Ahh, loved Mad Magazine and ole’ Alfred. Some of the funniest stuff I have ever read. Loved the Spy vs. Spy comics. How is that a subject for a baseball blog you might ask. Well, I got to thinking about it the other day when this place seemed to go off it’s collective rocker about the need for urgency being 4 games back on the 16th of August…which was actually yesterday.
The Dodgers, coming home from an over night flight from New York, not getting in until 4:15 according to their manager, everyone’s favorite whipping boy, Dave Roberts, ran what most called a AAA lineup out to face the lowly Pirates. No one needs rest, they are professional athletes. How can guys in that physical condition need rest? They got 8 hours sleep. I did so and so for 20 years, and went out and partied and still went to work the next day. Just an example of what some of the posts sounded like.
Did they get 8 hours? Most likely not. They might have arrived at LAX at 4:15. But by the time they deplaned, got their luggage and finally arrived home, it was most likely after 5. And then they probably did not get to sleep until close to 6. I do not know about you, but sleeping during the day, even at my age, is not all that easy to do. And it is very quiet where I live. Most of those guys live out in the suburbs. So, they have to be at the stadium at say, 4:00 PM for that nights game. Davis related how Seager’s kids woke him up at 7 Am, and he had not gotten in bed until close to 6.
And they have to eat something sometime that day. So they get up around 2PM. Bright eyed and bushy tailed? I doubt that. Long trips on planes are not exceptionally restful. Charter flights even less so. You cannot lie down, or for the most part, stretch out. Legs and backs can stiffen up. But these are athletes right? Prime condition. They should get out of the plane ready to play 9. They get in their cars and drive to the Stadium. Go through their pregame routines, and get ready for the game.
Anyway, as the game went on, they had trouble generating offense, made some mental errors and one on the field. Turner’s was changed to a hit. And found themselves behind by one late in the game. By now the wolves are howling at the moon on here. They do this all the time after they score a lot, we cannot afford to lose any more ground to the Giants, Don’t they feel any urgency? I would think the players know exactly what is going on and how well they need to play.
There is not one single poster on this site who knows what the mood or the feeling is in that dugout. Urgency? I think they might have felt we can still win this. These guys have lost 70 plus games. We are clearly the better team, so lets show it. McKinney gets the run back with a HR. His first as a Dodger. And then in the 8th, Muncy retaliates for being hit with a blast deep into the RF Pavilion.
Jansen comes in, and of course everyone’s blood pressure rises 20 points. Is Jansen going to blow another?? Kenley gets the first hitter, and then the newest Pirate, Dodger castoff takes the pitch where it was thrown and gets a double with one out. Panic is now high. He moves to 3rd on a out. And Jansen gets the last hitter to roll over on one and a meek ball hit to Muncy, win # 73 in the bank.
The point is, wait until the game is over before you lose your mind. This team has a lot of focused players. Guys who have been through this before. They are professionals. They all know they have no control over what happens with the Giants, who keep finding ways to win. Bryant hit 2 HR’s last night in their win. They also know they need to take care of their own business. A 5-1 road trip proves they know the score, and winning another gut check 1 run game can do nothing but boost their confidence in the ability to overcome those kinds of games they were losing before. I also thought I would look back over the years, but only since they have been playing 162, see where they were on the 16th of August and where they ended up.
First year was 1962. Up 3.5 on the 16th. Tied for the pennant with the Giants, lost 2 of 3 in the playoffs. 1963, up 4. Won the pennant and the World Series. 1964, 12.5 back. Never in the race. Even with Koufax back at full health and Big D. Rest of the staff was pitiful. 1965 1/2 game up. Won the pennant by 2 games, beat the Twins in the series. 1966. Up 3. Dog fight the rest of the way and won by 1.5 games. Lost series. 1967 and 1968, never even close in the race. 1969 1.5 back. Ended up 8 back. Had a very bad September.
1970. 12 back. Never in the race. 1971. 6.5 back. Made a run the last 2 months, but finished 1 back even after winning 5 of their last 6. 1972. 9.5 back. Never made a run, finished 10.5 back. 1973 Up 2.5. Lost the lead by the 3rd of September, and finished 4 back. 1974. Up 4.5. They ended up winning by 4 games. They had as much as a 10.5 game lead in July. 1975 and 1976, no shot. The Big Red Machine owned the West those two years. 1977 Up 11. Won the division by 10. 1978 Up 1. Went 25 -17 the rest of the way to win by 2.5 games.
1979 14.5 back. Never in it. 1980 .5 back. Tied with the Astros on the last day. Lost game 163 to lose the division. No wild card, so no playoff. In 1981 they were on strike in August and did not play 162 games. 1982 Up 1.5. Stayed in first or tied until the 28th of September and lost by 1 game. 1983.4.5 Back. Went 26-19 over last 45 games and won by 3. The closest match to where they are now. 1984 12 back. Never in the race.
1985. 9 Up. won by 5.5. 1986 10 back, never in the race. 1987. 9 back, never in the race. 1988. Up 3.5. Won by 7. 1989. 12 back. Never got close. 1990. 9 back. Picked up 4 but finished 2nd to the Reds 5 games back. 1991 Up 1.5 Knocked out of a tie with the Braves on the last day when Joe Morgan hit a HR off of Terry Forster. 1992..we all know they were never close in that year. 1993. 20 back. 1994 and 1995 were both strike-shortened years. They were up 2 games in 1995 and ended up winning by 1, but were beat in the first round of the playoffs.
1996. Tied. Ended up losing the division by 1 to the Padres. Beaten in the playoffs. 1997 1.5 back. Finished 2 out. 1998 18 back. Never got close. 1999 15 back. Finished 3rd, 23 games back. 2000. 6.5 back. Finished 11 back. 2001. 3.5 back. Finished in 3rd, 6 games back. 2002. 8 back. Finished in 3rd again, 6 games back despite winning 92 games. 2003. 10.5 back. Never got close. Finished 15.5 back of SF. 2004. 5.5 Up. Won the division by 2. Helped by a dramatic walk-off Grand Slam on the next to the last day against the Giants by Steve Finley.
2005. 5 back. Ended up in 4th, 11 back. 2006. Up 2.5. Ended up tied with the Padres, Beaten by the Mets in the playoffs. 2007. 6.5 back. Finished in 4th, 8 back. 2008. 1 back. Won division by 2. Beat Cubs in NLDS, Lost to Phils in NLCS. 2009. 5 Up. Won division by 3. Lost NLCS to Phillies again. 2010. 11 Back. Finished 4th 11 Back. 2011. 13.5 back. Picked up 2 games but finished in 3rd. 2012. 1/2 game up. All downhill after that finished 8 back of the Giants. 2013. 8.5 Up. Won division by 11. 2014. 4 Up, won division by 6. 2015, 2.5 up. Won division by 8. 2016. 1/2 game up. Won division by 4. 2017. 18.5 up. Won division by 11. You can lose ground as this team did. But they had an insurmountable lead.
2018. 2 back. Tied for division lead on last day, won game 163 to win the division. 2019. 19.5 games up. Lost NLDS to Nationals. So, there you have it. Only one season where they were about where they were yesterday, 1983. So no, I am not really worried about the Dodgers. This team has way more talent than any of those teams had. Granted, the only minus to me is the lack of remaining games against the Giants. But the healthier they get, the better I feel. Relax guys. The real fun is just beginning.
As funny as Alfred E. Newman and Spy vs. Spy were, the high comedy about Dave Roberts is much better.
It is pure fiction and it is funny.
Why did they not start Turner? It’s because Roberts is an idiot, not that maybe JT’s groin strain needs a little rest.
Why is Kenley the closer? Because Roberts wants to get fired so he will have no income?
Why is Bellinger hitting cleanup? Because Roberts winning percentage is too high and he wants to bring it down.
Oh, but they won! Dang, Roberts failed again!
You bitchers probably don’t know, but that is pure sarcasm.
What a bag of hammers!!! Some of you have no clue.
This is a Public Service Announcement!
Don Martin all the way. Comedic genius to make a young me laugh so much.
Totally agree. One of my all time favorites was when they did a spoof of John Wayne’s, “The Cowboys” Was very funny. After they had exacted revenge on Wayne’s killers, they asked each of the kids their names, Jesse James, Frank James, Billy the Kid, John Wesley Hardin……funny stuff.
But why did you use a pic of our current transportation secretary?
Now that is frippen funny right there! Awesome!! But I would have compared him to someone a little higher on the food chain……..LOL
To riff of a Slick Willy Clinton meme ……. “depends on what your definition of food is”
cheers
pb+
The only mistake I saw by Roberts is one he’s done numerous times this year – he used Jansen in back to back nights. Maybe he feels with such an overworked bullpen he must do it. And if he must do it, it’s not a mistake.
Everyone has a role in that pen. Like it or not, Jansen is the closer. I’m fine with it. Just not on back to back nights. We won. I figured we would.
I don’t understand those of you who to continue to complain about Roberts. We are the current World Series Champions. With a championship team burdened by injuries to key positions all year, with a Cy Young winning starter suspended for humiliating reasons, Roberts has the team sitting in a playoff position with the second best record in baseball. Complain if you must, but it’s my opinion complaining about a winning team is foolish. It’s my opinion we are fortunate to be Dodger fans.
Good game by Beaty
Yep, and for his reward he was removed from the game and most likely will be on the bench tonight. But he knows that is his job. Play now and then, and produce.
But DUDE ……. no denying the doppelganger.
Fortunately, we are playing the Pittsburg Pirates. There is a reason why they have lost so many games. Very simply….they can’t hit very well and they can’t pitch very well. I know that Reynolds kid is pretty good, but no one else causes me to start biting my nails when they get up with bases loaded.
As for our boys, i do have one thing gnawing at me. Why Lux playing 3B? Is he the best we have from our minors? Lux out there reminds me of the look my deer have in my backyard have when they see this giant dog come out of the house next door to do his business.
I’m glad JT got a night off but like I said, if this was anyone other than Pitt and Arizona, can we really afford to have such a confused player who has never played 3B in his life start there? I can’t imagine Lux at 3B is any better than this kid in the minors who naturally plays 3B…Miguel Vargas I believe. Bear….correct me here and explain to me why you would prefer to start Lux at 3B over Vargas. Would you prefer to see Lux at 3B if there were a LHP seeing he only bats around .120 with 1 RBI against them.
Could Vargas be any worse than Lux at 3B if there were a LHP? I don’t think so. What asset does Lux have that makes you feel good about starting him at 3B over Vargas, whether a RHP or a LHP? I know it’s not his arm, his bat has gone South for a long time now, so what then?
Oh, and don’t forget, Vargas is a RHB and is 21 years old so it’s not like he is a teenager.
Looking forward for some dialog here. I know Lux can play SS and 2B so I guess this makes him the better guy to have coming off the bench, but the hypothetical I was creating just to have a discussion is more related to who is the better person to have start at 3B- Lux or Vargas? And you can treat Vargas like we do these bullpen guys….play him for a couple of days to give JT and CT a day off, then send him back down when that mission has been accomplished.
Thanks,
TM
Vargas is not ready. He’s a young AA guy who may get a taste of the majors towards the end of 2022, but 2023 is more likely. He’s arguably our most advanced hitter in the minors but he’s truthfully not close enough to even be in the conversation.
Okay, play along with me if you don’t mind….
This specific scenario…..
Dodgers will be facing 3 consecutive LHP. JT is injuried and we need CT to play OF.
Question: who would do better starting at 3B for those 3 games ?
A. Lux- a guy who has not played 3B and is batting .120 with 1 RBI against lefties this year….probably worse last year.
B. Vargas, a RHB, a natural 3B in the field, who is killing it in AA, showing both power and batting average.
Who do you trust to do a better job both in the field and at bat in this scenario? Please qualify your answer with facts or reasons you believe are in play here.
You may want to change this scenario or change things up, but please placate me here and keep it as is. You could create your own scenario if you want and I will answer you regarding just that.
Thanks,
TM
Hypotheticals?
If we NEED Taylor to play the outfield that means someone else must be injured. Who is that? Is it Bellinger or Pollock? That information is needed before a lineup can be made. If there’s another injury to an outfielder I’d put Lux out there myself. But, the team might go with Reks.
Whatever. Roberts will play the bench of professionals he has. Turner, Seager, Pollock, Muncy and Bellinger don’t need to be platooned. Our catcher will hit right handed. Pujols will play first. That leaves one gut left to stick in there. You already put Taylor in the outfield so who’s left?
And Taylor’s worst spot playing is RF. Things like that can cause discontent and mess up chemistry. It didn’t make much sense to me either but all’s I’m able to do is let the wind blow. I was thinking Lux would fit better at 2b, CT3 at 3b and TT at RF. Maybe that woulda let Pitt have a better chance. But maybe not.
Lux…
Vargas has zero AAA experience much less MLB experience
You would have to cut someone from the 40 man to add Vargas
Vargas has never been considered a good defender
Better option is that Pujols plays 1B and Muncy plays 3B at this point in time.
Why do we need CT3 to play outfield when we have Mookie, Belli, Pollock, McKinstry and McKinnis?
Now that Belli is hitting and Lux is recalled, I can see that Lux is your new target. You will be proven wrong about Lux in time, just like you were about Belli.
Why do we care about Lux struggling at a position that he never plays? If you can’t see the writing on the wall, there is a scenario where Lux replaces CT3 at the Super Utility if they can re-sign Seager. They are trying to get him acclimated to the position in case he’s needed.
If you ask me this after Vargas starts killing it at AAA, I may give you a different answer. In the here and now. No way do I call up Vargas.
Indulge me. How many games have you seen Vargas play at 3B? He has 13 errors in 79 games at 3B. That’s not very good.
Greetings BP,
I’ve never watched one Vargas game.
I see he has 13 errors in 79 games at 3B. Well, Lux has 2 errors at 3B in one game. I wonder how many he would have in 79 games? At that rate, 158! Lol
Yes, I was hard on Cody, but if you recall, I was mostly wanting to use him as a trade chip to acquire a talent we need. When I became aware we have him locked up for two more years, I realized trading him was probably not going to happen, so I backed off. Instead I went back to rooting hard for him to succeed like a good Dodgers fan should do. Right?
Back to Lux….You might be correct in thinking he could be the CT3 replacement, so hopefully he will start to perform like CT, so we won’t miss him THAT much.
One last point on my hypothetical, which I realize makes some feel uncomfortable….I have shown that we have no reason to believe Lux is a good defensive 3B, especially after his showing last night. In addition, a strong case can be made that Lux has NEVER been able to hit lefties ever since moving up to the bigs three years ago. So, if you or anyone prefer a .100 hitter with no success against lefties who may or may not be a decent fielder, then you must feel Vargas would do even worse.
How do you do worse? Sure, instead of getting one hit every 10 at bats you could get no hits every ten at bats, but how likely is it for that to happen? Don’t forget, he is a righty facing a lefty.
Lastly, are you aware of guys who bypassed AAA and went right from AA to the bigs and did it successfully? They are out there. I will let Bear, Badger, or Mark tell you who has done it because I’m tired writing all of this. It’s lunch time too.
TM
I have been chronicling Miguel Vargas’ baseball exploits since he started in the States with Arizona Rookie League. As an 18 year old he batted .330/.404/.465/.869 across three levels, ending in low A at Great Lakes. He quickly became one of my favorites. I like to follow the DSL prospects, but he never played in the DSL. As a 19 year old, Miguel returned to Great Lakes and was later promoted to High A at Rancho. He was not as prolific in the hitters league as he was in the pitchers league where he batted .284/.353/.408/.761. This year he has started where he left off and is having a great year starting in High A and now AA. He is far and away the best hitting prospect in the LAD system. In my top 10 LAD prospects he is right behind Bobby Miller and Diego Cartaya because their ceiling is higher. What is holding Vargas back is his defense. If you took the time to actually watch him play, you would know that he is very much an offense first 3B, who may end up over at 1B because of his deficiencies at 3B. HE IS NOT READY.
A couple of years back, LAD had a 21 year old infielder who was the talk of MiLB and also as a 21 year old batted .347/.421/.607/1.028 at two levels; AA and AAA. Oh yeah, that was Gavin Lux. Lux was never considered an elite defender, but he was considered a slightly plus defender who would be better as a 2B than as a SS. 3B was never considered. If it were not for the Dodgers precaution in trying to rest a 35 year old with a groin concern, who has a history of groin issues, Lux would not have been moved to 3B. Would Vargas be a better defensive choice? No!!
As Dodgerlover said, Vargas will be a Major Leaguer, but not until late 2022. I am sure he is penciled in as the starting 3B for the 2023 team, unless of course the Dodgers convince Seags to re-sign and that 3B might be his best position just before entering his 30’s.
If you followed the Dodgers MiLB at all, you would know that the Dodgers do have a pretty decent 24 year old 3B at OKC. He does not have a good enough OPS to stick at the corners, but he has always been a good hitter for average without a lot of patience at the plate. Limited walks and limited power. Cristian Santana was a LAD top 30 prospect in both 2017 and 2018. He has been in the LAD organization since 2014 as a 17 year old from the DR. This year at OKC he is batting .309/.333/.438/.771. In an emergency, Cristian could play at the next level. He has never been protected in the Rule 5 ML draft. He will probably become a MiLB free agent this winter and look to move on.
Below is a play that Cristian made a couple of years back at Tulsa.
https://www.milb.com/video/santana-turns-incredible-play-c2525123483?t=milb-top-videos
Great post Jeff…..
I defer to guys like yourself who follow these kids much more than I do. Truthfully, all I do is read what you guys say about the kids in the minors.
I guess I’m so concerned seeing Lux play 3B…..He can’t hit these days and now he looks overwhelmed making throws from a position he is not comfortable with. It just seemed to me that anyone would be better playing 3B than him….included your Carlos Santana guy. Btw, that was a great play he made watching that link.
Hopefully, that was just a one game thing and we won’t see him ever again playing 3B.
I’m afraid that Beaty may have batted his way out of the starting lineup last night,
Why can’t Treinen ever be used for a second inning? (8 pitches last night) It all worked out last night, but, mark my words, Jansen is going to cost us.
Wow, Kenley sure doesn’t learn his lessons, but you have to admire his determination, I guess? Macia, hit it right on the head last night. Kenley fell in love with his cutter again. It isn’t good enough for him to continue his recent success, he has to revert to his favorite pitch. The one that got him his big payday. This is why he can’t be trusted.
I seriously doubt that the Front Office or Dave Roberts is keeping him in that closer spot just because he’s paid the most. Treinen is being paid well, not by Kenley’s standards, but more than enough to be the closer. It’s most likely because he’s been good overall. It ain’t pretty at times, but he’s got the job done at an acceptable rate. He’s still one of the best closers in the league if you look at the numbers. They also know that he isn’t that good if you have to bring him in with runners on in a tight game like they did with Knebel in the 5th. They used Treinen in the 8th to face the top of the order and got their two best hitters. By keeping him at closer where his fragile ego wants to pitch, it seems to be the best arrangement on this team right now. Especially when 3/5 of your rotation can’t get through 5 innings.
Doc still has a very quick hook with Price. In the 5th inning, Price starts out with a K and a groundout. Then an error and a 9 pitch walk ends his night at just 67 pitches. Maybe with a bigger lead he tries to get a little more out of Price. Instead he uses Knebel early, gets out of the jam and the bullpen breezes through the lineup until Kenley decides he wants to work off his cutter again. Hopefully he learns now. Overall, I think it’s just a matter of time before Kenley melts down again. But, I feel like they’re in between a rock and a hard place because Kenley’s fragile ego will prevent him from being successful in another role.
When the pitching staff comes off the IL and our best bullpen pieces are together, maybe we can use Kenley more sparingly. Until then, we’re stuck in the current position.
Kenley and Doc are kindred spirits in the sense that most of the time, they can do their job effectively without issue. But, other times they want to put their mark on the game and it blows up in their face.
The Doc effect is a fascinating phenomenon on this site. The detractors hate how stupid and smug he sounds in his interviews and point to endless examples of mismanagement to the point that some decisions are questioned when they probably shouldn’t be. Even his supporters say that game management isn’t his strong suit and his value is his communication skills and running a cohesive dugout. Overall, most admit he’s a bad in game manager, detractors and supporters alike.
If he is so divisive on a blog site, how do you think the players think of him? I don’t think it’s a given that all the players respect what he’s doing. All of these guys have played for all kinds of managers from a very young age over the course of 20-30 years. Maybe this explains the sloppy play on the field at times. Maybe they don’t “buy in” as much as people might think. Maybe that’s why they always seem to have an Albert, Freeze or Utley type on the roster.
It is what it is. He’s the manager right now and that isn’t going to change this season. But, it’s kind of senseless to bash people who don’t share your same opinion. People complain about a lot of things on this site. It seems that Doc is the thing that really gets under people’s skin on both sides.
On the bright side, we win another game. There’s just as much pressure on the Giants as there is on us right now. They have to keep that lead just as much as we have to make up ground. How are they gonna feel if they’re in first place all season, and choke it up at the very end? That could be just as devastating as our team falling a game or two short.
Another bullpen game today with Mitch White on the hill for the first 3-5 innings with a little luck. I’m a bit concerned facing the Mets if they lose again to the Giants. They have to win sometime, don’t they?
B&P,
You are entitled to your own opinions, whether they are fact or fiction, but you are not entitled to your own fictitious facts:
“If he is so divisive on a blog site, how do you think the players think of him? I don’t think it’s a given that all the players respect what he’s doing.”
Don’t make shit up. I have never heard of a player who does not love and respect Dave Roberts. A lot of people question his in-game decision-making, but that is all second-guessing. Dave Roberts is given a “book” every series from the Front Office and he uses that to make his decisions. I despise second-guessers. It’s a fault of mine.
I despise critics… especially people who have never done it but think they know how to do it. They are small-minded little people, who likely have never done what they are critcizing.
I believe in what Teddy Roosevelt said:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
I don’t think it’s a given that all the players respect what he’s doing. – This is clearly stated as an opinion, Mark.
I’m not going to get in a pissing match with you. I stated an opinion and you came back and called me names as usual. I’ll try to stay away from the Doc subject, but like one of Bauer’s girlfriends, you like to ask for it by bringing it up on the first post of the day.
I definitely didn’t try to ruin your day by expressing my opinion.
Cheers! Have a great day.
I don’t want to (nor do I have the ability) to put words into Mark’s mouth, but I was a little taken aback at how you not only guess that the players may not respect him (quite an random take there) but then you built off of that to surmise that this disrespect was also behind poor fielding.
It was a virtuoso microcosm of how (silly?) ideas turn into unfounded conspiracy theories.
BUT, it’s an opinion! And it’s totally cool in my book. I’m just trying to show how it rubbed me and possibly Mark.
If we had P2P communication, I would have sent this to B&P personally and not bored everyone.
Think what you want Bluto. I’m not the only one who shares these thoughts. Mark quickly dismissed an article that I posted about Doc from the Dodgers Nation site. It was written by a former Duke University Baseball Player who also went to Chaminade High School which is a baseball powerhouse.
I don’t get all my information from this site, which is somewhat of an echo chamber where ideas are routinely stifled by name calling. I do talk to people who still play at the highest level and others that are still toiling in the minors.
The same people that point to Doc’s pristine record are the one’s that don’t question any of his moves and always blame the players for not doing their jobs. They’re also the ones that point to his communication skills and clubhouse culture as the reason for his success.
To call my opinion, based on what I see and hear from other people that I interact with is hardly a conspiracy theory. It is a supposition. With all the maybe’s and question marks, I thought I made that clear.
“I have never heard of a player who does not love and respect Dave Roberts.” This statement has as much factual content as any statement I wrote in my post without the qualifier. I can easily respond with “I have never heard of a player who does love and respect Dave Roberts.”, and it would have as much factual content.
You may not agree with what I say, but to dismiss it with little thought, or to be so certain there’s no validity is small minded, IMHO.
Dodgers Nation!
If I had known that high quality site was part of the basis of your theory, I would have used even rougher words.
All good. As I said, I would rather have dealt with this in private.
Be well.
Fiction; After the 2025 season, Roberts decides to retire. He has a winning percentage of 60% and two WS wins. The next manager muddles through the next several years. And on this blog, everyone loves to talk about how great a manager Roberts was. No one seems to remember how anyone could complain about him.
Fact; Roberts has led the team to 3 WS while winning 1. No other manager has done that this past four years. Not Houston, Boston, Washington or Tampa Bay. Some of those teams are also “loaded” with talent. Roberts must be doing something right. Does Roberts make bad decisions. Of course, show me any manager who doesn’t. He’s paid to make decisions. Some work, some don’t. Just like every other manager.
According to every source I’ve read, Roberts is nearly universally revered in the dugout and the players would run through walls for him.
Cool, you should post some of those sources. Maybe that will change my mind. I posted an actual source yesterday.
That is not a “source” andy more than a dog turd is a source.
The good thing is that we are Dodgers fans, and this is the best time ever to be.
The bad thing is that we are Dodgers fans, and this being the best time ever, we want them to win all 162 games!
How different would this season be if Toles was playing?
I read the future, and today I can tell you who will win the championship this year …. DODGERS 2021….
Ryan Ward homered on the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning yesterday recording his 21st blast of the season to inch closer to teammate Andy Pages’ 23, which leads the High-A Central.
Ward going long on Tuesday made it four consecutive games with a home run. Ward, the reigning High-A Central’s offensive player of the week, has homered five times in his last four games, and finished the Wisconsin series on Sunday with his fifth multi-HR game of the season.
Okay, I’ll admit it. Kenley makes me nervous. His control is somewhat lacking at times and that’s an issue. In numerous games walks get him in trouble. I have not forgotten the three blown saves in a week, including the two against the Giants. I also agree with Badger, he’s less effective when he goes back to back games. It’s one thing to give up a double, another to walk the next batter. Somehow I always feel we’re walking along a disintegrating cliff when Jansen comes in … maybe there isn’t a fix. It is what it is since the Dodgers have been forced to go the bullpen often.
Hey, back to Dodger Stadium tonight. LA County has imposed mask wearing for outdoor events of 10,000 or more. Obviously you can drop the mask to eat or drink, but then they want you to put it back on. Everything I read says the vaccines are working so the only conclusion I can reach is we’re being punished for the unvaccinated. Yet more and more people are getting vaccinated every day, the pharmacies are busy. Even the county data says the vaccines are working.
The Giants are no doubt good, that’s obvious, but they are the luckiest team I’ve seen.
Somebody mentioned on the MLB network the other day that soft tissue injuries are off the charts across the majors this season. There is a reason for that and baseball needs to figure it out. In the “good old days” players didn’t seem to be injured all the time. Is it weights, training methods, lack of stretching, not running on natural surfaces, instead using machines, travel etc.
Speaking of Kenley,I just read a stat from another blog .He has givenupalmost 20 runs in 30 innings with Smith catching.When Barnes catches he hasn’t given up a run in 17 innings.That is crazy and being that large of a difference it is not just coincidence. There is some reason.
Búfalo quizá si haya una solución, que tal si Jansen es honesto consigo mismo y le comunica a Doc que ya no quiere ser el cerrador de todos los días del equipo, como lo hizo Britton con los Yanquis. O puede más su ego, como sugirió alguien antes?
Speaking of Kenley,I just read a stat from another blog .He has given almost 20 runs in 30 innings with Smith catching.When Barnes catches he hasn’t given up a run in 17 innings.That is crazy and being that large of a difference it is not just coincidence. There is some reason.
I am not sure that those are correct, but assuming they are, that is why Barnes catches a lot in the playoffs. Catching is important, and the Dodgers should have enough offense to mask Barnes’ offense. In the WS, I would expect to see Barnes catch more and Smith DH. That is what happened quite often last year in the playoffs with the universal DH.
I have watched Vargas several times with Tulsa.
There is no way he can play 3B at the MLB level… at this time.
Maybe in a year… but he will be average at best. Guys can surprise you, but he looks like a 1B to me.
At any rate, he is not ready for the Show… maybe in late 22…
LA county to require masks now at outdoor events.
This is unbelievable.
1) We were told if vaccinated you dont need to wear a mask
2) We were told you only have to wear a mask inside
3) Now we are told we must wear a mask OUTSIDE.
We have all been told some fantastic lies.
I was planning to go to LA in late September for a couple Dodgers and a Rams game, I’m really re-thinking that now. A darn shame.
DUDE.
It’s a living, mutating virus. It changes. As it changes, the response to it must change.
Masks are a real pain. And still having to wear them is quite annoying, but please stop it with the “lies.”
They aren’t lies. They are smart people doing the best they can.
OK “DUDE”
Calm down a bit huh…..
They are smart people doing the best they can.
Sure , for their wallets and their very own plans and well being.
Have you already set up your third jab to refresh your “protection” ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joke or serious?
Bluto, IMO your last sentence was not needed.
I removed it from his post.
That was absolutely unnecessary. You can certainly make an argument without using Christ’s name in vain. I respect everyone’s religious or non-religious beliefs, but this is over the line.
Wow.
Sorry.
It 100% was not needed, just thrown in for effect.
Mark feel free to remove it.
I’ve been hanging out with too many secularists!
Apologies.
Already done Bluto….there might be some very religious people on here, and something like that is not acceptable.
Thank you.
That’s an understatement.
Hey Bluto, if you don’t mind, would you consider not using my Lord and Savior’s name in such a derogatory profane manner? Reading that really rubbed me wrong, and I may not be the only one here who feels that way.
How about Jose Fucking Altuve instead?
Thanks for considering this; I enjoy reading much of your words here.
TM
Yeah,
See above.
I need to read the room better.
Here’s a lesson for you. If you want to promote nonsense, it will eventually come back to bite you in the ass.
I didn’t see what you wrote, but I have an idea from the comments. I am a typical Italian Catholic. I am not offended and respect that you apologized.
Jesus freaking Altuve! People need to stop being so damn sensitive.
Isn’t Jesus, Jose’s little brother? He must be really little. Ba, dump, bump.
Apology accepted and appreciated.
Thanks for understanding and being willing to make accommodations.
I hope you consider my “Jose F**** Altuve” suggestion….or you could try…
Rob f****ing Manfred!
I like it TM
And Bluto, apologies accepted, though it didn’t really bother me. Marine Corps training in the art of cursing for effect has conditioned me. I got what you were getting at.
I mean I’ll still curse, just use different ones here.
It’s not a big burden and, frankly, why offend anyone?
(Unless they’re a moron)
((Joke))
Masks are total bullspit. They DO NOT work against virus’s. There are several well regarded studies that are pre-COVID that studied that, (hence they cannot be said to have political leanings like the current hysteria )and ALL came back and said the same thing. That mask wearing shows almost ZERO statistical differences when used as a prophylactic against virus’s.
Several?
How are you defining several?
Since you made that statement, I’d love to see you produce three “well-regarded” studies.
okay? …… at BEST …… inconclusive.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7553311/pdf/pone.0240287.pdf
Do you want more? I can find them, but these I had saved.
I have two right here, do you want more. These were easy because I had them saved. Let me know if you REALLY want more.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7553311/pdf/pone.0240287.pdf
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article
and the above THEY STILL want you to wear them though there is no evidence they work
cheers
pb+
Hmm, I keep trying to post links and when I hit send, it kicks me up to the top, I scroll down, and my reply is not there. Are links not allowed by us plebes?
Asking before I try a third time.
I’ve had the same issue.
Lastly, do you have a beard? ALL studies done all the males had no beards though not all say that. You have a beard? Mask=useless. The larger the beard, the more useless. And I have a beard.
Are you vaccinated yet flipper?
When there is an actual vaccine as defined by science, I might oh pointy toothed, angry rodent. Like Novavax. The REAL vax they should have fast tracked. NOT injecting spike protein into my body. As they are finding that it is what is responsible for ALL the damage, yet it is in the drug.
None of the articles make any mention of the COVID virus or its variants.
You can try sending the links to Mark, or typing them in and highlighting.
Thanks dude. Too much hassle to prove a point that will not be well taken anyway. But appreciate more insight into how it works here. I am fine being a plebe.
cheers
pb+
Since no direct links allowed to me, all I will do is suggest you duckduckgo it as you might get results google has censored. But I will post this cut and paste right off the CDC site that might whet your whistle.
>>>Abstract
There were 3 influenza pandemics in the 20th century, and there has been 1 so far in the 21st century. Local, national, and international health authorities regularly update their plans for mitigating the next influenza pandemic in light of the latest available evidence on the effectiveness of various control measures in reducing transmission. Here, we review the evidence base on the effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical personal protective measures and environmental hygiene measures in nonhealthcare settings and discuss their potential inclusion in pandemic plans. Although mechanistic studies support the potential effect of hand hygiene or face masks, evidence from 14 randomized controlled trials of these measures did not support a substantial effect on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza. We similarly found limited evidence on the effectiveness of improved hygiene and environmental cleaning. We identified several major knowledge gaps requiring further research, most fundamentally an improved characterization of the modes of person-to-person transmission.<<
Hopefully this is not too long.
I hear what porpoiseboy is saying about MASKS. I did a little research myself and not surprisingly I found people supporting both positions- yes they help, and no, they are useless!
Soooooo, for me, if it’s not mandatory, I usually don’t wear one. And if I do wear one, I usually only cover my nose, not my mouth.
TM
PS. Yeah, I don’t think anyone not deemed “critical” to this blog has standing to post a link, so I won’t be posting any links.
Thank you for posting, and it’s not too long for me.
BUT
1. It’s one article, not three.
2. The study isn’t about COVID! It was done on influenza, which spreads in ways similar to COVID-19, but…
3. This may be semantics, but I want to note that while the study was published by the CDC and supported by WHO, it is (in fact) a study from and by the University of Hong Kong.
4. Finally, one of the study’s authors has come out publicly and stated that the claim made is incorrect.
It’s not really well-regarded (hard to be well regarded when one of the author’s itself contradicts it) nor does it deal with COVID.
As for your 2nd “highly regard” piece of research here is their conclusion:
Conclusion
This trial was unable to provide conclusive evidence on facemask efficacy against viral respiratory infections most likely due to poor adherence to protocol.
I think we should move on. At the very least because this is nominally a Dodger community.
But there’s not a lot of science anywhere that says masks are bullshit. There’s almost no evidence that says it. There’s a lot of science that says Masks are NOT the be-all and end-all to virus propagation.
I fully expect in 20 years science will look back and find 3-6 different tactics or theraputics that could have worked better for this pandemic, but weren’t used or properly implemented. That’s how science and public health work and are suppose to work.
But we don’t have 10-20 years to wait. We’re in the middle (sadly, still) of this virus. We need to react now.
Masks suck! They make interactions annoying, they irritate my face.
But you wear them. Even if you’re vaccinated. Why? Because we don’t know everything. We don’t know everything. We do know there’s a virus, we do know there are variants, and we do know that smart people are doing their best.
These smart people will make mistakes. They will always make mistakes.
So will Dave Roberts (to bring this back to baseball) but he’s way more informed and knowledgeable to make lineup, pitching and lineup decisions than you are, I am, or you and I combined would be.
Trust the informed. Trust the smart guys. Don’t waste your, my or our time trying to poke holes in their thinking.
Not sure where this one will end up in line as comments are closed at the end. And sorry about the reposts etc, I did not know my linked ones would be released. Badger, this one is Covid specific, even though from a transmission standpoint and masks, which is directly related to the size of the virus particles, influenza is the same basic size. And AT LEAST studies done previous to Covid shed the stain of being politicized.
https://www.aier“dot”org/article/masking-a-careful-review-of-the-evidence/
maybe this will go since not a true link anymore.
And this.
This is my point.
When you are referencing the AIEP, a second-rate economic think-tank for public heath or public wellbeing datapoints, you are digging in the wrong place.
The ship for the “particle size” debate left the harbor and was lost at sea months ago.
The mask sucks. The mask isn’t perfect. The perfect is, as usual, the enemy of the good.
What’s happens to Diego Cartaya? It’s like he’s disappeared.
Cartaya is on Rancho’s roster. He is on the 7 day injured list.
I don’t think Lux enjoyed being trusted tp play 3b and I don’t think CT3 felt good in RF. They might not hold Doc at blame even if this were the case as they know he has a book to follow. I sure don’t know. I’m in my living room or bedroom and can only guess. If there’s poison in the clubhouse it doesn’t mean it is Roberts at the center of it. With fans it’s convenient to be unaware and have something to say. It might not be so easy if we were in the know.
20 years ago today is the worse day of my life. I don’t care for holidays or anniversaries much. Mine are not in celebration, but I’ll dance at your weddings.
Sorry it is a bad day for you. Here’s hoping tomorrow is a better one. Not knowing that actual issue, I think I can relate. My 21st birthday was the WORST EVER & I have never cared for bdays since.
cheers
pb+
How would you like to be Clev when he reads his dalliance is now public knowledge? TS, “tough situation”. Collateral damage to the Bauer saga and maybe a reason why the Padres are sinking in the west. Tatis, Clevenger and who else on that team have been dipping it? I’m not condoning Bauer beating up girls, but these ladies who like the ball players. Reminds me of the lady in The Natural.
What I felt terrible for was Clevenger’s wife/GF. They have kids, she looks like a normal sweet lady. I don’t get why teams don’t have an annual training for “do’s and don’ts!” Just using the examples of our local guys: Kobe, even Urias. Don’t hit your ladies, don’t hook up with internet floozies, careful of social media. This shit ain’t that hard!! Cra cra behavior that let’s everyone down.
That woman certainly is having some huge problems. ” give me all the pain you can. Rawr”
Not defending TB, he too seems to be a troubled individuum and showing horrible judgement skills , but women like that should not be rewarded .
Go dodgers!
Seems like the “young ‘uns” these days get a little bit of $$cabbage$$ in their accounts and somehow their brains disconnect from the “common sense mode”. What seems like common sense to most of us, is lost on them. Like money cancels the need for common sense.
cheers
pb+
It seems like a lot of you are down on Dave Roberts (to the point of making things up), and high on Gabe Kapler. It was less than 2 years ago, when this was reported by The Ringer:
“Gabe Kapler came by his first MLB managerial job as an unabashedly unconventional candidate, a man with many personal idiosyncrasies—from the coconut oil incident to the ice cream affair—that made him extremely easy to mock. He arrived in a Philadelphia sports landscape that had just run Eagles coach Chip Kelly out of town and was recovering from a battle over Sam Hinkie. Heterodoxy was not a good survival mechanism, particularly for a manager who bollixed a pitching change, against the Braves no less, to lose literally his first game in charge.
And yet, even after the Phillies fired Kapler on Thursday morning after just two seasons in charge, it would be unfair to say that he was doomed from the start. The Phillies took a gamble on Kapler and stayed in the pot longer than was tenable. Even after the 2018 team went from first place on August 12 to 10 games out by season’s end, a stupefying collapse that coincided with a rapidly toxifying clubhouse atmosphere. Even after reports surfaced last winter that during Kapler’s time as the Dodgers’ farm director, he’d failed to report accounts of sexual assault and harassment by his players to MLB or police, and that he was being investigated for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act committed during his time in L.A. These revelations should have been troubling enough to sink even an established and successful manager, and yet the Phillies stood by him.
Philadelphia entered the 2019 season having bolstered its roster with free-agent additions Bryce Harper, David Robertson, and Andrew McCutchen, and veteran trade acquisitions J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura. These additions added some $45 million net to the Opening Day payroll and, in concert with homegrown stars Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins, signified that the team aimed to contend—and soon—and that Kapler was the manager to lead them.
After a spate of injuries and the shocking realization that a contending team needs more than one good pitcher, the Phillies finished 81-81, just one game better than their 2018 record. Another second-half collapse dropped the club to fourth place in a division where the Mets, Braves, and Nationals had also done some serious offseason retooling. Even then, it took the Phillies 10 days of postseason deliberations to muster up the gumption to cashier the manager whose physique was as shredded as his pitching staff.
For all of his failings, the mess Kapler leaves behind is not entirely one of his own making. And the longer one looks at that mess, the clearer it becomes that removing Kapler is far from the last step in the journey back to the playoffs. The 2019 Phillies went into the season with Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin, Vince Velasquez, and Nick Pivetta set to fill out the rotation behind Nola, and all four of those pitchers were hurt, ineffective, or both for long swaths of the season, leaving the team to try to grasp at a playoff berth while rolling Jason Vargas and Drew Smyly out for two-fifths of its games. Almost every hitter in the lineup underachieved to some extent this year, and once-promising guys like Maikel Franco, Cesar Hernandez, and Nick Williams now look like write-offs.
Kapler’s departure won’t solve those shortcomings, and it seems like team president Andy MacPhail and general manager Matt Klentak know it. The very fact that it took so long to fire Kapler when the team’s fate was sealed by early September reeks of organizational dysfunction. The club is once again considering playing Scott Kingery at shortstop despite mountains of evidence that it didn’t work in 2018. The Phillies also decided to retain nine assistant coaches, which might dissuade experienced managerial candidates like Joe Maddon and Dusty Baker, who might be inclined to hire their own staffs. That means the next manager will probably be a stopgap, someone to douse the fire before it spreads to the front office.
Because while Kapler was weird, and divisive, and corrupt, and deserved to be fired long ago, it remains a distinct possibility that he was not the only reason the Phillies underachieved the past two years. If they swoon again in 2020, Klentak might not have to ponder his fate for 10 days after the season ends.”
Now, Kapler can do no wrong. Did he totally change and do a 180? The answer is simple. The Giants are executing while the Phillies didn’t. You can put it all on the manager. I think about 90% is on the players.
In Doc’s post game interview yesterday he said Lux will be playing 2B today, so yet again somebody is getting a day off, my guess probably T. Turner or Seager.
I guess today I’ll be one of the “bitchers”, only I don’t really see it that way.
I guess I could just say “All’s well that ends well” and move on, after win. But I can’t.
We all know we’re 4 back with 42 to play.
We need to win games.
I’ve been patient with Doc or whom ever the wizard is behind the curtain is but I have no idea what the thinking was with last night’s line up.
Here are my questions:
* As I stated previously, I don’t like giving 2 regulars the night off at the same time. Don’t sit Muncy and JT at the same time. The regulars are playing great right now so let them continue to carry the mail.
* Do we have a need at 3rd that I don’t know about? JT, Muncy and Taylor can’t handle the position?
* What is the urgency getting Lux in the line up? Have we been dying to get him healthy and get that bat in the line up?
* Lux at 3rd. First time ever. He easily could have had 4 errors there instead of 2, in the first 4 innings. If his 2 throws to 1st would have been 6 inches wider, he would have had 4 errors in 4 chances. I generally hate the contact play but not with Lux at 3rd. He had the runner cold and short hopped Smith giving up the run. His throws looked very “yippie”. I feel sorry for the kid being put in that situation.
* Belli in 4 hole, again. He had a super hustle double but he and Lux early had 2 horrible situational at bats, failing to move runners to 3rd at least. He also fanned on another 95 mph, co**shot.
* I would keep CT3 in center where he is more comfortable instead of right for only the 4th time this year. With Belli’s D, it doesn’t matter where he plays.
* Price could and should have gone 6 or 7 with help. Doc still took him out too early,
* Don’t pitch KJ consecutive games. How many times do we need to say that?
* Beaty had a nice game.
* Doc finally got the Varsity position players in by the 7th. So that was really a valuable rest for JT? Maybe we could trade to get Joc back and Doc could start him at 1st with Lux at 3rd? It would be a handicap system like bowling of golf. We can give more teams like the Pirates a crack at beating us. After all, we have plenty of games to piss away to prepare for the Wildcard Game.
It’s not we.
The Dodgers don’t need to win games.
They need to position themselves to best win the World Series.
Obviously, you’d think not playing in the Wild Card game would help. But so would having healthy, rested players and knowing who can cover 3rd in case of injury. So too would all players having confidence and mechanical issues addresses. To name but a few other key criteria.
That’s an interesting point. The way we are scrambling, resting players, 2 at a time, with 42 remaining says something about what needs to be accomplished by October. I think the most important thing is to have our starters ready to be in there for 20 straight games with few days off.
If Mookie and Clayton are back in September, and everyone else is rested and near 100%, it won’t matter whether we catch the giants. We’re gonna beat whoever the Wild Card is, then we’re going to beat the giants. Why? Because our varsity is better than their’s.
I trust the Dodgers management know what they are doing. And I trust the players know the stakes here and are taking their health seriously.
Reds are closing in on the Padres who all of a sudden cannot beat anybody. Only 1.5 back of them now. Padres 12 back of the Giants and 8 back of LA.
Though COULD make them more dangerous to us, if they only thing they can do is F us up in the standings.
cheers
pb+
Very true, but they are having some serious pitching issues. Their pen is overworked, and they have lost several key starters. Their starting SS is now playing Right Field. I think the next time we see the Padres, it is not going to be the cocky bunch we saw earlier in the year.
That is a very wise statement!
The Dodgers may not catch the Giants, but all we have to do is beat them in a wild card game.
Very good takes Phil
And something tells me you won’t be called names by Mark, or lambasted by Bear
I do not lambast people. I respect their opinions. Phil always has good takes, he states them reasonably, and he does not belittle anyone, he asks questions to which none of us have an answer. We can listen to Roberts post game interviews for some sort of insight. You have opinions. I have them too. But usually they are nothing but that. I have no inside information, I can only use the eye test, and listen to what Davis is saying during the broadcast. My feeling is, they threw Lux back into the fire as soon as possible rather than have him come up and go straight to the bench. He had been playing 3rd his last 3 games at OKC, and no doubt, at least I would think so, they got a positive report from the coaching staff in Oklahoma.
Lux obviously had the yips and was not very comfortable over there. But other than the throws, he made some nice stops. As long as they win, I am ok with most of what Roberts does. I also think he pulled Price too soon. But as for who starts? I am not privy to the inside information Roberts has on his players health and state of mind. I see a lot of Cody bashing over his bad at bat with two runners in scoring position, but not one word about Smith’s 4 at bats where he left 4 runners stranded and did not bring anyone in. Bellinger at least contributed to the scoring with his double getting Seager to third. Then Pollock got the first of his two hits. Taylor, Smith and Lux all went ofer. But everyone piles on Bellinger. Trea Turner had one of those bad AB’s with runners on base and hit a weak fly to right. You win as a team, and you lose as a team. Beaty picked everyone up with a clutch 2 run single, and his reward will most likely as Nomah puts it, be EL Bencho.
OK point taken. Lambaste was a little harsh. But I stand by my remark about Mark calling people names
When you’ve been as successful as Smith has lately, you get a pass for an 0-4
I know, Smith has been a catalyst. But Bellinger has been better of late. Hits in 11 of his last 12. And he could have easily had a second hit, but he was robbed by Tsutsugo. As for Mark, I am afraid you would have to take that issue up with him personally. I think he might get a little weary of seeing the same gripes night after night on his blog. I sometimes want to scream at the top of my lungs, and I can yell pretty loud. But it is a waste of energy. You might have given Smith a pass. And that is cool, but Nomar did not. He said it was a bad situational at bat him not moving the runners over with no outs.
I am merely quoting noted literary works:
Mark, I’m wondering if you actually read the book. The irony is that he guy calling everyone a Moron was disturbed and all the Morons were normal everyday people.
I like to give you a segue from time to time and I did read the book. I still have it, until the Book Police come and take it away.
Salinger was supposedly the inspiration for the Terrance Mann character in Field of Dreams. I never read the book. Not up my alley. I was and always have been more into historical novels like the stuff Herman Wouk and Leon Uris wrote, Jeffery Deaver’s murder mysteries, and just plain history and biography’s.
I think they put Lux in because they not only wanted to see how he fared at 3rd, (which was iffy at best ), but to have him start getting some ab’s against MLB pitching. And from what I saw, HE NEEDS IT. He was as off as Belli was 2-3wks ago.
cheers
pb+
He played there 3 of his last 4 games with OKC. He hit .318 down there in 22 at bats. No HR’s and one ribbie. Yeah, he looked like what he was, rusty. My take is that these guys take way too many pitches they could punish. Smith did it in that first AB when the first pitch changeup was right in the middle of the plate. Seen Muncy do that more than a few times too. Bellinger also let a first pitch changeup go by.
Interesting article to add to the Dave Roberts debate. From Dodgers Nation https://www.dodgersnation.com/dodgers-on-dave-roberts-a-wonderful-man-and-a-decision-making-liability/2021/08/17/
That was a very good article and I agree with my brothers who are concerned about some of the decisions Doc makes, especially regarding the bullpen.
Can someone please tell me if they absolutely know the answer (not speculation) if Doc was told by management not to use Jansen as the closer in last year’s playoffs……or did Doc come up with that on his own?
Something tells me he was “forced” to comply because Doc just seems like the kind of guy who would not want to hurt Jansen’s feelings, even if it means we probably don’t win the WS.
But what I think is really irrelevant to all but me. What does AF think?
Doc is not afraid to go against what a player wants.
Nobody needs to tell him what to do.
After Kenley blew all the saves in a row, the coaches were all of the opinion that his problems were mechanical and they could fix him.
The Front Office knows this stuff too.
HEAR THIS:
Doc manages to win the War… maybe not the Battle. When playoff time comes, you will see. Just like last year!
Small-minded people lose their minds when he loses a battle that is somewhat predictable because they are playing checkers.
Doc is playing the long-game and chess!
Read that yesterday. Interesting stuff.
Thank you Bear for the info re. Cartaya. It seems like he has been on that IL for weeks.
For a lot of that time, he was in Camelback working out with the development team. What he was working on I do not know as it has not been reported. The LAD organization is going to be very deliberate with Diego.
I have held my tongue long enough on the apparent hate-fest for Dave Roberts as the LAD manager by many. I am not a Dave Roberts apologist as I too question some of his lineups and in-game decisions. But I do not dwell on it. I also know that every manager out there makes the same bonehead lineups and in-game decisions (in our opinions without all of the facts). Managing is a very imperfect position, especially when trying to put the right pegs in the right holes when even the best hitters fail 7 out of 10 ABs.
I am not going to highlight the fact that LAD has the best record in MLB since Roberts became the manager. I will just focus on 2021. I keep reading that it is easy to have the best record when you have the best team in the League. On paper, that is exactly what LAD has. Unfortunately that is not the team that they have been playing with for most of the year.
The Dodgers have used 34 pitchers this season, and many of those did not start the season in the organization. When Neftali Perez and Evan Phillips are sent into a game, add 2 more to the list.
The Dodgers are down to 1 starting pitcher out of the 5 that started the season. They have used 17 different starting pitchers compared to both the Giants and Padres who have had 10. Tampa Bay has used 13.
CT3 leads the Dodgers in games played (114) and PA (470). JT (108/450) and Max (102/429) are 2nd and 3rd. Nobody expected CT3 to play as much as he has been asked to, and probably JT. Max…yes. The Dodgers are in the race largely because of CT3 who has been the MVP for LAD in 2021.
If the starters played most of the season, as they did last year and 2017 and 2018, the three years they had the best record, there would be no question that the Dodgers would be in 1st place. However, that has not been the case this year. The team has played 120 games and three of the most important position players have not played as much as anticipated.
Mookie – 87 games
Belli – 61 games
Seags – 53 games
And none of the three have had the type of year that makes them All-Stars, especially Belli, although Mookie was heating up at the right time, and Seags is showing signs that he is getting back to his expected level. Since he has returned, Corey has played in 16 games with 67 PA and is batting .328/.403/.500/.903. They are 12-4 in those 16 games. Think they missed Corey? His HR swing is not back, but power is the last to return.
Dustin May’s last game was May 1, and he will be out for the year (and much of – if not all of 2022). Trevor Bauer has been out since June 28, and his return is dubious at best. Clayton Kershaw has been out since July 3. Bauer has missed 7 starts and Kershaw 6. Julio Urias will miss his 1st in this series with Pittsburgh.
Tony Gonsolin has pitched 10 games and 35.2 IP. I doubt that he will make it back this year.
Corey Knebel was out from April 23 to August 10. He was expected to be a key late inning high leverage reliever and has pitched in 12 games and 9.1 innings.
One of the best relievers the Dodgers had this season, when he did pitch, was Jimmy Nelson. He is now out for the year.
VGon who was one of the huge highlights from last year’s team has been hurt most of the year. Same with Brusdar Graterol.
And yet with all of the missing pieces somehow some way the team is 74-46 (.617). That is the 2nd best record in MLB and is projected to be a 100 win season. Unfortunately they trail SFG by 4.0 games who is playing well over their heads. Will they have a melt down at some point? Maybe, maybe not. Like it or not, since AF has been with the team, the players take designated days off, so they can get through a tough 162 game schedule. It seems to have worked thus far in his tenure. Since the schedule is not reported, I have no idea if last night’s game was a scheduled night off for Max or JT. Both were hit by pitch the game before. Some took exception to them not being in the starting lineup, and I suppose they had a peek at the medicals to know that they were okay and should have started. Unfortunately I did not have that luxury so I had no idea if they were hurt or not. I do know that JT still has a tender groin, and does have a history of groin pulls. Maybe sit JT and start Max. Or maybe right or wrong, the Dodgers wanted to get a look at Lux at 3B. It didn’t work, but the Dodgers won the game. Or maybe Doc had better information and decided to rest two regulars at the right time, hoping they would not have to be used.
I can’t count the number of times that many of the Doc detractors were saying how much better a manager Jayce Tingler was. How do you like him now? I am a Gabe Kapler fan (more for personal reasons), but I cannot forget his dismal start in Philly. He was also very much questioned last year in SF. Some on here like Kevin Cash. They complain about the number of moves Doc makes, but his moves are minor compared to Cash’s. Tampa Bay has one pitcher who has 100+ IP, and he is on the IL (Ryan Yarborough). They are the master of the bullpen game. BTW, I too am a Kevin Cash fan, but again for personal reasons. Cash was Tito Francona’s bullpen coach in Cleveland right before he was hired to be Tampa Bay’s manager. That was the job my son was going to interview for with Francona. He chose not to. What might have been????
The use of KJ as the closer. Has anyone here actually spoken to Treinen and KJ about who should be closer and who should be setup? It is just as likely that the Dodger organization believes that Treinen is so good as the current year setup that they are willing to continue KJ as the closer, as that is the role he prefers and is best used at, or so the LAD organization believes. He has 25 saves and 5 blown saves, with three blown saves coming in one horrific five game stretch at a critical time. It has nothing to do with salary. It appears that Knebel will assume the Andrew Miller role and come in when the team needs him in high leverage situations, Treinen will be the setup, and KJ the closer. BTW, KJ has closed the game seven times this month, and three were back to back games. In those games, he has one win and two saves. He is a roller coaster ride to be sure, but he is finding success. If it were not for that five game stretch, KJ would be considered one of the best closers this year. But he did have that five game stretch, so the skepticism.
Bottom line, I have respect for opinions other than mine, and I do not consider those who disagree with me as morons. But I am not a moron because I do not believe that Doc is as bad as a manager that many of you believe.
Right on the nosey Jefe. Davis reported last night during the broadcast that Muncy, who was hit on the shoulder in Monday’s game, has been hit on that same shoulder 9 of the 10 times he has been hit this year. That is one reason he did such an exaggerated bat flip after his homer. And no doubt, it was probably still a little sore on Tuesday. Just wondering my friend, do you hold your tongue with your left or right hand? I use my left since it is dominant.
Really enjoy absorbing your thoughtful insights Jeff. One of the reasons I come here is for your thoughtful & educated insights, even though as you note, many are opinions. They are opinions I value & take time to think about.
cheers
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I do not know if the Dodgers will catch the Giants, but how much smarter will Dave Roberts be when he can trot out this lineup:
Mookie Betts
Trea Turner
Corey Seager
Max Muncy
JT
AJ Pollock
Cody Bellinger
Will Smith
And a potential playoff rotation of:
Walker Buehler
Max Scherzer
Julio Urias
Clayton Kershaw
His IQ will go up 75 points while his detractor’s IQs will continue to diminish.
Here’s hoping that when said iq’s reach zero, we do not have some sort of cosmic event where as these iq’s try to get below zero a random black hole appears and swallows the solar system. THAT would really f the season up, more than Roberts detractors could even imagine he is capable of.
Sorry, just amusing myself here today.
cheers
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That’s the varsity team I was referring to. It’s so good All Star Chris Taylor comes off the bench.
Afternoon guys. Look, we are all grownups on here. Or at least we are supposed to be. And I know some were not offended by Bluto’s comment. That is cool. But, we really have no need to curse like that. I spent time in the military so I became numb to those kinds of things, and being a trucker for so many years dodging idiot 4 wheelers who never pay attention to the road, increased that numbness. But as I have aged, I have really tried very hard to be a more mellow person. Sometimes things happen and the old feelings surface again. But when I am on here, I really try to keep it in check. Bluto apologized and I removed the offensive words from the post. But lets at least try to keep things civil. What is posted here can be removed. Mark has given me the ok to do that. I will only do that if it crosses the line. Name calling is not a good idea. As for talking about Covid and mask protocols, as long as it relates to the team, that is fine. I knew yesterday that as of midnight last night LA was going to require masks at all events where 10,000 or more people were going to be. That decision was posted on Yahoo news yesterday morning. Here in the building where I live, i was informed yesterday by the manager that wearing the masks in the building will be reinstated this week. It seems one of our residents was exposed to Covid. It does not matter if you are inoculated or not.
I was more concerned at the time about the 3 scorpions I have seen and killed in the last week. Little buggers are a pain. Anyway, lets hope for a sweep, and health for all of our players. White will get the first innings tonight. Jansen will be unavailable after making 25 pitches last night.
Killing scorpions is criminal! 🙂
Used to keep a few for pets back in the day. Along with about 50 pet snakes & other assorted reptiles, & insects. Tarantula’s too.
cheers
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Well if one of them was to sting you, they do not bite, you would have a different opinion. I knew my moccasin’s would come in handy. Flattened the little b**tard. Mission accomplished. I knew there was a screw or two loose in you. I had dogs and cats and the occasional guinea pig.
HA! Dude, and seriously because I owned them….. You just pick them up by the stinger, and granted I kept large Emperor Scorpions which are fairly docile. You can also take a small piece of putty or gum & cover the stinger to make them impotent as far as danger. And been stung, not really a big deal. And yeah, I have always loved growing things & keeping lots of different animals. I have owned cats (yuck), dogs, pigs, goats, horses, geese, ducks, chickens, rabbits, guinea fowl, peacocks, various aquatic species, snakes, spiders, scorpions, a skunk, ferrets, and likely have forgotten some. My place used to be like a zoo.
Screw loose?!?! If true, that has been fixed by duct tape & super glue so it’s all good.
cheers
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Glad you took the highroad PB. There’s enough name calling around here
Meh, I really try hard NOT to insult the elderly. Including myself! 🙂
cheers pb+
The scorpions here are tiny. And it is fact that they are more deadly than the big ones. The stings from these things are quite painful. And if you need a demonstration, just come on down and we will head to the dog park and find you one! About the most exotic pet I ever had was a chameleon that you used to get at carnivals for throwing a ping pong ball into a fish bowl. Long ago I had a horned toad and one time a desert tortoise, which now are illegal to own.
Bear, no offense, I was having fun. And yes, those little buggers pack a bigger punch than man big species & in fact if
there was one around here ( you know we live in the same state, right? ) it would be underfoot quickly. Though there is a chance I would capture it, put it in a container to have a biology lesson with the grandkids. How do you feel about tarantulas? They are better “pets” than scorpions! haha
cheers
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No offense taken and I know we both live in Colorado, I live in the pretty part of the state, and you probably up somewhere close to Denver. I dislike any kind of creepy crawling insect. And after seeing “The Incredible Shrinking Man” when I was a kid, Tarantula’s are persona non grata. Which means, no thanks, I have had close encounters with snakes, sharks, spiders and a Gila Monster.
Prayers out to A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt who was hit in the face by a Chris Goodwin line drive and was carted off the field. Here is the latest on Bassitt’s condition:
“The Athletics announced that Bassitt received stitches for two facial lacerations and was diagnosed with a displaced tripod fracture in his right cheek that will require surgery.” Vision tests and a CT scan revealed no additional damage, and Bassitt also avoided any damage to his orbital bone. He’s been released from the hospital for the time being.”
That was really ugly. I am glad that he will be OK… evidently. Still… it was really ugly.
In case anyone missed it:
Landon Knack, RHP (No. 12), Double-A Tulsa
After allowing six runs in 3 2/3 innings in his worst outing of the season, Knack put together one of his best on Tuesday. The 24-year-old yielded one hit, a one-out double in the first, and struck out eight while retiring the final 11 batters he faced. Despite his rocky outing on Aug. 11, Knack has held the opposition scoreless in three of his last four starts to bring his ERA down to 2.82 in his first professional season.
He pitched 6 innings/1 H/0 BB/9 K
Cody Hoese was back after having his swing “overhauled” and was 2-5. Busch was 2-5, Vargas 2-3 and Ryan Noda hit a Grand Slam (his 23rd HR).
Cannot wait to see that kid next year in spring training.
The Dodgers are very high on their draft coup of 2020 with Bobby Miller, Clayton Beeter, and Landon Knack. Miller and Beeter are still at Great Lakes. Their other starting pitcher drafted last year, Gavin Stone, is also having a fantastic season. He was just promoted to A+ (Great Lakes). He was named low A MiLB pitcher of the week 2 out of the last three weeks. They are pushing Knack more than the others because of his age. He is two years older than any of the other three pitchers.
Carson Taylor is the real deal too, and I still have high hopes for Jake Vogel.
Jeff, thank you for clearing up that for me re. Cartaya.
I read today, and someone else might have mentioned this already, but it was that we put Hamels on the 60 day basically ending his season & will pay him a million for never playing this year
cheers pb+
The Bad News is that he is out.
The Good News is that they only owe him a Million Dollars.
He never threw a pitch.
He just signed his name.
That’s good money if you can get it.
I would take it any day.
I’d sign my name for half that amount and my arm is healthy! I promise
Padres down 3-2 to the Rockies already. 2nd inning. Giants and Mets just getting underway. So Mets will come in here rested a little as opposed to how they arrived in SF. Game will be over long before the Dodger game starts. 3 Dodgers hitters hitting .500 against Pirate starter Brubaker. No HR’s though. T. Turner is hitting .333 off of him.
Anybody know why DeSclafani is out after one and a third
Never mind I just found out he left with ankle discomfort
I am a lawyer with a practice in another country. I always wonder, how is it possible for a player to be hired to play, not play and still be paid. Something tells me that there is a clause that frees the clubs to pay in those cases. Or, there might be some insurance that compensates the clubs when this happens. But still, I’m not sure because like I said, I don´t practice in the US. Can someone clarify please?
Go Dodgers.
Afternoon Carlos. MLB contracts have some outs in them, there is a morality clause and some players have clauses that keep them from doing dangerous hobbies like dirt biking and such. Herein lies the problem with Bauer. He has not been charged. Even the hearing he is at right now is not about the charge or lack of charge, it is about a restraining order. Pasadena police and the DA have not charged him yet. He is not suspended, he is on Administrative leave enforced by the MLB. And that leave is a paid leave. They cannot stop paying him without cause. Believe me, if there was a way to get out of the contract, the Dodgers, who have a crack team of lawyers, would have found it by now. Until there is some resolution to the case as it stands, their hands are tied financially. And there is also the union to deal with. The MLBPA is not going to allow them to take away his money without due cause.
Thanks. Very clear now.
In the case of Hamels, I think the million was the equivalent ( and someone correct me if wrong ) of a signing bonus, with them KNOWING he was injured or coming off injury. He was to get another 200000 for every game he started which obviously will not happen now.
cheers
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I’m not worried but it would sure be nice to see the Giants lose a game or two. Man, who are those guys !
Hopefully it won’t take as long to figure out Lux can’t play third as it did with Joc at first base last year! Tough first game back for Gavin. But I’m not giving up on the young man. He struggled his first year in the minors when he first signed so I want to see how he adapts next year. Can’t give up on a guy who was the minor league player of the year. Hang in there Gavin and remember swing at the fastballs in the zone and take the ones that aren’t!
Giants getting great work from their pen today. 1-0 in the 7th. Mets just living up to the criticism leveled at them by their owner today. Rockies up on the Padres in the 7th, 7-5.
I cannot remember a year where I have seen this many players. DFA’d, placed on release waivers, put on the IL< or lost via a waiver claim in years. Seems like guys are dropping like flies. Spring went back on the IL after less than a month off of it. Jack Morris suspended by the Tigers and their broadcasting partners, Bally Sports, after making a racial slur against Shohei Ohtani yesterday.
Muncy: 1B, 2B, 3b
Betts: RF, CF, 2B
Belli: CF, RF, 1B
TT: 2B, SS, CF
CT3: SS, 2B, 3B, LF, CF, RF
Pollock: LF, CF
Lux: 2B, SS, 3B
It seems that everyone is willing to play where it is necessary and where the team needs it with the exception of Seager who only wants to play SS
Padres lose again to the Rockies 7-5. Mets and Giants tied in the top of the 9th.
GO METS, last I looked it was 1-0 so they are trying to help!
edit ….. just checked they have gone into extras…….. fingers crossed
2nd edit …. darn Mets did zip in the top of the 10th
Yaz to third on a fly ball only one out, not looking good
They did not score in the 10th. Villar got his butt thrown out at 3rd on a contact play, but the ball was hit back to the pitcher, they got a single, but then O’Neill grounded out. Giants up in the bottom of the 10th, and Posey is still available off of the bench. Posey flied out and Yastrzemski moved to 3rd. Slater hit by pitch, Longoria pinch hitting for the pitcher. Longo pops out, Runners on 2nd and 3rd.
Just got to two outs, so at least a deep fly is just an out.
WHEW! Come on METS! I was surprised they pitched to Wade, he was 2-4, they could have walked him & gotten to LaStella who is 0-4. Worked out though.
Wade flied out to left. Inning over. Mets coming up. O’Neill will be on 2nd, with a pinch hitter coming up in the pitchers spot. They pulled Alonzo last inning. Chatwood pitching for the Giants. His first game since being signed. Former Rockie starter. Blackenhorn, Conforto and Davis coming up. Blackenhorn grounds out to second, O’Neill goes to 3rd. 1 out. Conforto doubles to right. 2-1 Mets, Davis up. Davis strikes out, Smith up. Giants will have Wade on second, LaStella, Bryant and Belt up in the bottom of the inning.
Off work, got it on now. GO FAMILIA ……. whomever you are!
Juerys Familia. Used to be the Mets closer.
Giants coming up in the 11th, down 2-1. Familia now pitching for the Mets, LaStella, Bryant and Belt are a combined 0-11 with 4 K’s today. LaStella singles in the tying run. Bryant K’s Belt grounds out, LaStella to 2nd. Crawford up. 0-4 so far.
UGH! Now hoping for a 12th.
They walk Crawford intentionally, and Yastrzemski is up. Yaz K’s. They go to the 12th Smith on 2nd. Villar, Mazeika and Pillar due up. Chatwood still pitching. Villar doubles on the first pitch and Smith scores. 3-2 Mets Play being challenged, fair or foul. Ruling reversed, foul ball. Run erased, Villar strikes out.
NICE! Man that ball was an inch fair if that. GO METS!
SHOOT! I thought it was fair. Did you notice how squiggly the line was right in that area?
Smith K’s, Mazeika singles on the 7 the pitch. Smith to 3rd. Pillar up. Pillar hits a 3 run HR, Mets up 5-2 with one out in the 12th.
HOME RUN METS! 5-2 ……. gosh I hope that holds.d
edit
6-2 now thanks to a 150 batter, gotta love it.
Bottom of the Giants order coming up in the bottom of the 12th. Posey, Slater and a pinch hitter for the pitcher. McNeill just doubled to put another man in scoring position, pinch hitter coming up for the pitcher. Sisco doubles, McNeill scores Mets 6-2 Conforto K’s. Giants coming up.
Pillar… You are the best, thanks!!
As long as the Dodgers beat the Pirates tonight, and this holds up. Hell yeah.
You know what Harvey Keitel would say. If youve seen pulp fiction
But I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed
I saw it.Cannot remember Keitel’s line though. All I remember is Samuel L Jackson.
Let’s not start s…….. ing each other’s d…….s just yet
Looks like they got it in the bag, but as you say we still have to beat the Pirates. Still got my fingers and toes crossed
Ok, cool line.
Or, peeing in each other’s Post Toasties either. Hey, we cannot LOSE a game in the standings now & that’s a start.
I hate post toasties. I dislike corn flakes too. Honey nut Cherrio’s and Raisin Bran are my favorites. I used to love Kix. But have not seen those in stores for years. Dodgers 2022 spring schedule out. They open next season on the 31st of March at Dodger Stadium against the Rockies. I still like Nomar so much better than motormouth Hershiser.
Pillar pegó jonron de 3 carreras en la entrada 11 ante Chatwood, con suerte gana Mets
Former Dodger Jake Reed in to pitch the 12th. Yaz on second, Posey, Slater and a pinch hitter coming up. Giants have no position players left, looks like Chatwood or another pitcher will have to hit in that spot. Only 3 players who have not played, Wood, Gausman and Webb.
ONE MORE OUT!
GIANTS LOST.
Posey strikes out. Slater flies out. Yaz to 3rd two out. Chatwood up. Chatwood strikes out. Mets win 6-2.
Hidden blessings I reckon. Usually never on here after work, but torrential downpours and flash flooding in the area so my 2.5mi “cardio & body weight exercise” around the lake got cancelled. Getting to see the midgets lose more than makes up for that. Thanks Mets! Now time for us to DO SOMETHING about it.
cheers
pb+
Tonight’s lineup:
LF AJ
1b Max
3b Justin
SS Corey
c Will
CF Cody
RF Billy
2b Gavin
P Bruihl
No Trea or CT3
Hate to see two regulars on the bench at once. Yes I consider CT3 a regular with Mookie out. Consolation is they’ll be available to pinch-hit later if needed
Hopefully we pound the Pirates and they’ll get a full rest
CT3 has played every game since May 16. He has only missed 5 games all year (4 in April). The Dodgers were 2-3 in those 5 games. He is invaluable. I am sure his agent is going to use 2021 to make sure CT3 gets a lot of $$$ next winter.
Agree about CT3 But Turner just had a nice rest on the DL
Not saying I don’t understand it, I just don’t like having two regulars sit on the same night
I know many on here are very pro-Gabe Kapler, but I bet that the 2nd guessers will be out for Gabe tonight. After 10 innings, the Giants had already used 23 of the 26 players on the roster. They used 9 pitchers and all 14 of their position players. Their only players that did not enter were starting pitchers, Gausman, Wood, and Webb. What made it even more special was pitcher Tyler Chatwood striking out to end the game. They had nobody else to bring in.
Also what kind of moron is Kapler for taking out Rogers and putting in Jake McGee. McGee blew his 4th save tonight. What a bum. (sarcasm alert).
Mets used all position players except catcher James McCann, and used 7 pitchers of their own.
I think we already knew that today Turner and Taylor would have a day off tonight, everyone else already had it, only they were the only ones who had not rested
No surprise. Trevor Bauer will be taking the 5th in his restraining order trial. His attorney has asked the Judge if he could make it a blanket claim and not take the stand. He did cite a case in support. The Judge will render her decision on the 5th tomorrow AM. I am not following the trial, but just got a push notification from Twitter, and thought I would share.
The Giants and Padres have already lost. I think the team should put their beast offensive lineup in. That means T. Turner Should definately be in the lineup and should leadoff. Forget days off today. We want the Dodgers to be 3 games out when the game is over! Put a scare into the Giants tonight.
I guess they did not need Trea Turner in tonight’s lineup after all.
Well Jeff, I think I would have to agree with you on that. The Giants can now feel the Dodgers moving closer. It’s looking good.
Go Dodgers!!!
If anyone deserved a night off, it’s CT3. I guess if you’re gonna rest a bunch of guys, you might as well do it against the Pirates, who you own at home. It’s already a great day when the Giants and Padres both lose. Hard for me to decide which is sweeter, the Padres losing the Rockies or the Giants losing to a good team. I hope the Mets can continue their funk for exactly 4 more days.
I am really rooting for Mitch White to take the next step tonight. I’m really feeling that quality start if the guys can get him a lead to work with. I’ve always liked him for the weird reason that he went to the same college as my nephew. I think his stuff is capable and that he just needs to dig deep and find a little bulldog in him. Maybe he should hang out with Vesia or Bueller more.
Bear, you really should read “The Catcher in the Rye”. It’s a classic for a reason and it’s an easy and entertaining read. No matter your reading preference, I’m sure you’ll find it enjoyable. I remember laughing a lot while reading it and not wanting to put it down. It’s a short read, you can knock it out in a couple of days and I’m sure you won’t regret the time spent on it.
I spent some time reading testimony from the case today, catching up on Day 1 and Day 2. I guess there’s no new “evidence” on Bauer, everything has already been heard before. Clevenger’s life got turned upside down as a result of this and he looks like the biggest creep with the most to lose. I found it interesting that Bauer’s defense team has argued that he doesn’t meet the requirements of the restraining order. I’m not going attempt to translate the legal reasons, but to put it in layman’s terms, you have to be more than just a “bootie call” to meet the requirement for domestic abuse. The relationship has to be more than purely physical in nature. I’ll save my opinions on how his accuser handled her responses to Bauer’s attorney’s question since I don’t what to start another S-Show. But, let’s just say she didn’t do a great job.
With no new evidence I would hard pressed to think the PPD would press charges. You would think that would be wrapped up pretty soon, except for the fact that this involves a guy who has come out pretty hard against the commissioner in the past. Then the external factors, politics and new CBA right around the corner. There’s no telling how this will end. I still think the path of least resistance is to suspend him for the year and come back when people’s attention is diverted to the next news cycle. Then the fan in me still hopes for the off chance that he’s pitching in big games down the stretch and is a postseason hero.
Wouldn’t that be a strange ending for the strangest of seasons?
Thanks, I have a library card, so I will check it out there. I have a ton of books I am looking to read in my closet. I usually read more in the offseason. That is also when I work on my models. I am still working on a model of the USS Indianapolis. Cruiser that delivered the A-Bomb to Tinian Island and then was torpedoed and sank on it’s way to the Philippines. Only 300 of it’s crew were rescued. Many died from shark attacks. Great scene in Jaws with Robert Shaw explaining he was part of that crew. Bauer’s lawyers really have been grilling her, and she has gotten pretty flustered a few times. Big issue is how long she waited to file for the restraining order.
White went 7 1/3 shut out innings. I think he can easily step into a starting role and not need an opener. With another BP game tomorrow, then Butane, Scherzer and Price. Offense did a good job. Muncy with 2 dingers, Pollock getting 3 hits including a HR, and Seager cracking a 2 run shot. Bottom of the lineup no help. Lux still could not hit water if he fell out of a boat.
Will be interesting to see what the Dodgers do with White now. After going 7.1 he probably will not be able to pitch again before next Monday. So will they sent him down and bring another arm for todays next pen game ? Probably.
Hopefully someone else can shoulder the bulk of the innings today and give us a chance to win. Bullpen has done an incredible job the last 2-3 weeks.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m gonna have to sleep on it tonight to see what I’m going to complain about. But I’m sure Roberts did something stupid tonight
Come on. He didn’t let Bruihl finish the 2nd and made White get up and down 8 times.
Why was Bruihl removed with 2 out in the 2nd inning? The next hitter was a lefty and we brought in White who is a righty. Since Bruihl was due up in the 3rd & could have been removed for a pinch hitter it would seem to be a better move.
How dat Mitch White ?!
What a gutsy performance to spell the bullpen. First Dodgers reliever to go 7.1 scoreless since 1960! Hats off to the kid.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!