Many Dodger fans look at the four “otherworldly” years of Sandy Koufax’s Career… and My God, those years were out of this world, and many fans concluded that he was the greatest Dodger pitcher ever! In four consecutive years, he accumulated nearly 1,200 innings (1,193 to be exact), won 89 games, struck out 1,228 batters, and had an ERA of below 2.00. What they forget was that he pitched in eight other seasons, where he was good, not-so-good, and average. Sandy Koufax’s career record is 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.1or WHIP.
On the other hand, Clayton Kershaw has had some great seasons over his 15 years in baseball. He never had four consecutive seasons quite as good as Koufax, but he has 189 wins to go with 84 losses and a career ERA of 2.48. If you believe Koufax was the best, it simply means you discount his eight other seasons and only focus on the four “otherworldly” seasons.
Other than his rookie season, Clayton Kershaw has been better overall because he has been more consistent throughout his 15 years than Koufax was in his 12 years, but the argument persists. I believe that the argument persists, because in those four magical years that Sandy was out-of-this-world, he was so incredible that we have never seen anything like it before or after that. It is indelibly burned into our reptile brains. I was just learning about baseball when Sandy started his Magical Mystery Tour in 1963.
My opinion is that Clayton is the best Dodgers pitcher ever, but that Sandy’s four years will never be duplicated! There is no right or wrong because it is an opinion. Opinions are various and diverse and we can agree to disagree on most of them. Clayton Kershaw has more strikeouts, wins, ERA, and WHIP than Sandy… but sometimes we just can’t get past those four magical years. But that’s the beauty of baseball.
Sandy Koufax retired at age 30, which was 56 years ago. WOW! Time flies. Clayton Kershaw is approaching retirement. I thought he would retire due to arm issues after last season, but the PRP injection did the trick. But now his SI (Sacroiliac) Joint has been an issue for the past few years and happens to be the reason he is currently on the IL. Clayton has really not talked about his back problems in a very forthcoming manner until now… when he said this:
“Unfortunately, the reality of it is with my back. I’ve thrown a lot of pitches and my back is going to be something that is a problem for me moving forward almost always. So it’s just a matter of dealing with it when you can. If it’s a once-a-year deal, then so be it. But hopefully, it’s around this time of year and I’m ready to go for the rest of the season.”
So, Clayton has now acknowledged that he has a back problem that is always going to be an issue. While it can be managed, it is impossible to predict when a “flare-up” will occur. They can do surgery on the SI Joint, but I am not sure you can be a professional athlete after the surgery. An up-and-coming form of relief from sacroiliac joint pain is stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy can help repair and regenerate damaged tissue in the sacroiliac joint that may be leading to pain. In addition, it does not come with the same level of risks and side effects that are associated with medication or surgery. It can greatly help reduce the amount of pain these patients feel while still having very little downtime.
Surely Clayton and the Dodgers have considered this… maybe he has even had it done, but I thought it might be worth a shot. This stem cell therapy has been in use for over 15 years and could give Clayton a new lease on life… including pitching. Of course, I am not a Doctor, so what do I know?
Edwin Rios: What’s not to like?
Some Dodger fans seem to be down on Edwin Rios, and I get why. He strikes out a lot. He’s not a fast runner. He look horrible last year, but sometimes you need to look at where a guy has been to understand where he might be going. Edwin Rios was somewhat of a butterball, plodding big ole’ boy prior to 2019. He ate whatever he wanted, when he wants and he was the last one in the gym and the first one out. Sometime in that time period a light came on and Rios decided to change his diet, workout routine, and his life!
He worked out in the offseason (something that he never really did) with Barry Larkin and others. He sought out a trainer to help him improve his footwork and agility. The result was a sculped body with very little fat and much improved footwork. 1B is still his best position, but he can play 3B in a serviceable fashion. He has accumulated 6 HR in 68 AB’s this season – that’s one every 11 ABs! He has 19 HR in 242 career ABs – that’s one every 13 ABs. He has something that you can’t teach and that is LIGHT TOWER POWER. Yes, he still strikes out a lot (41% this year), but he is hitting .279 with a .879 OPS. I’ll take it for a guy who is clearly a sub, who play 1B, 3B, LF and RF (In a pinch), and DH. He’s a guy who changed his life… maybe not a dramatically as Brandon Lewis (who is struggling at Tulsa hitting .177) who dropped about 80 pounds, but he did change his life and I admire those guys.
What is your opinion of Edwin Rios?
Dodger News & Notes
- I root for Craig Kimbrel, but I feel the same with him as I did with Kenley. You just never know, and if his 4.15 ERA does not give you pause, I don’t know what does. Actually, Kenley is not doing a lot better but his ERA, WHIP and many other stats are considerably better than Kimbrel – still it is long season.
- Ryan Pepiot will have the light flip on and stop throwing so many pitches… at least I hope so. If he can, he can be a starter… like a solid #3. If not, it to the pen he goes.
- Good players sometimes make bonehead moves. CT3: Never speak of this again!
- The Catman needs to go 7 today.
- What’s up with Muncy? There’s a story here. Not sure what it is, but I think he might be saying he is fine. No injury. That would be unfortunate!
Dodger Minor League Notes
- Caleb Ferguson might be all the way back. Last night, he pitched one inning for OKC and struck out the side… ON 9 PITCHES!
- Landon Knack pitched 6 strong innings last night for Tulsa. He allowed 2 H, 1 ER, walked 0, and struck out 5. Through 4 starts, he has a 2.81 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. At 24 years old, he is close to MLB Ready.
- Andy Pages was 2-3 last night (.248/.788 OPS) – he is progressing at AA. He likely will be there all year.
- Jacob Amaya dipped below .300 for the first time (.298) after a 0-3.
- Nick Nastrini went 3 inning for GL last night, giving up 3 hits and 5 ER while walking 4 and striking out 1. His ERA is 5.00. One step forward – 2 steps back.
- Diego Cartaya had a triple and walked, scoring 2 runs for RC.
- Damon Keith was 3-5 with his 5th HR and 3 RBI. At .338 and 1.020 OPS you would think he might get the call to GL.
- Maddux Bruns pitched 1.2 innings, walked 4 and struck out 3. I hope they wait until after next Saturday to promote anyone in RC as I will be at the game.
Kimbrel is starting to worry me. Gave up 2 runs again. The stuff and demeanor is there but the results are not.
More and more I have the same uneasy feeling as I did with KJ when the bullpen doors swings open and Kimbrel comes in. Hopefully we get Treinen back before the season ends. Need him just in case…
Rios is a beast that needs to be unleased. That HR yesterday off Bumgarner was a thing of beauty.
F.ck the SOs as long as he mashes at this pace.
Ferguson will get called up soon. Looks ready.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like people are seeing what concerned me a few weeks ago. At the time I said he had trouble getting his breaking ball pitches over. Haven’t seen him pitch lately. Is he still having that issue? To what extent is his intermittent use an issue? Having a closer with a whip close to 1.4 is asking for trouble.
Clayton’s Rookie WHIP was 1.495.
The next year it was 1.228.
The year after it was 1.179
Then came the 0.9s, 0.8s and 0.7s
Of course, Clayton was younger, so I think Pepiot could progress quicker.
Both of you are missing the point. It was not a save situation. Kimbrel had not pitched since his second save in Philly on Saturday. SO yeah, he was missing with some of his pitches. But he finished the job and has not blown a save yet. He was in there simply to get him some work.Mark, Koufax had four seasons where he was out of this world. But his run started in 61, he won 18 that year and led the league in K’s. The next season he was on his way to being even better when the circulatory problem in his finger popped up and he was shelved for most of the rest of the season. He ended up 14-7, but a couple of those losses came at the end of the year when he came back before he was ready. You add those 31 wins and his six year total was 120 games. He also finished what he started. I have seen them both numerous times. Kershaw is a very good pitcher. Sandy was also a very good pitcher. The difference? On any given night you felt you were going to see something special when Koufax pitched. Never have had that vibe with Kersh.
OldBear48 –
I agree with you completely on the comparison between Koufax and Kershaw especially your line “on any given night you felt like you were going to see something special when Koufax pitched.” I sat in the left field pavilion many times when he pitched and I am still astounded at what I saw when he was on the mound.,,,,
Honestly, I just think he doesn’t play as well when it’s not a save situation. But, I don’t think he’s really had as many chances at saves as your average guy. I could be wrong but that’s just my sense without looking stuff up. My only backup is our run differential so far this year. The other day I looked, and our run differential was 114, the next closest was the Yankees with 75, and the next closest was in the high 40s. Overall, we seem to be winning so big on average that we just don’t have a lot of save opportunities.
Taylor pick off. Both Taylor and third base coach should have seen that coming. Dbacks announced it. What is the third baseman doing that close to third base with Bellinger up and the shift employed? Taylor. Never get farther from the bag than the third baseman is.
There’s much that could be said regarding conversation in yesterday’s thread. I’m not the one to say it. Not here. Hopefully progress will be made by the people in charge of policy.
Pepiot will get there, but not yet. His starts will be bullpen games until he learns command, and that can take time.
So, what’s the call on Muncy. Retroactive IL?
Muncy must be fighting the Dodgers and not agreeing to go on the IL. If he wasn’t hurt he would have faced Bumgarner last night ,one of his favorites he has great stats against. Put him the IL and be done with it. It’s best for all to do so. We really do need him now with his low batting average and low OPS.
I understand the concern for Kimbrel, but you have to take into account that he throws how often? Once a week? He needs to pitch at least 2 times a week, or 5 times in two weeks to stay in shape. Give him time, patience, just as Kenley was given.
Exactly. Overall, we’re playing so well he doesn’t get enough save-ops.
Not concerned with Kimbrel at all. He hasn’t pitched in about a week and looked rusty. The Dodgers haven’t afforded him many save opportunities because we keep beating the crap out of everyone. With regular work, he’ll be fine. You can say what you want about his stats vs Kenley’s, but KJ has two blown already. Kimbrel may bend, but he hasn’t broken yet.
I want to see more Rios. I love how he turned on that inside and high fastball and deposited it in the seats. It was a thing of beauty. Maybe he K’s less with regular playing time.
Pepiot doesn’t trust his stuff yet. He’ll get there. He’s really freaking nasty. The fastball moves a ton as does the change. The slider looks pretty good as well. He got one more out than his previous outing and Doc really gave him an opportunity to get that win, but he had to and the ball to Graterol to clean up the inning. Maybe next time. But, he looks like he’s going to be a rotation fixture in the future.
Just go ahead and put Muncy on the IL now. What’s the delay? Why do we always play games with a short bench? There’s no upside here, he’s injured. He isn’t 100%. Now, Doc admits they probably should have started with him on the IL to begin the season.
Well, there is reason for concern because Kimbrel has done this before. So has Jansen. Like I say, if you have done it before, you can do it again.
The ump last night was no bueno.
https://twitter.com/umpscorecards/status/1530558190890409987
He missed some pictures so badly for both sides that he should be demoted at best. He was absolutely horrible at times.
Some former Dodgers hitters really in a funk:
Seager .225
Kike .200
Verdugo .232
Joc though doing really , really well in Midget land. Relatively high average for him plus 11 dingers already.
But did you see the altercation he had with that Reds players before the game because of fantasy football feud from last season ? Hilarious.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!
Kaybear is at .282. I think his power is a year or two away, but he’s a. 300-hitter IMHO.
With Pham…
On the question of the best Dodger pitcher of all time, I have only one qustion, “Who would you want to pitch one game for the whole enchilada…Koufax or Kershaw? ” I think the majority of folks would select Koufax. Shortened career due to injuries at his peak he would have made a record that would have been unmatched. I am a huge fan of Claytons. I think he will go down as one of the few Dodger greats along side of the Drysdales and Valenzualas
OK, which year?
Therein lies the issue!
Everyone at the top of their game respectively.
Sandy. Bulldog. Striker.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!
I too would chose Sandy if it was a Game 7 of the WS.
MOF Clayton would not be Nr. 2 on that list . Not even Nr. 3.
I would rather go with the Bulldog or Buehler. Both players are or were at their best when the stakes were the highest. Clayton not so much. Too many hickups in the playoffs.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t overlook Don Drysdale. He won 209 games. And, he got the worst run support during much of his career, The Los Angeles Dodgers were a weak hitting team during Don’s career through 1969. He and Bob Gibson had to be the most feared pitchers in their time.
But, I think Mark’s point was that you would be picking Koufax in his unbelievable 4-year stint, over picking Kershaw over a much longer period of time.
I tend to agree with BP on Craig Kimbrel. The Dodgers score lots of runs and Kimbrel’s chances to close are somewhat limited. Maybe the plan is to keep his arm fresh and sometimes they just have to get him work so they bring him into a non close situation. His stuff looks good. He probably just needs a better routine to work off the cobwebs. But closers in non closing situations often don’t look great.
Glad to see Edwin Rios get more playing time. He’s earned it. Honestly I am not sure what’s going on with Muncy. Just doesn’t look good at the plate. Going back to mid August last year, he just hasn’t had consistent at bats and the average was well below .200.
Again, maybe the injury plays into that, but there may be more to it. He tends to take a lot of pitches and puts himself behind in the count. The strikeout with the bases loaded a few days ago was a prime example. Two quick strikes, no swing, then strikes out swinging two pitches later.
Only Muncy knows if he is actually still hurt. But maybe he was feeling it early and he picked up some habits trying to adapt. Maybe that’s what Dave Roberts was referring to saying maybe he should have started on the IL. All this is reading between the lines or pure speculation.
Ryan Pepiot has pretty good stuff, just needs more time and experience at the MLB level to continue his development. So far, so good.
Hey, you’ve got to love Betts, Freeman and Turner at the top of the line-up. No one has a better top three.
Really like the minors updates, Mark.
With Pepoit I think he has enough movement on his FB where he could reduce his velocity a bit in order to throw more strikes. Right now he throws his slider for strikes instead of a chase pitch because he can’t control his FB. With establishing his FB then his slider and especially his change become effective out pitches. The FB control is the key to his success and going further into games. He has the tools so let’s see if he can harness them.
Pepiot.
Good analysis tedraymond on Pepiot. A little addition and subtraction on the fastball will help him. He will be fine. I’m sure he had to get those butterflies in formation yesterday as well. His command will improve when he gets more comfortable. He will help us this year.
Max Muncy… enough already. Either put him on the IL or bench him. If he is injured, then get him healed up and ready for the postseason.
Gavin Lux should be a fine, everyday player and have a productive career. This daily/weekly he sucks, he’s getting better, he’s not a super star already, he’s …… is really uncalled for. In the long term the odds are he will be a solid, everyday player. Isn’t that what the fans want from our minor league system? Not all can be All Stars. Consider the only position player we developed to be an All Star was Cody and now he has become a average, at best, regular. Will Will Smith get an All Star nod this year? We get our superstars from trades and free agency.
Edwin Rios needs to get more consistent playing time. With the DH and the platoon options that he and JT provide should allow Rios more AB’s. Hopefully, this will allow Rios to become more effective in making contact on a consistent basis. If he can’t then move on to a prospect who can. A 40% strikeout rate ain’t going to cut it.
Looks like after the Pittsburg series the Dodgers finally face some plus .500 teams for a couple of weeks. Kimbrel should get some more work and save opportunities in those games. Although, nothing wrong with not needing a closer very much.
Carry on.
Is it political to have a LGBTQ+ Pride Night?
In any case, it is sexual. I supposed if we have a Bazooka bobble head, it will also be political.
Muncy to the DL finally, Pillar in.
Finally!
They took one whole game to make that move!
Muncy has been put on the IL.
Pillar added to the roster.
Kahnle moved to the 60 day IL.
Grove up.
Pepiot down.
Pham suspended 3 games…
Keuchel available, anyone?
No. 14mill of crap. Got enough of that with DPrice.
7:15 PM ET
Dodgers (31-14)
Diamondbacks (23-24)
SP Tony Gonsolin R
4-0 1.62 ERA 39IP 37K
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
In 1959, a young and still not polished Koufax pitched Game 5 of the World Series against the White Sox, and lost 1-0.
In 1962, he was well on his way to the Cy Young award, and probably would have won 25 games, but developed a circulation problem in his finger, called Reynaud’s Phenomenon, and missed three months, then came back and was not effective. Then he won 25 games in 1963, and two World Series games against the Yankees. Then he was 19-5 in August of 1964, but was injured and could not pitch, and so lost the Cy Young Award to Dean Chance of the Angels. Then he went 26-8 in 1965, and won two World Series games. Then he went 27-9 in 1966, and lost a World Series game because Willie Davis made three errors in an inning, and the Dodgers could not hit at all in that Series.
The only plus that one can give Kershaw in this comparison is longevity .Koufax wins in every other comparison, including the fact that he pitched on Dodgers teams that mostly did not hit very well. His ERAs from 1962-1966 were astounding. Kershaw is a very fine pitcher who mostly did not pitch well in big postseason games, blowing leads, even as a reliever. Koufax was the greatest player in baseball in his prime, and the greatest lefthanded pitcher of all time. He had eleven shutouts in 1965!!!!
Hershiser has been a very good pitcher, HOF certainty, but I have never felt confident with him pitching in big games. Koufax pitched a complete game shutout on two days rest in the seventh game of the 1965 World Series. That big game comparison is overwhelmingly for Koufax.
Strong case for Koufax for sure. Good post William. I was at that 1959 WS loss.
So was I Ted.
Gonzo has been very good….
Again.
How about Gonsolin and that 1.80 ERA Under 1.0 WHIP .525 OPS Against.
I think my two favorite Dodgers are Will Smith and Tony Gonsolin. Not superstar names but extremely solid.
This 1b umpire is being made to look crappy due to replay.
Ok. We gonna see Kimbrel in the 9th? This would be a legitimate save situation. It’ll be an back to back days.
Hudson.
Why are “closers” such temperamental prima donnas who need to be babied and pampered lest they not perform?
Bruh! We traded away put starting right fielder for a guy the team can throw into any situation and shut people down!
I despise the whole notion of a closer. It’s stupid. You shouldn’t have a guy on the team you have to treat like a vintage Jaguar – in need of constant maintenance to extract decent performance.
The “ACE” delivers again! What’s the mlb record for most base runners thrown out in one game? Tonight we need closer Kimbrel!
Or closer Hudson!
MLB Team Will Be Funneling Money to Groups That Support ‘Gender Transition’ Surgeries for Kids. https://www.westernjournal.com/mlb-team-will-funneling-money-groups-support-gender-transition-surgeries-kids/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=WJBreaking&utm_campaign=ct-breaking&utm_content=western-journal&ats_es=65cbbb8203b3409c60ef25e803123994
Looks like a site my son would create to trick his friends.
Let’s stick to “news” sites with editors?