Individual Honors Elude Players: Team Success Is # 1

Posted By on August 25, 2021

You look back over the years and there are very few Dodger players at the top of the offensive numbers in the NL. Or the majors for that matter. Pitching? That is a horse of a different color. The last Dodger to win a batting title was Tommy Davis in 1963 when he hit .326. He also won in 1962 with a .342 mark.

Kemp led the league in runs scored with 111 in 2011. No one since then. The last Dodger to lead the league in hits was Steve Garvey in 1980 with 200. As a matter of fact, no Dodger has achieved the 200 hit level since Adrian Beltre had 204 in 2004.

Over the years, counting Brooklyn, the Dodgers have had 13 MVPs, 8 of them in pennant-winning years. 12 Cy Youngs, Koufax, and Kersh accounted for 6 of those. 9 World Series MVPs. There were tri winners in 1981. The Dodgers have had 18 Rookies of the Year… by far the most of any team. 5 All-Star game MVPs. None since Piazza in 1996. And 9 Comeback Player of the Year awards, the last being Nomar in 2006.

But individual awards in the offense category have just not been there. The last Dodger to lead the league in HR was Matt Kemp in 2011. Green did not lead the league when he hit 49. Beltre tied for the lead in 2004 with 48. No Dodger except Tom Jordan when he hit 12 in 1906 and 1908, has ever won more than one. A-Gone was the last Dodger to lead the league in RBI’s in 2014. Dee Gordon led the league in steals in 2014. Pedro Guerrero last Dodger to lead the league in slugging percentage.

As it stands right now, Trea Turner is #1 in the league in BA and steals, but he did most of his work in DC. Only Muncy is in the race for the HR crown. He is not even close in the RBI chase. The Dodgers as a team, are 4th in the NL in HR’s when last year they were #1. They trail SF, Atlanta, and the Reds. They are plus 204 in run differential. That is by far the largest margin in the league. But they are still 2.5 games back of the Giants as of today. Their lopsided one-run losses compared to wins, and extra-inning defeats have contributed to the deficit.

But, have you ever wondered why it is that a team with so much talent over the years, has never had a 50 HR season by any player, even when balls were flying out of the park all over baseball? Why do they rarely have a player in the top 10 in batting or RBI’s?

The theory has usually been the heavy air at night in springtime in LA. The ball just does not carry well until it warms up a little. They have had some success crushing the ball on opening day. 8 one time against the Giants. But individually, it takes a while for them to get going. Bellinger, in 19, had 30 HRs by July 4th. But fell short of the 50 mark with 47. He hit 27 of those in LA that year. Guererro is second in a season with 23 at Dodger Stadium. Muncy had 20. Adrian Gonzalez started off one year with 5 HRs in the first 3 games. But never came close to leading the league after that.

RBI’s in bunches also have seemed to be an issue. But they are spread all up and down the lineup, not depending on one player to get the job done. Right now the Dodgers have 5 players with 50 or more RBI’s. Muncy is leading with 76. Then Turner, Taylor, Smith, and Pollock. Only Taylor has struck out more than 100 times. And he leads the team by a bunch, with 133. The next closest is Muncy with 85. Betts has 44 RBI’s, but had he been healthy, he would have a lot more. Bellinger has driven in 31 on 41 hits.

But individual success has always taken a back seat to winning. Team success, and sustaining that has been the main focus of the team for years. In this day and age, and the way Roberts and the FO feel about keeping the players fresh and not out there every day makes a difference in the number of chances a player has to string together good games. Sometimes a player just gets hot and stays hot. Taylor and Pollock had streaks like that this season. Taylor has cooled off some, and Pollock had a 4 game stretch where he did not look the same. The last time Mookie came off of the IL< he got very hot and looked a lot like he did last season.

Let us hope he comes off the IL as hot this time. As much as I would like to see Belli win a HR crown, if for no other reason than to beat out Tatis, I would rather see them win another World Series. Individual awards are great. I hope Buehler wins the Cy Young. And I would love to see Turner keep it up and win the batting and stolen base crown. But what I want more than anything is to see them both celebrating on the mound after winning the last game of the World Series!

I sometimes believe fans are more into the individual honors more than the players. I know I was always pulling for a Dodger to win the HR crown. I thought for sure Bellinger was going to do that in 2019. But Pete Alonzo, in his incredible rookie season finished with 53. Cody led in WAR with an 8.7 mark. And he finished 2nd in many of the hitting categories. But his fade in the second half cost him the HR and RBI titles most likely and his drop in BA to just above .300 when he had been well over .340 in June.

But I have also enjoyed this incredible run of success. It is great to see the team at the top of the standings all those seasons instead of in the middle of the pack trying to pass two or three teams. And despite what some might think, it is good that the Giants are giving them such a challenge. It makes the last 30 plus games important. Unlike a few years ago when they went into August with a 20 game lead, and then proceeded to lose a bunch. They still won by 11 games, but they were not really challenged except by that losing streak.

Now they head to San Diego to face a reeling Padres team who are barely hanging on to their playoff spot with the Reds charging hard to overtake them. The Padres are 10.5 games back of the Dodgers. There is no way they are catching the Giants, and most likely no way they can catch LA. But they can put a dent in the Dodgers chase to overtake the Giants and win the division again. 9 games left with the Dodgers. 10 with the Giants, so they can also help LA.

But like they say, wounded animals are dangerous. The Dodgers are going to have to play some of their best baseball against those guys. Especially if they want to gain any ground on the Giants. And they need to hope the Giants’ opponents these next few weeks can do some damage and slow down their run. It is going to be interesting to watch. Last night was a good start.

This article has 117 Comments

    1. You would have to think so. But who replaces him? McKinney? He cannot hit lefty’s either. Pujols will most likely get the start at first. Seager and Muncy have pretty decent numbers against lefty’s. Until Mookie comes off the IL on Thursday, their only RH hitting OF’s are Pollock and Taylor. Beaty would be better than McKinney or Belli against lefty’s, but then the defense suffers. Taylor would have to play CF and Pollock right, unless they put Pollock in his natural CF spot. Once Mookie gets back, Belli will definitely get some bench time. They are woefully short on RH power off of the bench. Dodgers only have 39 on the 40 man right now.

      1. 40 man roster stands at 39 with Felix being DFA. Kelly was sitting in the bullpen last night and is suppose to be activated for tonight’s game. Does Lux get optioned to Oklahoma City or McKinney DFA because of no options remaining? What happens when Mookie is activated tomorrow? AF knows and we will know shortly.

        1. They can always dump a pitcher. Greene has pitched once. They could even DFA someone at AAA. With Vesia and Gonzalez pitching well they could dump Bruihl too, Only the man in the big office knows what they might have in mind. They have dumped so many pitchers over the last few weeks, it would not surprise me to see one of those guys gone.

  2. Someone on the site mentioned ,where are Jackson and White? Both are pitching for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
    in preparation for possible callups shortly. Jackson pitched last Saturday 5.2 IP 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 5K 1HR 77pitches 48 strikes, White pitched last night 5.2IP 5H 2 R 2ER 0BB 8K 1HR 71 pitches 52 strikes. They’re both been stretched out for help in the rotation for the division run.

    1. They won’t be needed against the Padres with Buehler and Scherzer going the next two games. But they might get used against the Rockies this weekend. I won’t be able to watch the games as they are blacked out here. Another asinine practice by MLB. I think if you pay for something, especially as much as they charge per year, you should be able to watch all of the games.

      1. You can get a VPN for about 5 bucks a month that will allow you to connect to a server in an area where the game isn’t blacked out allowing you to watch.

        1. Harlan I have no clue what a VPN is, and no clue where to get one. If someone can give me that info, I will try it. Thanks.

          1. VPN is a “virtual private network”. It is what I am on right now, as I am “working” :-). If you were able to see the MAC address when I am on the VPN, it would show that I am in IL not CO, as that is where I “reside” when I am on our VPN. And there are companies that specifically sell VPN access to private individuals. Here is a link if this goes through showing some that are rated the best.
            https://us.cybernews.com/lp/best-vpn-us/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu-fU3OrM8gIVjMiUCR3HMQGUEAAYASAAEgJqsfD_BwE
            cheers
            pb+

    1. Always has been when he is healthy. He proved that last season. He just has had some really bad luck physically. That catch was really nice. Reminded me of Bellinger robbing Tatis of a HR in the playoffs last year.

      1. I didn’t mind the deal but his “Oops, I crapped my pants” performance against WASH in 2019 soured me considerably.

        Earlier this year I was thinking he was upgradable. Now he’s a core piece. Just stay healthy.

        1. He has not been the only one who flamed out in the playoffs. And over the last 2 seasons, he has not been that hitter,

  4. Bellinger is playing himself to the bench. He’s getting his opportunities and he’s doing nothing with them. He should just bunt until his shoulder is strong enough to catch up to fastballs.

    Sure hope Mookie can play.

    1. The word is, he feels better than he did in spring training. He has been fielding balls and taking batting practice. He is set to be activated on Thursday. I want to see him and Turner do their thing. It should be very fun to watch.

      1. I have found that with cortisone shots, you have a “window” until it acts up again. Play him now, if it doesn’t hurt!

        1. At least now they know where to put the shot. Maybe they can give him another one when they have a break in between post-season series.

          1. From my experience doctors are reluctant to use cortisone too often in a joint as it may damage the cartilage. The rule of thumb is no more than one every 6 weeks and more than 3 or 4 per year. If the reports are true, Mookie has had at least 2 recently. I get shots in my back, hip and knee and I do it about every 6 months. So I hope his pain is relieved with some rest days through the playoffs. Cross your fingers.

          2. Yep, PhilJones. I agree that you don’t want to keep getting them. But, the first one didn’t take, so I was thinking it doesn’t really count towards joint damage if it never got there. 😉

            I knew that you weren’t supposed to get more than three, but was unaware of the 6 week rule. But, he got his last shot with about 7 weeks remaining in the regular season, so in between playoff series would theoretically work.

    2. Right now, Belli has to sit when we have too many guys. He’s still an important part of the franchise but yeesh.

  5. On Bellinger:

    1. Conventional wisdom is generally wrong; and
    2. It is darkest just before dawn!

    and yada, yada, yada!

  6. I was on the edge of my seat all night last night. What a game! It was a great start to this series with Julio coming off the IL to throw a bunch of zeros. They probably could have left him in there for another inning, but using Bickford against the top of the order proved to be a good call.

    Knebel, Treinen and Kenley all looked a little off last night, but got the job done overall sans a Jurickson Profar homer.

    Does it make sense to start Albert against Snell tonight? I have a hard time justifying a step down on defense while sitting one of Turner, Turner or Seager in this series. I can’t see Albert catching up to Snell’s heater, so why screw up the defense with such a move?

    There’s no way I sit Belli to get Beaty or McKinney into the game against Snell. Go ahead and activate Mookie a day early and then we’ll talk. We’re going to need to make sure we can catch the ball as runs should be hard to come by.

    It was really odd that Feliz and Greene were used in the same game. One sucked and the other had a clean inning, so cut the guy with the clean inning? I really hate this move and I’m going to be really pissed if he winds up with SF, SD or Mil.

    Another day, another win, and people have to complain about Belli even though there isn’t any bench options that are better at the moment.

    Alex Vesia is unbelievable. Just 5 hits and 1 run in the last two months. I hope he can keep it going.

    Activate Joe Kelly so he can plant one of Machado or Tatis.

  7. Nothing new to report on Trevor Bauer, but journalists (or so they say) keep cranking out some of the stupidest, biased crap I have ever read.

    Shakespeare had it wrong. The first thing we should do is kill all the journalists.

    P.S. That will probably get me on an FBI Watch List or something.

  8. Based on what I’m now reading, Cody Bellinger needs to take a seat. I agree. Offensively, he’s hurting the team. Yes, he had a two run single Sunday and had a hard hit line drive to an outfielder. So there will be moments. But they’re far too seldom to continue going down this path. Strikeouts, pop-ups and lazy fly balls are not helping. He continues to ignore bunt opportunities, has the long swing and is often under the pitch (foul ball, pop-up, swing and miss). Obviously, the timing isn’t there. He’s missing 90 mph fastballs down the middle. Former players seem to think he needs to shorten up and make more contact. Seems logical. He can help the Dodgers win games without hitting a homerun. But will he adapt?

    As to winning batting titles, etc. It’s still a team game, takes 26 or 40 to win a title. Lots of contributions. For decades, the Dodgers have been built around pitching first, then hitting. The Dodgers decades ago made a big time statement when they traded the one lone legitimate power hitter they had, Frank Howard, for a pitcher.

    Nothing has really changed, other than money and free agents, allowing the team to acquire or keep hitters to go with quality pitching. The fact they gave Trevor Bauer a massive, short term deal, certainly confirmed their belief that they needed more star power in the rotation.

    Artie Moreno and the Angels seem to take a different approach, pursuing bats over arms.

    If you look at the Dodgers moving forward, I can see the Dodgers offense built around Mookie Betts and Trea Turner. They will be able to put pressure on opposing pitchers. A double, a stolen base, a fly ball, run scored.

    Will the Dodgers be able to catch the Giants? Maybe, maybe not. Luck seems to favor the Giants. Just 36 games to go.

    Good write-up Bear.

    1. Well they’ve been “lucky” for 5 months! Great pitching and big power. That’s the formula the Dodgers have used the last 8 years!

        2. Thanks, I really appreciate it. If there is someone or some subject you would like to see on here, just let me know, I will try to accommodate you.

  9. Muncy is in a minor funk. I noticed this morning in wins he is OPS’n 1.083, in losses it’s .699. That is a telling stat.

    Is Mookie going to second base when he returns? If so, adios Cody. I have said all along he needs to play. I’m not saying it anymore. September is on us.

    We need journalists more than ever. Lying right to our face has become a way of life. We need writers to uncover the truth. Support the 4th Estate.

      1. Last journalist I trusted to tell me the truth was Walter Cronkite. The man was the best I ever saw.

  10. Glad to see some are starting to see the possibility of benching Cody once Mookie returns. Obviously we lose a little defense, but Taylor is pretty good in CF as we all saw in the All Star game.

    So what do we do with Cody? I will continue to beat this drum
.send him down and don’t send him back up until he shows signs of hitting again. If Mookie is healthy, we don’t need Cody on our team because he would be useless as a pinch hitter (weak pop up or K).

    Oh, one more point for tonight 
.I believe Tre Turner can play the OF as well, so we can always play Turner in the OF when Pujols plays 1B and then move Marvelous Max to 2B.

    OF; Taylor, Pollock, Turner
    IF: Pujols, Marvelous Max, JT, Seager
    C: Wonderful William

    1. Marvelous Max and Wonderful William?????? Maxwell’s Silver hammer has become a little ballpeen tapper lately. Will the Fresh Prince, has had his average dip some, and he has struck out more lately. But he is definitely preferable to the Empty Barnes. Tio Albert is a lot of fun to watch. He has even made some really good plays at first. I am not moving Turner off of second. He is just getting the hang of it and everyone wants to move him to the outfield. Trea Turner has played all of 45 games in his career in CF, and none since 2016. Sorry, he had enough problems adjusting to second base. Bellinger’s defense is elite. The question comes down to how long will they carry him for just his glove

    2. Trea Turner has said that he does not want to play OF. Of course I know a team player will play where ever he is told to play, but a team does not want to put a player in a position they do not want to play. Why piss off Trea?

      For me, the team is winning with Belli in the lineup. So let’s see what the team does after the Pads, Braves, and Giants series to see if they keep winning. If the team needs the additional offense, I am sure that a change will be made. Once Mookie returns, the offense should be electric enough to cover for Belli while he works out whatever it is that he needs to do.

      1. Excellent points Jeff on Bellinger. I say leave him alone for now in center despite the frustration we all experience when he doesn’t produce at the plate. It’s gotten to the point where if he barrels one up, we want to schedule a parade. But, we are winning games and have played all season with him hitting a buck seventy five. Why the sudden panic to sit him now? It may be a different story down the stretch and into the playoffs. Platoon or bench? But I say play it out with him in the 8 hole for now. I have no expectations for him and just close my eyes when he attempts to hit. Works for me.

  11. Someone was asking why the Dodgers might DFA Neftali Feliz instead of Shane Greene. I obviously have no inside information, but what might have transpired (and oftentimes does), when the player signs a MiLB contract, the team will have so much time to place the player on the roster or release him pursuant to pre-arranged deal. With Feliz it could very well have been that if he was not going to be on the playoff roster that he be placed on the MLB roster, pitch, and then get released for some other team to pick him up for the last month. Again, I have no idea whatsoever if that was the deal in place, but I do know that it happens.

    With Shane Greene, the Dodgers might see something they like. His fastball is not in the upper 90’s so he would be a different look. It could be a mechanical issue for his command, which needs to be dead-on for him to compete. He is only 32. Greene does not figure to make the playoffs roster, but maybe the Dodgers want him to be an option for 2022, if they can corral his command. (BIG IF).

    I do not think that Conner Greene was on irrevocable waivers from Baltimore, so it could be that if the Dodgers were not going to keep him for the playoffs that they put him back on waivers for Baltimore to reclaim him. Again, I have no idea if that is what happened, but it does happen more often than many think.

    1. Greene signed a major league deal. The others were on minor league deals or claimed off of waivers. Feliz was on a minor league deal. If the Dodgers DFA Greene, he is gone period. Cannot be sent to the minors.

      1. Hey Bear. Feliz and Greene are both in the same boat as far as being sent to the minors. When you are DFA’d, you get to choose between two outcomes, accept a minor league assignment or choose to become a free agent.

        I don’t think that Greene looked that bad stuff wise, but Feliz’s stuff looked just as good or better. Maybe they wanted Greene as a sinkerballer with a slider and changeup, over Feliz’s 4-seam slider combo. The difference between their contracts most likely doesn’t even come into play considering they just flushed 1M down the toilet on Hammels.

        I just hope SD, SF or Mil doesn’t pick up Feliz and it winds up biting us in the ass.

        1. Feliz may in fact sign with one of those teams, but he was not going to help the Dodgers in the playoffs. Teams do not hold onto players just to keep them away from other teams, and in so doing hurt that player. Players will know that and it will be much more difficult to sign those level of players in the future. If Feliz is not considered one of the best 8-9 relievers for the Dodgers and he signs with another team, that team then signed a player not good enough to make the Dodgers roster. Make the Dodgers team the best and we will not have to worry about who other teams sign.

      2. Once Feliz was placed on the roster, the same is true. Feliz was DFA’d, and while he can be returned to MiLB if he passes thru waivers, chances are he would refuse the assignment (as he is allowed to do) and become a FA. There is no advantage for Feliz to agree to a MiLB assignment unless he can make a ML roster. I still think the Dodgers did Feliz a favor by releasing him so he could hook up with another team in late August. Players know the teams that make those things happen. The Dodgers have the reputation of treating their personnel very fair, and with their careers on the line.

        It does not matter if Shane Greene signed a MLB contract or not. If he cannot pitch, the Dodgers will release him. Both Feliz and Greene were on MLB contracts at the time of Feliz’s release. The original contract does not take precedence, unless there is a clause indicating that Greene would stay on the roster longer to make up for the loss of ST. There are all sorts of clauses in contracts that we will never learn about. But it could also be that the LAD pitching gurus believe that Greene can be “fixed”.

        Neither Feliz or Greene were going to make the playoffs roster, so it really does not matter. They released Feliz early so he could catch on to another team. That is what I think, and I am going to stick with it.â˜ș

  12. For the Month of August, the Dodgers are 16-4, good for a whopping 800 winning percentage despite Mookie Betts playing in only 5 games. It’s hard to image that any team can do much better than an 800 winning percentage for an entire month.

    During that time, Cody Has been a mainstay in the lineup making 17 starts and coming into the game late in two others. In those 17 starts, he’s managed 7 runs scored, 10 RBI, 5 doubles and 4 homers. Yet people are calling him to be relegated to the bench, presumably in favor of Chris Taylor. In the same time frame, CT3 started 19 games and it may surprise most on this site that he scored 8 runs with 7 RBI 5 doubles and 1 HR. He also struck out 26 times vs 20 for Belli. Clearly, Belli has been the better run producer in August and considering he did it mostly batting 8th is even more impressive.

    I bring this up because there is no clear replacement for Belli.

    Seager, Belli and Mookie have all spent a significant amount of time on the IL this year and CT3 has covered admirably for each of them. He leads the team in games played, having appeared in 120 games this year. The next closest regular is JT with 115. Who would have thought at the beginning of the year that JT and CT3 would lead the team in games played? It just goes to show how weird of a year it has been.

    I’ve maintained all along that Mookie, JT and Pollock will all need rest down the stretch and CT3 is invaluable in the role of giving other players rest because of his defense at many positions. CT3 has also played much more than he ever had and could use a breather from time to time himself.

    There is absolutely no reason to relegate Bellinger to the bench. He’s been a more productive run producer over the last month than the guy who would most likely replace him and would prohibit CT3 from giving others much needed rest. He’s showing signs of coming out of his slump and he’s certainly the best defensive Center Fielder on the team. I’m all for getting Belli more rest. But, there is absolutely no reason to bench him as most of you suggest.

    1. As I said above, I also do not understand this rush to replace Belli. The team is winning, so he is not costing the team with his offensive output. I am guessing that CT3 will still play in 30-32 of the 36 games remaining. If Belli’s offense causes the team to lose, then the team will adjust and adapt. That is what the team has done all year long, and if it were not for the Giants playing over their heads, we would not be having this dialogue. If the Giants keep winning, it does not matter what Bellinger or his deemed replacement will do. I would rather have a Bellinger with another 120+ PA going into the playoffs to see if he can get his timing back at the right time.

      I still believe that too many do not give as much thought to defense, except to complain when the team plays bad defensively. Belli is a GG caliber CF, and no matter how you want to color it, CT3 is nowhere near the defender in CF as is Belli. That is not to say that CT3 cannot play CF well, it is just not at the level of Belli. TM keeps bringing up the AS game. I was watching the game with a former MLB player friend of mine, and I made the comment about the CF play of CT3, and my friend commented that while CT3 made good plays, Belli would have made them look routine. That is from a former player, not me.

      Good teams (that are winning) do not make changes by over-reacting. And IMO, that is what some of you want to do with Belli.

    2. The reason to relegate Belli to the bench on occasion is that our offense is built upon the premise of a disciplined, aggressive approach to batting. Spit on the bad pitches and swing hard at the good ones.

      Belli is capable of having very bad at-bats [Puigian?] which we really can’t afford in high leverage situations.

      I love the guy but some of the shit he does is just stupid.

      1. What is on occasion? Maybe there is not much of an argument. But if you are saying that on occasion means 50% then there will be some disagreement.

        If LAD was 10-10 in August, then the argument gets more understandable. But the team is 16-4 without Mookie and with only two reliable starters (Urias 10 days on IL), what difference would benching Belli have been. Would the team be 20-0? In one of the losses, Belli had the only two RBI’s. So the loss was not due to the ineffective offense of Belli.

        For me, it is still a team game and the Dodgers are doing fine with Belli in the lineup. Belli is not going to get his timing by sitting, and if he finds it, he can carry the team far more than Tio Albert, CT3, Lux, Beaty, McKinney, Raley, Reks, Neuse
If he doesn’t get his timing by the playoffs then the discussion is more meaningful. Otherwise play the 26 year old GG CF former AS until it hurts the team.

        1. That’s how I feel. I don’t see a better plan… especially if you consider what could happen IF Belli breaks out.

          With the way the team is playing, it’s low-risk – high reward!

          1. Mookie – RF
            T Turner – 2B
            Seager – SS
            Max – 1B
            JT – 3B
            Smith – C
            AJ – LF
            Belli – CF

            Seager is going to see a lot of fastballs.

          2. So you bench a guy who is OPS’n .848 for a guy who is OPS’n under .600.

            Gutsy move.

          3. With 7 others OPSing over .800, I do not feel it is that gutsy to put a superior defensive player up the middle. If (I know Big If) Belli finds his timing, do you prefer CT3 over Belli? I do not. Come playoff time I might feel differently. But for now I have CT3 playing all over the field rather than CF and benching Belli. Personal choice.

          4. How is it a gutsy move? Bellinger has been a better run producer in August than CT3 and he’s the better defender. Recency matters.

            This is the best lineup, but not the only lineup as you know. Don’t you remember a week ago when they sat two regulars in each of the Pirates games? The very next lineup would include CT3 and someone else would get a day off. I don’t know why this it is so hard to understand. CT3 is a Super Utility guy. Bellinger is a Super Star.

            I would go as far to say, even in the playoffs, and even if Bellinger gives us a September that is similar to what he’s done in August, I start him if we have a lead in the series due to his superior defense and the fact that CT3 is lethal coming off the bench.

            I find it insane that people are complaining about who hits in the 8th spot when we had games that featured Barnes, Raley and Recks at the bottom of the order.

      2. Bellinger and CT3 have very similar SO to BB ratios THIS YEAR although Belli has been far superior in the past, so you cannot say that a disciplined-aggressive is something that Belli doesn’t do.

        CT3 has as many awful ABs as Belli. The Difference is BABIP. CTS-\i at .367 and Belli is at .203, indicating that CT3 is having a lot of good luck and Belli is having a lot of bad luck. That’s not everything, but it’s part of it.

        1. Does BABIP Take into account how hard a ball is hit?
          Just by going by the old eye test, seems to me CT3 hits the ball a lot harder than Belli most of the time
          CT3 was an all star this year, so I don’t think it’s fair to compare him to Belli
          I am personally on the fence about Belli he just frustrates me a lot
          Whatever the team decides to do I am fine with

          1. BABIP is the batting average for balls that the defense can make a play on. Exclude strikeouts and home runs in the calculation. Example, a batter goes 2 for 5 with a HR and K. His BABIP is 1 for 3 or .333.

  14. Love to beat the Padres.
    * Pollock had a very nice game. Nice to see him quiet the past haters who wanted him gone or platooned. Shows what he can do when healthy for awhile.
    * Smith is a very gifted high fastball hitter. With the higher strike zone and a propensity for pitchers to pitch there, many players struggle catching up to high cheese. Smith is good up there getting on top of that pitch. He can also get his hands in and get his barrel to the inside pitch. Most guys foul that off their knuckles or pull it foul. He has the ability to not snap hook that stuff and keep it fair. I’m not the kind to say I told you so on Smith’s bat. But I told you so. Too good of a swing to be the .220 guy some predicted. Nice to see.
    * Orel’s back. And does it again. With 2 outs in the 9th in the most critical, suspenseful spot, he rambled on for about how he went about calling his own pitches to the catcher with various body language and signs when the hitter isn’t looking. News flash to Orel – nobody gives a rat’s ass what you used to do to signal pitches 23 years ago, at least at that time in the game. He’s such a buzz killer.

  15. The lineup is pretty stacked when Mookie comes back. I would stick with Trea leading off to take a little pressure off of Mookie…

    Seags is the best pure hitter, so I keep him in the 3 hole. Smith is clutch and Muncy is slumping, so I’ll put Muncy in between two righties.

    Mookie – RF
    T Turner – 2B
    Seager – SS
    Smith – C
    Max – 1B
    JT – 3B
    AJ – LF
    Belli – CF

  16. For all you CT3 over Belli guys out there. You guys should look at the statcast data on the MLB.com site. You will be surprised to see that CT3’s and Belli’s statcast numbers are a lot closer than you think. Mark is onto something by pointing out the discrepancy in BABIP. Then you have to consider the fact that Cody is getting better compared to where he was at at the beginning of the month, so it stands to reason that he may be able to keep improving over the remainder of the year.

    https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/statcast?type=batter&year=2021&position=&team=119&min=1&sort=17&sortDir=asc

  17. Lineup is out. Pujols sits as I pointed out earlier today.

    TT 2B
    Other Mad Max 1B
    JT 3B
    Rodney Dangerfield LF
    Seags SS
    CT3 RF
    Fresh Prince C
    The Target CF

  18. Taylor leads the team in strikeouts and is the only player with over 100 K’s and has 134 punch-out’s in 429 at bats. That is pretty bad. For a contact type hitter his all or nothing approach is not all that productive more than 25% of the time. Bellinger is striking out less lately. He has had some really bad at bats, but he also has scorched some balls that were caught. But the team values his defense which is far superior to Taylor. And with Betts back, Taylor can return to his super sub role, which he was expected to do all season, and give guys like Turner, Pollock and anyone else Dave might like a blow. He was never supposed to be an everyday player anyway. And his power numbers have dropped considerably since the all star game. In the last 14 days he is hitting .233 with 1 HR and 4 RBI’s. Bellinger, although he is hitting only .149 in the same period has 2 HR’s and 7 RBI’s. They both have struck out 16 times. Bellinger also has 3 doubles over that stretch. Taylor has one.

    1. I thought Cody was coming out of it. He’s 1 for his last 20 with no BB. In his last 48 PA’s he’s hitting .149 with 16 Ks and 1 BB. Over the last week Taylor is OPSn .978. I’m a Bellinger fan, but I think Colletti is right about this one.

  19. Los Angeles Dodgers
    August 25, 2021
    Kelly (undisclosed) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
    Victor G . optioned to the minors

  20. August 25, 2021
    Darvish (back) will be activated from the 10-day injured list to start Thursday’s series finale against the Dodgers, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

  21. Estoy de acuerdo en mantener a Belli en la alineaciĂłn sobre todo para que siga haciendo los ajustes necesarios para alcanzar la bolas altas y rĂĄpidas y/o su hombro se fortalezca para y quizĂĄ se resuelva como el caso de Matt Kemp y el mencionado hombro se extienda como antes de la lesiĂłn y la posterior cirugĂ­a, creo que mantenerlo en el juego es la Ășnica soluciĂłn ya que la Gerencia no se desprenderĂĄ de el.

    1. Translation:
      I agree to keep Belli in the lineup especially so that he continues to make the necessary adjustments to reach the high and fast balls and / or his shoulder strengthens for and maybe it will be solved as the case of Matt Kemp and the aforementioned shoulder spreads as before the injury and the subsequent surgery, I think that keeping him in the game is the only solution since the Management will not let go of him.

  22. DODGERS ACTIVATE JOE KELLY

    LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers activated right-handed pitcher Joe Kelly from the injured list and optioned left-handed pitcher Victor González to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

    Kelly, 33, was placed on the injured list August 10, missing 14 games. He was 2-0 with a 3.34 ERA (11 ER/29.2 IP) and 35 strikeouts in 31 games this season. He made two rehab appearances for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, striking out two and walking two in 1.1 innings. In two seasons with the Dodgers, he is a combined 7-4 with a 3.86 ERA (39 ER/91.0 IP) and 106 strikeouts. He is in his 10th season in the Major Leagues and is a combined 50-29 with a 3.87 ERA (308 ER/716.1 IP) and 604 strikeouts. The Corona, CA native was originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2009 First Year Player Draft out of UC Riverside.

    GonzĂĄlez, 25, is 3-1 with a 3.57 ERA (14 ER/35.1 IP) and 33 strikeouts in 44 games this season. In his career, he is a combined 6-1 with a 2.75 ERA (17 ER/55.2 IP) and 56 strikeouts. He was originally signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2012 out of Tuxpan, Nayarit, Mexico.

  27. Trying to prove a point they played the Snell card to long
    Got to give him credit though, he was going against Buehler, tough matchup

  29. Melancon straddles the rubber like he’s getting ready to take it up the Wazoo
    I can’t stand that sucka. Too bad when he comes in we are the ones usually taking it up the Wazoo

  30. When is Roberts gonna learn! Just can’t pitch the old man back to back! I think he was pointing at Eric when he left the mound!

  32. Offense tonight has been totally pitiful. They are 1-18 with runners in scoring position. Turner, Taylor, Seager, Pollock, Muncy all ofer. Game is almost 5 hours long and they are in the bottom of the 14th. This is awful baseball. Some bad baserunning in this game too. I hate the extra inning rule. 11 intentional walks in this game. 1-1 in the top of the 15th inning. Graterol has gone 2 scoreless. Taylor will be on second with, Smith Bellinger, a pinch hitter and Trea Turner, 0-5 tonight due up fourth. Padres have no position players left. Lux and McKinney still available for Roberts.

  33. At this point Bear I think I’d like to see Roberts get an ab! He certainly couldn’t do any worse! How about just one productive out!

    1. I agree. They got 2 finally. And thank you Billy McKinney for that first run. And Trea Turner finally got a hit. Bellinger, Turner and Smith all have 2 hits, everyone else has been bupkis. Weird game my friend. Tatis just tied the game with a HR. Machado pops out, and it is looking like they might go to the 16th inning. They walk Cronenworth to bring up the pitcher.

  34. McKinney singles in a run, Turner singles in a run. 3-1 top of the 15th inning and Knebel will pitch the bottom of the inning. Grisham, Tatis and Machado are due up. Muncy now 0-7 with 2 K’s. Grisham is 1-6. Tatis 0-6 with 4 K’s and Machado 0-4 with 1 K and 2 intentional walks.

  36. One thing for sure: I do NOT want to see the Dodgers go up in a do or die game vs Pads with Snell on the mound. Guy seems to have our numbers.
    Knebel in to try to lock it down.

    Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!

  37. Man, CT3 had a good chance to rob Tatis on this one. Unbelievable.
    tied at 3.

    Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!

  38. And there is only one relief pitcher left in the pen. Greene. Pollock, Seager and Taylor coming up in the 16th. They are a combined 0-16 with 7 K’s and 2 walks. Turner will be on second.

  39. On to the 16th.
    I think Knebel will come out for the bottom of the inning should we take the lead. Made some good pitches and even the HR by Tatis was not on a cookie.

    Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!

      1. Lux juuuust missed that. Man, nerve wrecking game at breakfeast time over here.
        Come on Greene, close it out, got to go to work in 15 minutes…

        Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!

  40. Pollock with a 2 run shot in the 16th..wow. what a weird game. Dodgers have struck out 18 times tonight. 13 intentional walks,

    1. The balk was on purpose. They didn’t want the runner tipping signs or location
      What a stressful win, pretty damn amazing

  41. Headline: DODGERS WIN GAME FROM HELL- Pollock Homer boosts Dodgers over Pads in grueling extra inning duel

  42. Glad that’s over. I tuned in in the 7th inning, and still saw 3.5 hours of the game.

    Dodger Pitchers only allowed 3 hits in the first 14 innings pitched.

    Would’ve been a tough one to lose.

      1. We did indeed, from the 5th to the 14th.

        Kneblel concerns me, does not look right.

        More like his Dad Evel at the moment

  43. I hate the free runner. I’m too old to be watching games like this. For some people the free runner adds excitement. For me it just adds more stress.

    And yes, how about that Greene guy.

  44. Wow, woke up to see this result! Amazing game
.amazing win
.WONDERFUL WILLIAM on a high hard fastball does it again. When are the pitchers going to learn to not pitch him there? He is not Cody
lol

    Great bullpen
all of you.

    Don’t want to see Snell ever again
.he scares me.

  45. “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” It one of the most memorable calls in sports broadcasting history. Howard Cosell uttered those words after George Foreman sent Joe Frazier to the mat in a 1973 fight for the World Heavyweight Championship. For the second night” Down goes Adam Frazier” making the last out both games,
    I watched all six hours plus. Great win. Max will have go deep into tonight’s game .We will face Darvish for the first time without the sticky stuff.

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