It’s About That Time…

This article has 83 Comments

1. Serious or sarcasm?

   1. Seriously deadly sarcasm!

      or maybe

      Sarcastic Seriousness?

2. People see what they want to see. As bad as Belli has been, Max and JT are worse, much worse. JT is not trending up according the stats from the last 7 days. He was trending up before that, but in the last week he’s tripped over a toothpick and can’t get up. One of those three can run the bases and play defense and the other two have a replacement on the 26 man roster that is hitting much better than they are. All three are bad baseball players with the bat.

   As a whole the Dodgers lead baseball in OPS and are 2nd in SLG. So, do you fire the hitting coach when the rest of the team is doing very well compared to the rest of the league? Do you really think Pillar, a career 700 OPS hitter, is going to all the sudden be the answer at age 33?

   When you look at statcast data, you would be surprised to learn that Mookie Betts sits right between Muncy and Bellinger in barrels per plate appearance. Muncy slightly higher and Belli slightly lower with Trea Turner behind bringing up rear, lowest among the 7 players on the Dodgers who qualify with the minimum number of barrels to be listed. JT, Belli and Muncy are the three highest launch angles on the team.

   In a year where MLB decided to nerf the baseball, it seems that launch angle is the culprit for our three worst batters. I’m wondering if some of those balls will start to carry once the weather gets warmer. Belli and Muncy are also always getting killed by the shift. I wonder what their overall stats would look like if MLB had the foresight to bad the shift when they nerfed the ball to at least get some offense on some hard hit ground balls.

   Belli was out of the lineup the last couple of days due to an undisclosed sickness. Before that, he had a nifty little 5 game hitting streak with 2 multi hit games. By no means is that impressive, but it isn’t hollow either. Turner’s been a little worse recently and Muncy is absolutely lost with just one hit in his last 5 games, 19 ABs. If anyone needs to sit, it’s Muncy.

   We got shutout yesterday, everyone looks bad when that happens especially when you choose to sit Belli, Smith and Betts on the same day. I’m okay with it. We had a chance to win the game, it didn’t happen. You lose some games and sometimes you get shut out. We scored 19 runs in the prior two games. Where still is a marathon stretch of consecutive games, you have to rest some guys. Arizona tonight, that much closer to home now.

   Mitch White gets another start. Let’s see what he can do this time.

   Soto is not going to get traded this year.

   1. I don’t know that Washington would want to trade him at all. They are rebuilding, sure, but you can also build around a star who’s still young. Soto is going to be a really young free agent, and he’s a generational talent. In a couple of years maybe Washington has a decent core of young players and are more competitive. Having Soto as a star player to anchor an offense then makes sense.

   2. Ahh….”barrels per plate appearance”. There’s the new catchy stat that’s designed to separate who can hit from who can’t. Like there’s not enough stats to do that.
      After I take into account how any subjectivity plays ito deciding what’s a barrel and what isn’t, I think about a golfer who wears out his club faces with perfect contact. His irons all have a dime spot worn out on the center of the faces. Strikes it pure every time.
      And he can’t win!
      There’s more to the game, obviously, then scoring the number of “barrels”.

3. Bellinger won’t be going to OKC, and Muncy will continue to play.

   That’s just how Roberts manages his players. They will be given every opportunity to get right.

   Pillar probably would be marginally better than Bellinger right now, and Lamb/Rios is going to give better production than Muncy, but Roberts sticks by his players.

   He plays the long game. For him it’s about peaking for the playoffs. Muncy isn’t going to get better by sitting. He’s going to get better by playing. Same scenario with Bellinger. Looking at AAA pitching is not going to fix him.

   1. I agree with your assessment of the Pillar being marginally better than Bellinger right now. As much as I have been critical of Cody in the past I was expecting a much better season from him in 2022. This was based on how he hit at the end of the season and in the playoffs last year. But, those improvements have not been consistently carried over into this season. They appear every so often. So, here’s a question on Cody’s past performance? Was 2017, 2018, and the first half of 2019 (MVP season) what should be expected from Cody or was it an anomaly? Or, were those 2 1/2 years the anomaly and what we are witnessing recently is the real Cody Bellinger? In Cody’s last two minor league seasons he began hitting with power (62 HR) and his first four years in MLB he hit 145 HR (with projecting 2020 output to a full season) with a K rate of about 20%. In 2021 and so far this year Cody has hit 15 HR with a K rate of about 29%. And, I know he was dealing with recovering from his shoulder injury and broken leg. But, as the season wore on it became apparent that it was his approach to hitting, not his shoulder, that was the issue. The issue of his hitting woes have continued to this year. His continual changing, unconventional stance is no longer working for Cody.

      Mark has remarked that Cody is very coachable and working hard to get back on track. If he is coachable then the current hitting coaches ( all 3-4-5-6? of them) have no clue on how to help Cody. How can you not fix a player with Cody’s incredible talent? A complete failure of the coaching staff. Again, this is assuming Cody is coachable. My opinion is that he might be listening to the staff, but cannot transfer what is being taught into the games. He doesn’t believe in what they are trying to teach him. You can tell that because he’ll try to hit to LF, LF gap once or twice a game and only with two strikes. If he fails to do so then it’s back to swinging from his heels no matter the count or the game situation. Need a runner hit in from second or third base to tie or win a game? If Cody is hitting the situation is oblivious to him. He must not see the runners or understand the importance of the game situation. It’s swing from the heels and be damn the team. In his mind (pure speculation) he’s paid to hit home runs. No, Cody, you’re paid to be part of a team and to do whatever is necessary to help said team win baseball games.

      Like I have mentioned in the past three years, Cody is one of the most athletic players in the game today. He was able to use that athleticism to be a hugely successful hitter. Now, it is no longer working for him. The pitchers have figured out how to defeat Cody’s strengths. As philjones has commented many times here that a player cannot consistently hit with success using Cody’s almost stiff legged stance and moving his head 12-24 inches while swinging at the ball. A pitched ball is very difficult to hit while keeping your head still yet alone moving it 1-2 feet. Hell, in golf what do they emphasize? Keep your head still. And, that’s to hit a stationary ball! Only because of his athleticism has it allowed Cody to get away with it up until the last couple of years.

      Going to AAA isn’t going to help Cody. Is it the coaching? Is it Cody’s lack of patience to stick with a stance or process for more than 1 or 2 AB’s? Does Cody really not care when it’s a must make contact situation and he swings from the heels and strikeouts? Have the better baseball teams/pitchers figured out how to get Cody out without him hitting the ball? It’s most likely a yes to all of the above. It’s a sad deal to see such an amazing, talented player not take advantage and maximize his skills.

      Carry on.

4. The Dodgers are marching toward another Division Championship and then hope their playoff pitchers are healthy, rested, and at their best and also hope Muncy turns into Eddie Rosario–the 2021 WS model.

   If the Dodgers wind up with a $400M Soto contract then they will need multiple prospects to take the place of high salaried players in the rotation and in the field. Hard to do that if they trade those prospects to get Soto. Might have to wait for him to be a free agent.

   1. THIS 2nd paragraph is key, paramount and well-said.

      In my silly opinion.

5. * So after Doc decided that it was prudent to sit 3 regulars at the same time with those pesky D-Backs coming up, the Bat-Rack gremlins must have snuck around and put those “For Display Purposes Only” decals on our bats.
   * WTF is the play-by-play guy with D-Train? He seemed flabbergasted with a runner on 2nd top 7 when Muncy decided to help his club by bunting the runner to 2nd. Mr. Whoever seemed stunned referring to the attempt as “a dangerous hitter who’s SEEKING”. What does that mean? He can’t hit so he’s desperate enough to bunt? Remember the phase in a dugout when the rally cry is “anyway you can?” That’s what Max was trying to do – help his team win. This dipshit announce is drinking the Kool Aid that the only way you win a game is out bash the other team. No moving runners in a close game. Muncy’s mistake was not bunting a strike. Then he scrapped the idea and struck out.
   * The Nationals scored 1 run to win; on a walk and a bunt that went for a single and a seeing eye base hit. There’s a place for small ball.
   * Alberto has been around long enough to understand a groundball needs to be behind you to advance to 3rd from 2nd. Boy I see alot of base running mistakes on all teams. These mistakes matter in close games.
   * another opportunity to play better today!

   1. 1 game does not a case for Small Ball make.

6. You know it was going to he a long night when he asked for the whooper dooper analysis ( Does it has double O?) WTF!

7. Fun post… and funny too.
   One of the funnier aspects, MT, does not appear to be intentional. I speak here of your pro-big bias–that the bigger, the better… and more durable.
   Yes, we understand you are a big dude, and perhaps that colors your judgment. But the empirical data we see every day here shows only loose connection between size and performance. The other day the subject concerned the stature of catchers, and how neither Smith or Barnes were big—but then yours truly pointed out that neither were Campy or Berra, and those guys were pretty good. That said, it’s nice that Cartaya is blessed with size–and I hope he’s the next Johnny Bench–but he’d be fortunate to be as good as Will Smith. (To use the lingo, his “ceiling” is high, perhaps because of his stature.)
   Now we are told that Gavin Smith is “small–about Walker Buhler’s size.” Smith is listed at 6-1, 175, and Buhler at 6-2, 185. So yes, they have similar builds–but only in the land of the giants (as opposed to Giants) are these guys small. (Speaking of Giants, Lincecum was listed at 5-11, 170–and one two Cy Youngs.)
   Let’s pause here to remember that Dodgers once had a young reliever they traded because the profilers thought he really couldn’t succeed as a starter. Pedro Martinez, at 5-11, proved them all wrong, big time. His brother Ramon, a lean 6-4, was pretty darn good–but his average-size baby bro turned out to be absolutely great. (Wasn’t it fun to see Pedro inducted to the HOF along with 6-10 Randy Johnson?)
   Full disclosure: I approved of the DeShields deal at the time. Oh well.
   Anyway, more importantly, the news about Stone is really encouraging. The video on him looks great. So does the video of Kyle Hurt. If we can get Hurt to grow a bit, he might look like Drysdale. And if we can get Stone to shrink an inch, he’ll be the size of Greg Maddux.

   1. I am not a Big Guy anymore – 6′ 0″, 215 pounds.

      I have not rated Stone as small – MLB says that he is “less physical than a typical starter” and BA says this: ” Stone is undersized and has some effort to his delivery.”

      I don’t make up the news. I just report it.

      On Will Smith, he is smallish, but the guy is legendary for his strength among his teammates.

      Pedro and Tim L were smallish but great starters… still scouts and baseball people prefer pitchers on the large side!

      1. I thought you once described yourself here as 6-4 or 6-5…… but maybe that was someone else here. (I’m pretty average at 5-10, 170.)
         At any rate, it’s very true that baseball people do judge people by size–but that is also why so many underestimated Pedro and Lincecum. Before the scandal, Altuve was one of my favorites. (I also admired Freddie Patek.) But I also appreciated the Bunyanesque guys like Frank Howard and now Judge. I liked McGwire too, but felt betrayed by the steroid revelations.
         One of the fun facts about Mookie, no giant, is that he has had SIX 3-HR games in his career. I’d call that Ruthian, but it actually ties him with Johnny Mize and the roided-up Sammy Sosa. Seems that when Mookie is locked in, he is really locked in. (Maybe pitchers look at him and stupidly doubt his power.)
         When I look at Gavin Stone’s performance highlights, I get the vibe of a polished tactician with good velocity who appears to command three pitches. Maybe he’s overdue for a bad outing. Just a few weeks ago he was an afterthought to me among Dodger pitching prospects–maybe a sweetener in a trade. Now he seems like a keeper.

8. No to Soto. We have our superstar OF with Mookie. We have an All Star in Freddie. Will Smith has a good chance to be the best overall catcher in baseball. Buehler and Urias need to be paid. That’s five potential All Star players. There’s only so much money to go around. The Dodgers have at least a top five minor league system. Let’s see what all these prospects can do before we start a wholesale cleaning out of the system to get another potential long term, high salaried player. It all sounds good until it doesn’t.

   Are any of the prospects we have close to Soto’s talent? Nope. But, that’s OK. We can’t have All Stars at every position. I like what the team has done to make the future of Dodgers exciting. Especially, with the pitching. Sure, prospects can be used to fill in holes at the trade deadline or obtain a solid veteran player (AJ Pollack) in the off season. But, to trade 3-5 of your top prospects for a player. No thanks at this time. Hats off to AF, the scouts, and the coaching/development staff in the minors.

9. Great Article about Gavin Lux and how he has conquered the mental struggles he once had:

   https://theathletic.com/3333580/2022/05/26/gavin-lux-dodgers-mental-health/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983

   More than anything, Lux is comfortable and confident. Be it playing more, be it changing his mindset to deal with the anxiety that had tanked him in the past or finding a version of himself that works, it’s made him a cog that the Dodgers had been hoping he could be. It’s become his fuel.

   His stardom can still arrive. But more than ever in the big leagues, he’s comfortable being Gavin Lux.

   1. Thanks for sharing this article Mark. It’s nice to see Lux settling into a role we’d all hoped for.
      I remember 2 years ago really questioning his body language and how hard he seemed on himself. it just looked like he had zero fun playing the game.
      I know everybody is different but the gremlins that talked to Gavin during the yips seemed to occupy a prominent place in his brain and sapped his confidence.
      I don’t know anything about the Dodger’s Sports Psychology Dept but I have to imagine they are top notch. But a player has to acknowledge a problem and let them in, usually out of necessity. Like tedraymond talks about Bellinger’s ability to accept coaching. These guys have been super successful at every stop. Then suddenly the competition catches up to them and they have to adjust. And the mental adjustments can be the hardest starting with the awareness you need the help.
      Good for Gavin on his progress. Progress, physically and mentally, are not linear. Thanks Mark.

10. This is what Mark just posted:

    “OK, here is something that I should add if you want me and many other readers here to take you seriously: DON’T JUST POST WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING NEGATIVE TO SAY. When you do that, you have pretty much summed up who you are.”

    This is why, for the 3rd time, I have decided not to post here any more. If you have a take, backed up with facts, that isn’t all rainbows and cupcakes, you get abused. Life is too short to subject yourself to abuse on purpose when it serves no purpose.

    I quit LA Dodger Talk.

    1. I recently got into a respectful argument with Jeff Dominique on his other site about this. My suggestion, if I may offer it, is to not take what Mark says personally.

       It’s what he does here to stimulate spirited discussion and debate. Maybe that just doesn’t jibe with your personality, but I would avoid interpreting what he says as a personal attack.

       Are there fans who tend to see things through a negative lens? Of course. Can they be wrong? Is it fair game to be critical of those who are inherently negative?

       B&P goes after me being a Giants fan all the time. I don’t take it personally. I think it’s funny. However, I do tend to lean more towards the pessimistic side of the spectrum – as do you. You need to be self-reflective enough to acknowledge that.

       …You ARE negative.

       There’s nothing wrong with that. That doesn’t mean that your posts and your takes are not well thought out. They are, and are worth reading – Dodger fandom needs checks and balances between skeptics and cheerleaders. Just don’t labor under the assumption that skepticism can’t be criticized.

       BTW – I do remember your arguments that there were certain posters here (Mark was implied) that were like the Pangloss character from Candide – meaning he was almost mindlessly optimistic. Isn’t that really just the inverse criticism of what you’re getting upset with Mark over?

       As I told Jeff, rather than get upset or indignant with Mark’s bluster, come back with a retort. Pangloss is good, although probably a little too esoteric for this crowd. Calling him a Pollyanna might work.

       Mark, you’re a Pollyanna. You’re delusional. You have half a gnat’s brain with your everything-is-wonderful-and-the-best-of-all-worlds takes. You’ve been sampling too much of that microbrew product that uses your water.

       1. Okay, I just want to state the obvious here for you negative Nellie’s. You are constantly complaining about a team that is constantly in 1st place, except for the aberration that was last year’s Giants, who are doing this year, what they were built to do last year. Come in 3rd place.

          If you want to complain all the time, why not become Angels fans instead? They will do a lot better at giving you things to complain about. Especially when the owner bribes city officials into a land deal. McCourt all over again.

          1. That’s a good idea! I think I’ll start rooting for the Angels. At least they don’t lose 1-0 to the Nationals.

             Go Mike Trout!

             1. No, they lost…
                4-0 to the White Sox and again…
                3-0 to the White Sox and the next day lost 4-0 to the Red Sox.
                Lost 7-2 to the Rangers yesterday
                Got Swept by the Rangers last week

                And this is the best season they’ve had in recent memory

                27-18 +48 differential
                we are
                29-14 +101 differential

                Al least you’ll have plenty to post about.

             2. You’re cherry picking. … and stop boudmouthing my beloved Angels!

    2. Take it easy dodgerrick. It’s only a sports blog (most of the time). Mark’s post was his opinion on negative takes. He may be the only one that thinks this way. To begin with I rarely take anyone here seriously enough to get pissed off at what they post. It’s people’s opinions about a game. Years ago I would take Mark’s attempt at stirring up some conversation seriously and would overreact to his bluster. I eventually realized what he was doing and learned to let it go. Like you said life is too short. It’s not necessary to waste anger on a baseball blog. I read your stuff whenever you post and never had the impression it was all negative. Maybe, it was. I don’t care one way or the other. Don’t be a LADT quitter!

       Carry on.

    3. Let me break this down for you, DodgerRick. Maybe there is something lost in the translation,

       I am talking about people who ONLY POST when they have something negative to say.

       I am not talking about someone who has something negative in a post TODAY or in the future.

       I am talking about people who only post when they have something negative to say. If it’s not negative, they do not post.

       If you only post negative things about the Dodgers, then it speaks volumes about who you are, because there are a lot more positives than they are negatives.

       I dislike negative people – they suck the life out of me. I can listen to a negative take. The Dodgers aren’t perfect. AF is not. Dave Roberts makes mistakes, but if ALL you post about is negative, YOU have a problem that is not rooted in reality and so you are free to take your mouse and keyboard and go home.

       If all you see is negativity, then LADT is not a place you want to hang out anyway!

       1. Second best record in baseball;
       2. Maybe the best farm system or at least a Top 10;
       3. Lots of good players;
       4. The best record in baseball the past 10 years;
       5. Best run differential in baseball;
       6. Most runs scored in baseball; and
       7. Fewest runs allowed in baseball.

       Yes, Belli, Muncy, and JT are not hitting, Clayton is on the DL and Walker is struggling, but if all you can write is negative, then you have issues I cannot being to fix… nor will I try! Go find fans who share your dismal view of the Dodgers and wallow in it… if that is what you want and feel!

       1. I think most pitchers in the league would take Walker’s struggling stat line.

       2. YOU KNOW that FOR SURE that even if we won 140 games, that people would still come on and complain about how badly we played during the 22 losses.

    4. This is why, for the 3rd time, I have decided not to post here any more.

       1. Right, Bluto?? That made me laugh. Maybe, it’s not the negativity, but his logic.

          1. I noticed him being like an airline and announcing his departure, too, and laughed at Bluto’s post.

             To be fair, he is highly logical. I’m often impressed with his posts. I think, though,, that there’s an unreasonable expectation that the conversations here about Gavin Lux having the yips should read like a Scalia SCOTUS opinion.

             It’s a baseball blog. We talk shit … and we’re all mostly full of shit. The level of dialog is better than any other site, especially Dodgers Digest, by an order of magnitude, but it’s still just fans.

             1. I don’t care if people have negative posts, but when they are always negative, that is a sign of something which I won’t delve into.

       2. I typically decide not to post several times a day 🙂

11. Former Dodger catcher Joe Pignatano passed away on the 23rd at 94. RIP . Ray Liotta, who played Shoeless Joe in Field of Dreams died last night in his sleep.. He was filming a movie in the Dominican Republic.

    1. Sad to hear about Ray Liotta. He was a favorite of mine. Mostly, intense, character driven roles. No doubt what his character was all about.

       Joey P had a long and interesting life. RIP.

       1. He was great in Goodfellas!

       2. He also played an iconic role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in the Field of Dreams.

12. Speaking of Soto, it is said that he is a generational player, and which or when did LA have such a player? It is always rumored that the Dodgers want or are in the plans to trade those players, so they have never been able to have one of their own? The only one that maybe could be, it would be Kershaw, but not a single hitter, and the ones that are Hall of Famers now, they did it after leaving LA, maybe it’s not a good idea to go for those very expensive players, hoping that they will be as spectacular as they were in their previous teams, sometimes I think (personal opinion) that they get a certain player hoping that he will be the one to take them to win the world series (Betts in 2020) Dodgers do not need them to be spectacular, only that they are effective …
    Soto is it? It’s worth giving him $400 million
    (No one is worth it by the way)

13. Can somebody explain to me why Betts is credited for the Dodgers world series win in 2020 and not Seager?

    Or better yet why 1 guy is credited and not the overall team?

    1. It makes for good copy, but you are right… one man cannot win it for a team of 26.

       1. Thank you for agreeing Mark. Thumbs up.

14. Agree with Tedraymond. No to Soto. We have Mookie and Freddie. Pitching and Will Smith have to be paid. Let’s see what can be had to beef up starting pitcher at trade deadline. Create a pathway for players like Vargas,Cartya, and Miller. I don’t see Andrew paying $30,000,000 for every position.

15. We always called negative people energy vampires.

    But alternative thoughts and ideas, whether anyone agrees or not, should always be part of the dialogue.

    The debate about Max Muncy will continue until he hits or sits down. I’m rooting for Max, but he doesn’t appear to be seeing the ball well. Or maybe there is just a hole in his bat. Cody Bellinger is making hard contact at times and someone catches it. Bad luck. Other times he drives the ball for hits. He still needs to take advantage of the shift and bunt. His speed is playing up. Take advantage of it.

    The Dodgers had some opportunities yesterday and failed to cash in, strikeouts and pop-ups killing potential rallies.

    I won’t say the Juan Soto trade or signing won’t happen in the future. Considering we’re talking about Friedman and the Dodgers, all bets are off. But it doesn’t make a lot of sense. How much would that cost? Seemingly endless money won’t make the difference. Is that even a good idea. Doesn’t it really make sense for teams to spend $400 to $500 million on one player. Who is his agent? Maybe in basketball where one or two players can make a championship team. How much money do the Nationals have tied up in two pitchers. Not exactly like that worked out. No guarantees. Might end up hurting the team moving forward.

    The Dodgers do an amazing job staying on top. Give Andrew Friedman and the organization credit. But you need a strong farm system to make that work. The Dodgers have created that.

16. Phil asked above, who the play by play guy was last night. It was Daron Sutton, Don Sutton’s son, who has previously done work for the Brewers, D’backs and Angels.

    If I’m Andrew Friedman, there is no way I pay the prospect price the Nats would ask for Soto. On the other hand, I would certainly consider signing him in free agency. He’ll probably wind up getting 32-35 mil per year over a period of 12-15 years. That’s a whole hell of a lot of money, but it won’t seem like all that much per year year after the first few years. Lots of guys will be getting that kind of yearly salary by the end of the decade.

    This year, still 2.5 years before Soto signs a free agent contract, 14 players are earning an average salary in excess of 30 million per year.

    1. Thanks STB. I knew I didn’t recognize the voice.

17. As much as I’d love to have Soto on the Dodgers, I can’t see AF being willing to make that move. He’s a FA after the 2024 season. So you’d only be guaranteed 2 1/2 seasons of service. His agent is Boras, so he won’t sign an extension. And we know Boras won’t let him tip his hand on where he really wants to play. Even if he was all in on signing with the Dodgers, I’m already surprised AF has signed two massive contracts. A third would tie his hands and make it impossible to manage the team the way he has done so successfully for a decade. That said, in a trade it would take at least 3 of our top 5 prospects and at least 2 or 3 additional in our top 30. That for only a guarantee of 2 1/2 years of Soto would literally (and figuratively) be betting the farm. AF values flexibility and he’s proven he’s the best in baseball in utilizing that flexibility. If he hits the block I have no doubt SOME team will pay that price. But that’s also why some teams find themselves with a decade of missing the playoffs.

    I predict AF will make moves by the trade deadline. And I’ll bet we won’t see them coming. After 2022 the Dodgers have a lot of financial flexibility. I think he will leverage that in a trade(s) with a team who is looking to dump salary. As opposed to trading prospect capital.

    Just MHO.

18. I already said no to Soto but I don’t want to be negative today so I’ll now say YES to Soto… going somewhere else for $400 million. As I pointed out, at the same age Bellinger was better and look what happened to him. Soto at $400 million is overrated.

    Yeah, there are dozens of pitchers who would trade places with Buehler. I won’t say anything negative about Walker. I’m trusting his spin and velocity will return soon.

    Yeah, our farm system is good. Everything I’ve read about system rankings says there are others that are better. So what? It hardly matters as our ML roster is stacked. Those systems that are better are owned by organizations that won’t be favored to win much of anything.

    1. Your post has been approved, though they are being closely monitored for negativity.

       – LADT Ministry of Truth

       1. Oh, so that lady found another job?

          1. She found her true calling singing Mary Poppins covers at a cabaret.

          2. You mean the fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Institute?
             The accomplished author and Washington Post contributor?
             The Bryn Mawr graduate with a double major?

             Yes, I’m pretty sure she’s found another job.

             I’m guessing it’s a high paying one, to boot.

    2. For the record, I would not trade for Soto.

       1. Totally agree!

19. DODGERS TO RETIRE GIL HODGES’ NUMBER 14

    LOS ANGELES – Gil Hodges, an integral member of the 1955 and 1959 Dodgers World Championship teams, will have his number “14” retired by the Dodgers on Saturday, June 4th during pre-game ceremonies prior to the 7:10 p.m. game against the New York Mets.

    Hodges, who was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee, will be inducted into the shrine in Cooperstown, NY on Sunday, July 24. He became the 61st Dodger to receive Hall of Fame recognition as either a player, manager, coach, scout, executive or broadcaster.

    “When you mention all-time greats in Dodger history, Gil Hodges is among the finest to ever don Dodger blue,” said Dodger President and CEO, Stan Kasten. “We are thrilled that he will finally take his place in Cooperstown alongside the games greats and look forward to honoring him.”

    Hodges number “14” will take its place among those previously retired in left field on the club level—Pee Wee Reese (#1), Tommy Lasorda (#2), Duke Snider (#4), Jim Gilliam (#19), Don Sutton (#20), Walter Alston (#24), Sandy Koufax (#32), Roy Campanella (#39), Jackie Robinson (#42), Don Drysdale (#53) and announcers Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrín.

    In an 18-year Major League career, which included 16 with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1943, 47-61) and his final two with the New York Mets (1962-63), the right-handed hitting Hodges played in 2,071 games and compiled a .273 batting average, 370 home runs, 295 doubles, 49 triples, 1,921 hits, 1,274 RBI and 1,105 runs scored. He made seven consecutive All-Star Game appearances from 1949-55, all seasons in which he drove in more than 100 runs, and became an eight-time All-Star in 1957. Among other accolades, he garnered three Gold Glove awards (1957-59).

    On the Dodger franchise’s all-time Top 10 lists, Hodges can be found in several categories, including second in homers (361) and RBI (1,254), third in total bases (3,357), extra-base hits (703) and walks (925), fourth in games played (2,006) and fifth in runs scored (1,088). He is the club’s career leader in games played at first base (1,851).

    Hodges passed away on April 2, 1972, two days shy of his 48th birthday. He was about to enter his fifth season as manager of the New York Mets, having guided the 1969 “Miracle Mets” to a World Series crown.

    With the Dodgers, Hodges had several tastes of postseason play. In addition to the 1955 world championship club, he played on five other pennant winners (1947, ‘49, ’52. ’53 and ’56) while part of the famed “Boys of Summer” Brooklyn teams. Hodges then followed the team to the West Coast and earned a second World Series ring in 1959. In the 1959 Fall Classic against the Chicago White Sox, he hit .391 (9-for-23) and slugged an eighth-inning tie-breaking homer in Game 4 that gave the Dodgers a 5-4 win and 3-1 series lead. He batted .304 and knocked in eight runs in the 1956 World Series and hit .364 in the 1953 Series. When the Dodgers topped the Yankees for their inaugural title in 1955, Hodges drove in the game’s only two runs in the decisive Game 7.

    Hodges is the eighth member of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers to earn a ticket to Cooperstown as he joins manager Walter Alston, catcher Roy Campanella, pitchers Sandy Koufax and Tommy Lasorda (inducted as a manager), shortstop Pee Wee Reese, second baseman Jackie Robinson and center fielder Duke Snider.

    Hodges hit 22 or more homers for 11 consecutive campaigns (1949-59), including highs of 42 in 1954 and 40 in 1951, ranking second in the National League each season. He belted 32 homers three times (1950, ’52 and ’56) and had 31 in 1953. The 42 homers set a Brooklyn single-season mark for a right-handed hitter and that same season, he collected a career-high 130 RBI. He topped the NL in sacrifice flies in 1954 (19) and 1955 (10).

    On August 31, 1950 in a game against the Boston Braves, Hodges became only the sixth player in Major League history to hit four home runs in a game. In that contest, he went 5-for-6 and knocked in nine runs, a franchise single-game RBI record that has since been matched only by James Loney on September 28, 2006 at Colorado.

    But as noteworthy as his offensive efforts were, he drew just as many raves for his defense. Converted from catcher in 1948, he quickly established himself as one of the game’s top defensive performers. When Gold Glove awards were handed out for the first time in 1957, Hodges was a recipient, as he was each of the following two campaigns. He finished his career with a .992 fielding percentage at first base.

    A native of Princeton, IN, Hodges signed with the Dodgers in 1943 and played one big-league game (at third base) that season before joining the United States Marine Corps and serving in World II. He returned to the Dodgers organization for the 1946 season, playing 129 games for Newport News and leading Piedmont League catchers in putouts, assists and fielding percentage. The following season, he rejoined the Major League club for good, staying with the Dodgers through the 1961 season before he was selected by the Mets in the expansion draft. On April 11, 1962, in the inaugural game in Mets’ history, Hodges slugged the franchise’s first-ever home run. The Washington Senators acquired Hodges from the Mets on May 23, 1963, so they could name him as their field manager. Hodges piloted the Senators through the 1967 season, before they traded him back to the Mets on Nov. 27, 1967, allowing him to take over the managerial reins of the New York club.

    Hodges is survived by his wife, Joan, son Gil Jr., and daughters Irene and Cynthia. Gil Jr. and Irene will participate in the Dodger Stadium ceremony

    1. It’s about time!

       1. You can say that again Mark!! Too bad it took FIFTY YEARS to acknowledge him and if his stats don’t quite measure up to those already in the HOF, can mention a few already in the HOF that have WORSE stats than Gil Hodges. He was a man that everyone looked up to.

          1. Way way overdue in my mind. Duke Snider and Gil Hodges were the only two players to top 300 homers during the 1950’s. Hodges earned the first three gold gloves awarded to first basemen. He was a gentleman and a very good man. Left us way too early.

20. Luis Castillo pitched a pretty good game yesterday for the Reds. I know they checked in on him over the offseason and probably will at the Trade Deadline. Any idea what we would have to give up for him? If healthy he is as tough as they are. I am sure the Reds will want a significant package in return. The Reds and Dodgers have pulled off quite a few trades in recent history.

21. 9:40 PM ET

    Dodgers (29-14)
    Diamondbacks (23-22)

    SP Mitch White R
    1-0 6.17 ERA 11.2IP 13K
    Confirmed Lineup
    RF Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    SS Trea Turner R
    C Will Smith R
    DH Edwin Rios L
    3B J. Turner R
    CF C. Bellinger L
    LF Chris Taylor R
    2B Gavin Lux L

    In Domed Stadium

    1. Dodgers: Max Muncy Sits in Game One Amid Struggles

       Brook Smith

       May 26

       It’s been a tough year for Max Muncy. Coming off of a severe elbow injury that ended his season in the final game before the playoffs last year, Muncy has not been the same. The power is gone and he is not hitting the ball nearly as hard as he has in the past. It’s tough to watch.

       Part of the blame can definitely go on the elbow, something Muncy has said probably won’t be 100 percent healthy until 2023. But he wouldn’t put all of the blame on it. Over his first 41 games of the season, Muncy has put together a low .591 OPS.

       That number would take him back to his days in Oakland before they cut him loose. Muncy turned his entire career around when he came over to the Dodgers, hitting 35 homeruns out of nowhere in his first season. But things have not gone his way in 2022.

22. Dodgers today announced that a Freddie Freeman bobblehead will be given away on August 10th at a game with the Twins.

    1. Cody’s bobblehead goes up and down instead of front to back, side to side.

23. Kevin Pillar and Ryan Pepiot are with the Dodgers in Arizona.

    1. If true it looks like Pillar might be added to the 40 man and 26 man rosters when 13 pitchers and 13 position players on May 29th will be mandatory. Who might get dropped from the 40 man roster? Pepiot will start one game in the Arizona series.

       1. What I said about Cody was sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek, but you never know… Cody may want some time to work on things. Otherwise, Alberto or an injury will make room for Pillar.

          1. MLB announced today that they’ve pushed the 13 pitcher deadline back to June 20th now so I would say a position player will be headed to the IL. I’m guessing that might very well be Max.

24. Absolutely delighted that the Dodgers have finally decided to retire Kike’s number. Long overdue.

25. Doc says an IL stint for Muncy is possible with his arm hurting. Yes please do it now. Pillar can fill his spot on the roster and can spell CT3, Cody and Mookie, Lux is the full-time 2B and Rios can play 3B to spell JT.

    Max is not right and 10-15 days to rest, watch and watch film is what he needs.

    1. Funny. But it has been and always will be Gil’s, Only Mike Scioscia other than Hodges could lay claim to #14. Kike could not even pay the rent on that uni.

26. I put on my negative hat and a thought came to me. Yes, there was some tin foil and a spinner in that hat but how else are revelations discovered.

    Rarely have the Dodgers had a good hitting team. Rarely meaning there have been a few decades where they hit like the 50’s, 70’s, and the last 5 or so years. They use their top draft picks on pitchers and can’t teach hitting. The Giants can teach hitting. They fixed Joc, they can fix Max. Trouble is the Giants wouldn’t trade Joc for Max even if Rios were thrown in.

    I am back to wearing my white hat now and am back from space.

    1. You’re getting much more realistic, Fred. Last month you would have made it Max and Belli for Joc.

    2. I enjoy the fact that some people talk about me like a dog on other sites and then come back here and act like it never happened.

       I guess bad press is better than no press!

       Have a wonderful day!

       This is hilarious!

       I wish you all had some common sense…

       1. I like dogs. I want a Labradoodle.

    3. All Joc, all the time. Okay, let’s test the nonsense.

       2021 Dodgers 6th in MLB in OPS
       2020 – 2nd
       2019 – 4th
       2018 – 3rd
       2017 – 8th
       2016 – 19th
       2015 – 7th
       2014 – 3rd
       2013 – 13th
       2012 – 26th

       4 top 5 finishes in 10 years. 3 times bottom half of the league. 7 times top half of the league.

       I would say fact check false on the statement “Rarely have the Dodgers had a good hitting team”.

       Is Joc “fixed”? This was his slash line 3 days ago…
       .229/.296/.479/.775

       Joc is on a 1 year $6M contract. If they’re out of it at the break, Joc will be traded and they’ll get a lot less than Max and Rios.

       1. Such negativity and a colossal waste of your time.

       2. And here is his 2022 YTD slash line:
          .260 .331 .606 .936
          161 ops+

          1. Wait a week

27. Wow! That was a web gem by Lux right there.

28. OK, so the batting practice is over.
    Two questions:
    –How often has everybody in the starting lineup Dodgers had at least two hits each?
    –How often have FIVE players had at least three hits each?
    Pretty funny after yesterday’s 1-0 loss, when they couldn’t get a hit with runners on base.
    Maybe Muncy needs more rest, if this is the result…

29. Something I just don’t understand….
    White throws four scoreless innings (with help from the defense) and Bruhl throws one scoreless inning.
    But Bruhl is credited with the W.
    Are the scorekeeping rules that strict? In a game like this, it seems obvious that the guy who threw the most innings deserves the win.
    Not important in the grand scheme, but it just makes no sense.

    1. Yes they are during the regular season. The 5 inning rule for starters has been there forever.

30. So the LA Times is reporting that Muncy’s elbow is bothering him and he could be headed for the injured list–and Pillar has been added to the taxi squad.
    Makes sense. Pillar could free Taylor to play more 2B and 3B.

31. LHP Andrew Heaney (left shoulder discomfort)
    Expected return: Mid-to-late June
    Heaney threw a 50-pitch, three-inning bullpen session on May 26 at Chase Field. The left-hander came out “feeling well,” according to manager Dave Roberts. It’s another positive step in Heaney’s progression. Heaney’s next step is to face hitters at Camelback Ranch on May 29. — Juan Toribio (Last updated: May 26)

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