automatic out on a slider is surprising. Keep it up pollock but I want to c how he swings in the playoffs to b fully convinced. The Dodgers have a very difficult road ahead. When this team gets fully healthy they only have 3 games with the giants left. The dbacks have 13 straight vs giants and pads while the dodgers play Houston, the always tough for us Angels, and I don’t know who else.
I didn’t see the game….. did the Arizona pitcher purposely throw at CT3 after Mookie unloaded on him?
No. He was their c holladay throwing about 60.
Now that we have nearly all the pieces in place offensively sans Bellinger it is time for us to take off.
The Giants will falter and we will the NL West! Book it.
I hope you are right, but I have to tip my hat to the Giants….they got on top and don’t seem to want to get off. Every time we appear to make a push to slay them, they fight back and separate themselves again from us.
As you know, they will be battling, and I use that word jokingly, the Dbacks for 6 games these next two weeks while we will be battling Astros and Angels. Hopefully, we won’t lose any more ground if we can’t gain on them. I doubt we will gain….honestly, our local HS baseball team can beat Arizona. We have a kid who pitches here who is probably better than 3/4 of their pitchers.
But I like your enthusiasm….let’s “Just Do It!”
After they beat the Dodgers on Friday, Az had won 7 of their last 10, so they can win some ball games. Their next 13 games are against the Giants and the Padres. 6 with the Gnats and 7 with SD. I expect they will win a couple of those 13.
Ramirez pitched two scoreless innings, so much for your guys scouting report. He looked pretty good. Mookie gets a HR in his return, and Turner hits #20. His career high is 27. Funniest moment was when Bickford went back out to pitch only to find Price standing there. He did not know he had been pulled. Danny Duffy is fitting right in too. He and Muncy were looking at something on the Ipad and cracking up. My first thought was baby pix of Max’s new daughter. Orel was more motormouthed today and he is becoming increasingly annoying. Can’t wait to have Nomah back on the broadcast. The D-Backs mascot is annoying too, dancing on the dugout. I remember when Tommy had the Expo’s mascot thrown out of the game. Tio Albert is the man, and then the D-Backs pitcher plunked him right in the ribs. He toughed it out and went back out there.
Nice all round win today. Nice having Corey back. Nice to see Mookie handling 2nd base. I’m looking forward to seeing TT in the lineup no matter what position or where in the lineup. We got some really fast guys like Bellie,Mookie, and Chris and now TT. I think the team as a whole are going to be stealing a few more bags.
I am not a Dave Roberts apologist, but I have one question for all the Roberts haters out there. How many World Series and division titles have YOU WON???? Bazinga.
That’s a dumb question.
For me the answer is none, because I chose to not play baseball.
Not a dumb question, just proves you have neither the knowledge or the experience to question the moves of a guy who has been in the game all of his adult life. Unless you have inside knowledge of what the mandates of the front office are, you, like me, know zip. Roberts has made some head scratchers, name me one manager, even the great ones who have not. I saw Stengel asleep in the dugout while the game was being played. All the bitching and moaning after each loss about his so called ineptitude as a manager is wasted energy and a bunch of arm chair managers complaining about stuff that is already over and done with, and over which they have absolutely no say. And it is not aimed at you Eric. I see this kind of stuff on every blog I have ever read.
WS = up until last year, the same number as Roberts.
Sheldon, go back and write on your white board.
Why would anybody question Mookie’s ability to play anywhere? He didn’t just get off the turnip truck. Great catch on the Texas Leaguer. Kinda looked like an outfielder. I bet he had some fun doing it. The kid’s a baseball player. No surprise to me.
It seems to me that the problems the team has had offensively is lack of focus. The additions the F/O has made indicates that the players suddenly felt the need to get their shit together and do their part because the franchise is doing more than expected to field the best team beyond anyone’s dreams and that puts it totally on players performance. It’s attitude that win games and the F/O covers that as today’s runs scored shows. The new members weren’t on the field but the attitude was. If these Dodgers don’t win it all then they don’t deserve it. Maybe Roberts isn’t getting the right message across because all the pieces are there plus some.
#1 – I would like to see Joe Davis in a one-man booth;
#2 – I predict that the Giants will get their a$$es kicked by the D-Bags. The purge is beginning.
#3 – The World Series Hangover will be officially over by August 10th. Then it is pedal-to-the-metal.
#4 – San Diego is toast. Too bad about Tatis!
The Dodgers roster looks great on paper once Kershaw, T Turner, and Knebel return.
But the games are won on the field, and thus far the Giants have been the better overall team. Somehow the Giants managed to take 2 of three against the Astros, and the Dodgers could not gain any ground this weekend even with the more favorable matchup.
Mark maintains an optimistic long run view, and he will probably be correct. But after 105 games, the Giants have the best record in baseball and a 3 game lead against the Dodgers. They took 5 out of 7 head to head with the Dodgers recently, and they have earned respect as a surprisingly good team this year.
It will be tough to overtake the Giants and win the division, even if the Dodgers have the much more talented roster.
Count me as a paid up member of the AJP fan club – was thrilled when he signed – and still am.
Just needs to work on those Post Season numbers….
How about putting up the 5 spot with 2 outs and chasing the starter in the second? That was fun to watch Albert break through after 10 pitch AB. Clutch hitting at its finest. Let’s carry it through to the Astros and can continue to get excited about some August baseball.
I liked that Belli was held out so that he could be a pinch- runner, or a late inning defensive
replacement. Neither was needed, but he was available. This would be a good use for him with Polloch in left, Turner or Taylor in CFand Betts in RF. One of those mentioned for CF would play 2B. Belli can work on his hitting and on being able to lay a bunt down the 3B line when the only infielder on the left side of the field is closer to 2B than 3B.
Although it was not announced yesterday, Roberts guided the Dodgers to their 500th win under his leadership. His winning percentage sits at .612. He is under contract to manage the team through 2022. So sorry guys, he will be back next season. Now maybe after that if they have a couple of flameouts you will see someone else. But don’t look for it to be someone like Scioscia. His relationship with LA was damaged back in the day when they passed him over. For all of his success in Angel red, Scioscia only won 1 pennant and World Series. They won 6 division titles, but never got back to the series. The year they won, they were the wild card team.