The 10-Game Mark

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1. Will you be changing the color of the roof from Carolina to Dodger blue?

2. We make a good team. You continue working hard making the pure water for great beer. And I’m retired just sitting on my butt drinking beer! OK, my work with Bellinger is over. Can I now move my negative energy onto Mookie and get him going. When we send Mookie down it will probably be to Tulsa because I don’t think he could start at OKC. Not with the way Pillar, Noda and Martin are hitting!

   1. The guy that said he only needs two weeks of Spring Training. Mookie looks like a mess. Too much bowling in the offseason.

      Belli is mostly crushing everything right now. Even the outs are bullets!

      1. There is a TON of “hip action” in bowling and you know, they never exactly said what caused his hip issues last season. Too much bowling?

         1. You hear about guys not being allowed to ski in the offseason. Why isn’t bowling off limits? 😉

            1. I don’t know why either are on a not allowed list. Skiing is just sliding down a hill and bowling is just rolling a reactive urethane resin ball.

3. Hell yeah, Mark! I’m so proud of you. I love to see small businesses succeed especially ones built with blood, sweat and tears. Great job!

   Wow, Kershaw sure lost it fast. That was surprising as he seemed to be cruising right along.

   Matt Olson is a beast. Props to Alex! If you’re gonna lose Freddie, you might as well land Olsen, eh? Just like is was smart for AF to acquire Trea.

   I noticed Miguel Vargas got a start at second base recently. He should probably spend some time there the way things are going.

   I feel the same way as Watford. No Agida watching Kimbrel. Yes, the bullpen is very good!

   It’s incredible watching the offense put up a huge inning almost every day. Max Fried will be a huge test today, being left handed and all. I wonder if Hanser will get a start.

   After watching Kershaw run out of gas last night, I can’t help but think back to the perfecto that wasn’t. It makes me think that he probably wouldn’t have kept it going and that the repercussions could have been worse in yesterday’s game.

   Kershaw is now 2-0 in two starts. Great start to the season. I hope he holds up. Bueller up next.

4. Good luck with acquiring the building for your new headquarters. It will be quite an undertaking.

5. Impressive. Congratulations.

   First place alone. .800 winning %. On pace for 129 wins. That should do it.

6. Cody Bellinger is an amazing talent. So is Mookie.. Sooner or later he catches fire. Thought Clayton Kershaw would slip a little. He’s still in build up mode. The expectation is probably six good innings, turn it over to the bullpen.

   Good start to the season after a couple of bumps in Colorado. Are the Giants that good? We’ll see. San Fran is using a different formula, trying to catch lightning in a bottle. It worked last year. But a lot of work and luck goes into making that work. The Dodgers had a lot of young talent to build around. Still the foundation. Adding talent like Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner to the mix is the difference between good and great.

   I still believe the Dodgers need to sign Turner long term. One of the most exciting players in baseball.

7. I just watched a postgame interview with Freddie and I really feel a lot of emotion from him. He loved being a Brave and also loves being a Dodger. He said he really appreciates the fans here making him feel so welcome and it’s making his transition a lot easier.

   Blake Treinen’s arm is “barking” a little bit. Won’t be available during the Braves series. Ouch! Won’t require an IL stint – famous last words?

   I noticed that Kershaw was dotting a lot of 91’s and 92’s yesterday. I’m very encouraged. Can he pick up another MPH and start touching 93 regularly? Did PRP fix him? The season is early, it’s still a bit cold at Dodger stadium. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the velo might just climb a little more. I’m not ruling out the possibility of another CY Young if that happens. Wouldn’t that be something?

   All these interviews with Freddie makes me wish that he would have come up with the Dodgers. What a great guy.

   1. I think what happened with Clayton last night is that he got ahead and just pounded the zone and the hitters started sitting on it. Too predictable.

      1. He was missing over the middle. His stuff is no longer good enough for that. For now he’s a 5 inning pitcher, which is fine on this staff.

         1. Short Spring, I’m not making assumptions about being a 5 inning pitcher. But, he did leave 2 balls in the middle that went for hits in the 6th.

            With Kershaw, I don’t know what to expect. His arm fell off last year and they put it back together with duct tape and bubble gum. Then he goes perfect for 7 innings on 80 pitches in his first start after a short Spring. That doesn’t sound like a five inning pitcher, but he certainly was yesterday.

            1. 15 pitches is considered a good number to complete an inning. 80 pitches? That’s basically 5 innings. 90 may be a reasonable limit for Kershaw at this point. I don’t know that but it seems logical to me. What do you think BP?

            2. 15 pitches per inning, 80 gets you 6 innings. If you have an 80 pitch limit, you shouldn’t be in a MLB rotation, IMHO.

               I don’t think that limiting pitchers to 80 pitches is going to make them last longer. I don’t want to make any assumptions about his health after two starts and a short Spring. I have no qualms about letting him throw 110 pitches in a game once he’s built up.

               I’m really hoping for a Kershaw renaissance if you will. What I don’t want to see is a real, no doubt, future first ballet HOF’er be treated like an old man at the ripe age of 34.

               Yesterday, he ran out of gas at 80 pitches. Hopefully, he continues to build up.

      2. I think this is it. Right now he basically relies on his four seamer, which isn’t as good as it once was, and his slider. His curve makes an occasional appearance. His control has been great – like you said, pounding the zone – but he’s gonna need to mix it up a little.

      3. lol – lot’s of 91-91 in innings 1-5. More of 89-90 in that fateful 6th. Grateral giving up a 65.8 MPH exit velocity single to Travis D’Aurnaud off of a 100.6 MPH sinker about 6 inches inside and off the plate didn’t help Clayton’s line score.

         1. Absolutely. Doc took CK at the right time but Graterol gave up all of his inherited runners. A couple of chinkers didn’t help. If Graterol slams the door CK’s line looks a lot better.

            1. You risk that when you leave the game with two runners in scoring position and no outs and a big lead. IMO Graterol did his job. They were lucky to score the second one.

8. I’m proud of you Mark. Go Dodgers

9. Could it be a good idea to put Trea as the leadoff hitter? And put Betts a little lower in the lineup, at least while he’s getting his groove back (if he ever does) The same thing they did with Bellinger…

   1. If he ever does? Cmon Jorge, the guy is way to talented not to get it back. I really am enjoying watching Freeman play everyday. He is just a professional from the word go. Congrats Mark. Your hard work is paying off. Most of my family was raised in Minneapolis. Some still live there. Have fun.

      1. Totally agree. He will be back. He was injured all last year and still put up pretty good numbers.

         They have the best record in baseball and I don’t even want to mention the streak their on. I don’t F with the lineup at all right about now. I show confidence in my players and don’t change anything. Good job Doc!

         Mark, notice. I give credit when credit is due, even with Doc.

10. Congrats Mark. Your life trajectory is actually very inspiring. You should write a book or something. 😉

    I’ll mention again, because it bears repeating, that Freddie is a great fit with the Dodgers. He’s humble, grateful, accessible – a consummate professional. He rarely has a wasted at bat. He always gets a good rip at the ball with a short yet powerful swing and goes to all fields. There are going to be a lot of “Fre-ddie … Fre-ddie” chants for the next few years.

    My concern with Mookie is not just that he’s in an offensive slump, but that his defense has declined significantly this year and last. Players get in slumps all the time, but when the defense also suffers, that’s in indicator that there’s something physically going on.

    My hot take –

    There is still something significantly wrong with Mookie’s hip that we don’t know the extent of. As we saw with Bo Jackson, these types of injuries don’t get better. His defense and his baserunning ability as measured by BsR has declined every year since 2017, dropped off a cliff last year, and hasn’t recovered.

11. * I don’t go out of my way to critics umpires but it sure seems to me Mookie and especially Will Smith get behind in counts on outside pitches clearly off the plate. Mookie is currently taking too many hittable pitches, and getting behind. But Will is just getting screwed. I wonder what he’s saying back there to warrant such shabby treatment? He’s such a nice guy.
    * We’re hitting .357 in the 9 hole. Tell me again that you enjoy watching pitchers bat.
    * I see some Kurt Gibson in Freddie Freeman. That choppy, quick flig of the hands for an emergency’s hang in there, swing to stay in the count. No style points just toughness.
    * Graterol, I believe, is the closer in waiting. He had some misfortune last night and made a couple of mistakes. He has a tendency to get impatient and frustrated if the don’t take the bait on his chase pitches. He seems frustrated they didn’t K and throws a hittable strike. Some mature Patience can fix that. Not so sure about his straight fastball even at 100.
    Hudson has had 3 Tommy Johns. What would be going through you mind to endure that? And do look at your Mechanics?
    This line-up just comes at you in waves. This is maybe the best line up to watch in a long time. And everybody’s not clicking yet.

    1. I think Hudson had 2 TJ’s but they were in rapid succession… unless I am missing something.

    2. Graterol. Sounds like an old person’s sports drink. Doesn’t it seem like he should be unhittable? If he can spot that sharp breaker I think he might be.

       Good point about the umps. Some of them appear to tire. Maybe there should be an umpire bullpen.

       Freeman is amazing to watch. He does so many things well and makes it look easy. It isn’t.

       Something is clearly not right with Mookie. Whatever was wrong in the NLCS, 4 for 23 with 1 RBI, has continued.

       We’re good, but we won’t get better. Not possible. We’re on pace for 129.6 wins. That would be a record. I don’t believe we’ll get it.

       1. Freeman is amazing to watch. He does so many things well and makes it look easy. It isn’t. – I couldn’t agree more. He does it all!

          Something is clearly not right with Mookie? I agree. He needs a checkup from the neck up. He’s chasing out of the zone way more than he ever has. I’m not going to put any stock into the BSR argument that Patch made. I think he’s looking too deeply into an esoteric stat that doesn’t really tell you much. He’s got a swipe already considering how little he gets on base and he looks fine in the outfield. If his hip is bothering him, he better freaking stop bowling in the offseason!!!

    3. Huh? Graterol made a couple of mistakes? K, groundout than a pich way off the plate with an exit velo that screams “OUT!”. I guess I’ll move on and tell you why I still don’t like the DH if you wanna keep bringing it up.

       The game was designed where everyone on the field has to hit. You need to make a decision as a manager if you want to sacrifice defense for offense for every player in the field. It’s part of the beauty of the game. Having a guy that only has to hit and a guy that only has to pitch are special rules that don’t apply to the rest of the players. It takes the little bit of small ball out of the game. It takes most of the strategy out of the game. It takes the bench almost completely out of the game. I found more joy when a pitcher hits, or move the runner along, than comparing the newfound production out of the number nine hitter. As a matter of fact, I barely even pay attention to the number nine hitter in this lineup as he might as well be the leadoff hitter. I just don’t differentiate anymore. I also don’t like the effect on the 8 hitter. Do you go after him so the pitcher leads off the next inning? Or, do you give him nothing because you’re gassed with 2 outs and are hoping for some relief by facing the opposing pitcher? Do you try to let your pitcher get through one more hitter so you can pinch hit with him before replacing him the next inning, or do you burn a pitcher by having him come in for one batter? No more strategy, that part of the game has ended. Is it better? I can honestly say no. So why even have a designated hitter at all. Why not just say pitchers don’t hit and go with the other 8 you have on the field? Why do you have to dissolve the DH to move him into the field? Why not treat the DH like any other position, where you can have him swap his position with another player and put the glove on? Why not let your best defenders play the field and fill out your lineup with your best hitters?

       Freddie is a stroke of destiny. Just what the team needed and it just so happens that the Braves didn’t want to pay him and he’s a home town kid. I love this more and more every day. And like a blind squirrel, I called it early during the lockout that he would be a Dodger. Moreso, I just tried to will it into happening.

       I’m starting to like Muncy at 3B. 2B, not so much. I know you think you’re a second baseman, but I’ve never seen one built like you. You look like a third baseman. Embrace it. You might even say he’s got a little bit of a left handed Ron Cey to him.

       I find it funny that Dodger’s fans were trying to say that Muncy was the best, or one of the best first basemen in the league last year (Defensive stats are BS). This series shows why that simply isn’t true. Nothing like having a 6′ 5″ target to throw to over at 1B that scoops everything, has a glove like a bear trap and has the footwork of a dancer. Did you see that throw to the plate the other night? The eye test says Freeman is the superior defensive first baseman and the lineups each day back that up.

       Just for giggles and kicks, Graterol threw one pitch middle middle and it was the first pitch to his last batter. 100.5 MPH Sinker that he fouled back. He wound up with a K on a slider.

12. Bobby Miller pitches for AA Tulsa tonight .Click on DODGERS MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATES at the top of the page for updates and box scores on the current four minor league teams. A new feature Mark has instituted.

    1. Mark has been instituted? I knew it was coming.

13. Anybody watch Alanna Rizzo defend Clayton Kershaw’s competitiveness after Chris Russo questioned it on HighHeat?

    1. Yeah I saw it. Classic Russo banter, lots of yelling and over talking. She didn’t back down and gave it right back. Good argument.

14. Institutionalized?

15. Notes from Internet:

    FanGraph’s Ben Clemens had a chat:

    Sultan of Seitan Asked: Andrew Heaney. Are the Dodgers just that good at development that he’s going to fulfill his promise or was his last start going to be his best start of the year?

    Ben Clemens Answered: He had two starts better than his last start (at least by Game Score v2) last year
    6.1 innings against the Astros with 10 k’s, no walks, and two hits. And 6.2 against the Rays, 4 hits, 10 k’s, 1 walk, no runs. So he’s definitely capable of some impressive numbers. I like what the Dodgers have done to harness his breaking ball, but the frustrating thing about Heaney has never been that he isn’t capable of a great performance
    It’s the consistency… Give it a little time.

    RTJ asked: Is Bellinger Back? High Babip, but hard to completely fake 2 HRs and a couple doubles early on, right?
    Ben Clemens answered: Kind of depends on what you m ean by back, if you’re asking whether he’s back to 2019, I don’ think so the thing that made him so interesting when he was at peak was that his strikeout rate just vanished. That hasn’t been the case this year. But I’m encouraged that he’s making loud contact again and doing so without wildly expanding the zone.

    The Sultan of Seitan also asked: Gavin Lux. Best Post Hype Sleeper this year?
    Ben Clemens answered: I think so, but that’s a generous definition of sleeper. He’s a really good hitter, to the point where the Dodgers were willing to let him play centerfield with no experience to get his bat in the lineup
    and that was last playoffs. I think that rumors of his post-hypeness have been greatly exaggerated

    Eric Longenhagen posted video of the Dodgers Edgardo Henriquez:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If8VZj1Hg3A

    Jay Jaffe took at look at Heaney:
    https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-sweeping-success-of-the-overhauled-andrew-heaney/

    Jaffe also took a look at Jackie Robinson and the progressive nature of Dodgertown:
    https://blogs.fangraphs.com/jackie-robinson-and-dodgertown-a-haven-of-tolerance/

    Dodgerheads YouTube video featuring Michael Grove (Editor’s note: one thing they touched was Grove’s change in his “spine angle”. I found that bit amazing!)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe81vAlZc78&t=4s

    Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes chat:
    Eric (Brooklyn) asked, How would you rank/compare Kyle Harrison with Maddux Bruns and DL Hall?

    Geoff Pontes: It’s Harrison, Hall, a gap and then Bruns. The latter looked great in his season debut but there’s still some kinks to work out as we saw the other night. Hall there’s just significant health questions even if it’s the best stuff on the planet. Harrison’s low release and movement give him the opportunity to be one of the world’s best eventually.

    Josh Thomas is a great follow on Twitter, he also has started to write wonderfully about prospects for DodgersDigest.com.
    His writing can be found here:
    http://dodgersdigest.com/author/jokeylocomotive/

    Amongst his observations of late:
    Between 2021 and early 2022, Gavin Stone has struck out a stellar 45 batters in 25 2/3 innings, while walking only six, and posting a 2:1 ground out/air out ratio. All together, it makes for a starter’s aptitude, repertoire, and effectiveness, and possibly a gem of a find whom the entire league passed on repeatedly, something they might regret.

    Lael Lockhart, a 2021 9th round pick out of Arkansas, utilizes a four-pitch mix, with a low 90s fastball that is reportedly touching 95 at times, as well as a slider, curve, and a splitter. Having cut his teeth in the SEC, and doing so for one of the most cutting-edge baseball programs, Lockhart is among the more polished pitching prospects who have recently entered the system, and he could be a relatively quick mover.

16. Mark, the improvements to the site are fantastic. All (worthwhile) Dodger and baseball info and news links on one site. Awesome. Congrats on the growth of your company and the new building build out. I, also, appreciate stories about family owned small businesses becoming successful. And, especially, with a product that is so important in impacting the quality of the water we consume.

    The Dodgers have been so much fun to watch while on this winning streak. It seems everyone is contributing sans Betts and Muncy. Fortunately, with the team’s talent and depth their play hasn’t been a determent. Muncy seems to take way too many pitches when he is in slump. Most hittable pitches he doesn’t swing at and with that has lead to eight walks (24% rate) so far. He did the same last year at the beginning of the season. But, like last year he will eventually get back to hitting bombs. With Mookie it might be his limited play during the spring. But, like I mentioned there is plenty of talent to cover for them while they get it together.

    Freddy is so much fun to watch. Just a quality ballplayer and human being. Sorry to see Seager leave, but I’ll take Freddy all day everyday.

    Very happy to see Gavin Lux have some early success. I have been a fan of his. My expectations for him haven’t been as high than many on this site. It looks like they are finding playing time for him right now. He had huge success in his minor league career so many thought that he should be a star right out of the gate. He had some frustrating moments when he first arrived, but he battled and worked his way through those issues. Covid didn’t help his cause either. Anyway, if he can continue to improve he should find a regular infield position by 2023/24 depending on what happens with Trea (I think he returns to the East coast) and with Muncy’s contract ending in 2023. He doesn’t need to be a star. Just a solid ballplayer and good teammate.

    Good for Cody!! Continue on his current path maybe looking at 30+ HRs and 90-110 RBIs if he moves up in the lineup. Strikeout rate down to 33% and BA to .278 so that’s a good sign.

    The starting pitching and the BP have been outstanding so far. There should be lots of juggling with the staff once May 1 rolls around and the rosters are reduced.

    Leading the league in stolen bases. Who knew? Well, I think just about everyone. They’re finally taking advantage of their speed. It’s so refreshing to watch them score runs in bunches without having to rely on the home run. I think the long ball will improve as the weather heats up and the hitters fine tune their timing.

    And then we have the Giants. As much as I dislike the city and their teams I have to give the Giants props for continuing to win baseball games. As mentioned above, It’s amazing to see the everyday regulars and compare them to the Dodgers and it’s not even close. So far, their pitching is doing well, but I don’t think their depth is there if injuries or ineffectiveness becomes an issue.

    Carry on.

17. The Dodgers’ rotation, once the dust settles, should look like this:
    1 Buehler
    2 Urías
    3 Bauer
    4 Kershaw
    5 Andrew “MadBum” Heaney and all the others.
    Kershaw is a good No.2 and a great No.3, but from No.4 he will face 4+ ERA guys and win most games, today’s Kershaw will go most times 5-6 innings and he will allow 2 or 3 runs scored which will lead him to win a lot of games, last night’s game is a good example.

18. Tonights line up. Betts RF, Freeman, 1B, Turner, SS, Turner, DH. Muncy, 2B, Taylor, CF, ALberto, 3B, Barnes, C, Lux LF.

19. Oh shit, we get our first taste of the lefty starting pitcher lineup.

    Denzel Washington visited the Dodgers clubhouse. He asked Kimbrel what does he throw and Kimbrel responds “By ’em”.

    Giants lose in extras. Maybe their luck is beginning to run out.

20. Mets beat San Fran 5-4 in the first game of a doubleheader.

21. Maybe the midgets luck is running out finally. Call goes against them in extra innings and they lose in 10. Way to go Mets!

22. So the Dodgers are exploring field naming rights for Dodger Stadium. Dodger Stadium will always be Dodger Stadium but they will be partnering with some company to grant field naming rights. Pepsi field at Dodger Stadium, Union 76 Field or Farmer John Field as some examples.

    Also exploring a patch to wear on the uniforms with a company they partner with much like the NBA. This was approved in the new CBA.

    What do you guys think with the field naming rights? I don’t like it, but the “bean counters” want more revenue and I guess I can live with it as long s they NEVER call Blue Heaven on Earth anything other than Dodger Stadium.

    1. The Union 76 ball is an iconic symbol at Dodger Stadium. If they have to put a patch on the uni, I’d just as soon see that 76 as anything else.

    2. Preparation H Field at Dodger Stadium?
       Tesla Field at Dodger Stadium?
       Viagra Field at Dodger Stadium?
       Tampax Field at Dodger Stadium?

       Just some ideas!

       1. US Water Systems Field at Dodger Stadium.
          Get your bid in early.

          1. I bid $12!

             That’s way outta’ my ballpark!

       2. Viagra Field at Dodger Stadium. We’re always up.

    3. I’d rather not see it, but, I don’t care. We see advertising everywhere. It pays the bills.

       I think we knew this was coming. But, $12 million a year? That’s nothing to the Dodgers. If they can’t get $50 million, forget it.

       Mark can afford it. Look at that new building he’s got.

23. Anyone know why Bobby Miller only pitched 1 2/3 innings tonight? He only had given up 1 run, per the stats

    1. He had over 30 pitches in the first inning and only had 2 outs, but it looked to me that he couldn’t get his arm loose. After pitches, he frequently stretched it above his head!

    2. It was only 2/3 of an inning. He only got 2 outs in the first and they pulled him after 31 pitches.
       Hopefully not injury related, although maybe they just thought 30 pitches was enough for one inning.

24. Yes, Patch’s favorite team lost both games of the double-header. Sorry Patch.

    1. I’m over the Giants. I’m a Padres fan now.

       1. Get him!

25. Maybe we can get Alex Verdugo back.

    .333 BA
    .395 OB%
    .639 Slg%
    1.034 OPS
    2 2B
    3 HR
    8 RBI

    1. Maybe we can get Conner Joe back.
       .359 BA
       .468 OBP
       .641 SLG
       1.109 OPS
       3 2B
       2 HR
       8 R
       He’s even got a stolen base!

       Should have traded for Arenado, or signed Suzuki.

       1. I think if we’re going to need anything it will be starting pitching.

26. Will Atlanta let Fried complete his perfect game?

    1. That’s why AF signed Alberto!

27. Well one guy pitched like an ace tonight! Looks like our only hope tonight is Kenley in the 9th!

    1. I can hardly wait!

28. Price with an explomaculate inning. Looked like he was going to blow up but got out of it.

    Fried finds the edges with excellent stuff. Better at it tonight than Buehler was.

    I’m staying up just for Jansen. Maybe. Might record it.

29. Kenley!

30. The good news is that Mookie is not injured!

31. Jansen looked as dominant as he was at his peak.
    Went after our hitters , no nibbling .
    When was the last time he pitched like that for us ?

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

32. Bobby Miller was taken out after 2/3 of the first inning because he was wild and went over his inning pitch count.
    Cartaya went 0-5, now hitting somewhere in the .160 range. Not a particular good day for the Dodgers.
    But hey, Giants lost both games of their double header at NY. So there is some positive.

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

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