Edward Charles Ford was born on October 21,1928 in New York City. He was the only child of Jim and Edna Ford, who lived on 66th St. in Manhattan. When Ford was 5, his family moved to 34th Ave. in Astoria, Queens. An Irish, Italian and Polish neighborhood. His dad worked for Consolidated Edison, and his mother was a bookkeeper for a local A&P store. After he began pitching professionally, his father and a friend purchased and ran the Ivy Room, a bar in Astoria.
Ford’s father played semi-pro ball for Con-Ed. There were athletic genes from his mother’s side as well as two of her brothers played semi-pro ball in Astoria. As a child, Ford played baseball and stickball in the summer, Football in the fall, and roller hockey in the winter. During the summers, Ford and his friends played sandlot baseball until dark on the fields next to the Madison Square Garden Bowl, about a mile from his home. Closer to home Ford and his friends played stickball against a wall with a rubber spaldeen and a broomstick.
Whitey grew up a Yankee fan and idolized Joe DiMaggio. Occasionally his uncles would take him on the subway to see the Yanks play. When Whitey graduated from the 8th grade, he faced a dilemma. His local high school did not have a team, so he went to the Manhattan School of Aviation Trades. He had no intention of working in Aviation, but the school had a baseball team, so he would take the hour-long ride on the bus from his home in Queens. Although only 5’9 and 150 pounds, he played first base and hit around .350. He began pitching for his high school team his junior year and won 6 straight games before losing in the vocational league championship game.
When Ford was 17, Joe Foran, an Irishman who came to America to play soccer and work as a carpenter, moved into an apartment building across the street from the Ford’s. Foran had three daughters, including Joan, who was the middle child. She was three years younger than Whitey, and he paid little attention to her at first. But within three years, they would marry. They would have three children, each born about a year apart. Sally Ann, Eddie Jr., and Tommy.
When he was a senior, Ford went to a tryout at Yankee Stadium. Paul Krichell, a Yankee scout, noticed Ford’s strong arm during fielding practice. He told Ford he thought he was too small to play first base. He had him throw a few pitches on the sideline, and he taught him how to throw a curve. When he went back to school, he pitched some, but the school’s best pitcher was Vito Valentinetti. He would go on to have a 4-year career in the majors with the Cubs, Senators, and three other teams.
His size kept the bonus offers low. But the Yanks offered 5500 and came to his house to get him to sign. They were going to take him to an exhibition game in Queens featuring some Yankee farmhands. They wanted him to sign before the game, but he said he would sign after the game. While they were gone, the Giants called and offered $6500. This forced Krichell to raise the Yanks’ offer to $7000.
The Yanks sent Ford to Binghampton, where the manager was former Yankee great Lefty Gomez. Gomez had problems remembering his players’ names, so he simply called Ford, Blondie, or Whitey. So that was the origin of the Whitey nickname. But it really did not stick until his rookie year when Bob Porterfield and Tom Gorman joined the team. Gomez imposed a 10 PM curfew. There was a carnival in town, and Whitey and a teammate got on the Ferris wheel. They had a problem when the operator would not stop the Ferris wheel. When they did get off, they got back to the hotel about ten after 10. Gomez was waiting for them in the lobby and fined each of them $5 dollars on the spot. Years later, he was watching Joe DiMaggio interview Gomez, and Gomez related a story about how during spring training, he paid a Ferris wheel operator a couple of bucks to keep going and not let a couple of players off.
In the clubhouse, Ford confronted Gomez and said, ” You SOB, how could you keep that from me all these years?” Gomez laughed and said, ” I got a lot of mileage out of that story at banquets.” Ford said, ” At least you can give me back the 10 dollars you fined me.” Gomez reached in his pocket and gave Ford the 10 dollars. Whitey had his revenge, Gomez had only fined him five!
In 1948 Ford pitched winter ball in Mexico over the objections of the Yankees. He would contract amoebic dysentery, and it almost killed him. When he finally reported to spring training in 1949, he was far from well. After being there for about ten days, he passed out in the third inning of a game in Augusta, Georgia. The Yankees sent him to Lennox Hospital in NYC. He was there for about 19 days. He did not report to his minor league team until the season was about six weeks old. Even with the missed time, he went 16-5, 1.61. With those numbers at AAA, Ford began to believe he really had a chance to pitch for the Yankees. Now with confidence and some weight gain, he ballooned to 170, and with increased velocity on his fastball, he became somewhat cocky. A trait he would show his entire career.
Ford went to spring training in 1950, determined to make a veteran team that had won the World Series three years in a row. He was so cocky that some veterans took to calling him “The Fresh Young Busher.” Jim Turner, the Yankees pitching coach, asked lefty Eddie Lopat to take Ford under his wing. But every time he would make a suggestion, Ford would say he did it this way at AAA, and it worked pretty well. Lopat gave up and told Turner to take him back, he could not work with him. Ford did well in his first spring start, going three innings against the Phillies. He developed a sore arm though and was knocked around his next start against the Tigers. He was soon sent to AAA Kansas City.
KC was in the American Association and finished with a 54-99 record. But Ford did well out of the gate, and by July 1st, he was called up to the big leagues. He traveled by train all day and night to get to Boston, where the Yankees were playing. He arrived at 7 in the morning on July first. By the second inning of that afternoon’s game, Ford had made his MLB debut. Tommy Byrne had been knocked out of the game in the second, and Stengel summoned Ford. It was a rocky first outing as he gave up five runs on seven hits and six walks in 4 2/3 innings. He found out later that Boston’s first base coach, Earle Combs, had picked up his pitches and was relaying them to Boston hitters. Jim Turner and Lopat corrected that the next day
He made his first start on July 6th against the A’s. He pitched well the first six innings, but the A’s tagged him for 3 runs in the 7th, and when Bobby Brown pinch-hit for him in the seventh, he trailed 4-3. But the Yankees came back to win on a Berra double in the ninth, so his first start was a no-decision. On July 17th, he got his first MLB win, a 4-3 decision over the White Sox at Yankee Stadium. It would be the first of many. Nine days later, he got his second start and notched a 6-3 win over the Browns that brought the Yanks to within 1/2 game of the lead. He started again on July 30th but was knocked out by the White Sox in the first inning. The Yanks came back to win 4-3. So in his first 4 games, he was 2-0 with an ERA over 6. He went to the pen after that.
He chalked up 8 1/3 scoreless innings over three games and earned a spot start against the Senators. He did not disappoint, throwing a three-hit shutout, 9-0. Stengel continued to be cautious with him, preferring to have him pitch against second-tier teams and leave the contenders to his big three, Raschi, Lopat, and Reynolds. He did get a start in the first game of a doubleheader with the Indians and got a no-decision in a 4-3 Yankee win. Lopat pitched a 3-0 shutout in the second game, putting the Yankees into first place for the first time since June.
Ford would finish his rookie season with a 9-1 record and a 2.81 ERA. He finished second to Walt Dropo in the rookie of the year vote. In the series, with the Yanks up 3-0 over the Phillies, Ford started game four. He went into the 9th with a 5-0 lead. But the Phillies scored a couple of runs, largely due to a fly ball that Gene Woodling lost. With the tying run at the plate, Stengel brought in Reynolds to face PH Stan Lopata. He was met with a chorus of boos from the fans who wanted to see Ford finish the game. Reynolds induced a chase on a high fastball, and the Yankees were World Champs again.
After the season, Ford dropped by the local draft board to see when he might expect to be called up. He was surprised to be told to report in two weeks. He was sent to Ft. Monmouth, N.J. He spent the next two years in the service, playing baseball. He also took a two-week leave so he could marry Joan,
He missed the 51 and 52 seasons and returned to the Yanks for spring training in 53. Stengel broke him in slow. Using him in relief only once in the first ten games of the year. But the Yanks came out 8-2. With Lopat, Raschi, Reynolds, and Sain, the rotation was solid. He would finish the season 18-6.
Whitey was on his way. He was almost as good in 54, winning 16. He was also doing some partying with his two closest friends on the team, Mantle and Billy Martin. Stengel dubbed them the city slick. Ford used that in his biography. ” Slick: My Life in and Around Baseball.” He won 18 games in 55. This time the Yanks lost to Brooklyn. But Ford beat them twice.
For 13 consecutive years, Whitey would win in double figures. His best season was 1961, when he won 24 and lost 4. He won his only Cy Young award that season, and it was the first time he ever won 20 games. He would do it once more in 1963, winning 24. He faced the Dodgers in the series in 1956 and 1963. In 1956 he was 1-1 in the series; in 1963, he was 0-2. His career series mark against the Dodgers was 3-4, thanks to the sweep in 163.
It is also notable that in his two twenty-win seasons, the Yankees lost the World Series. To Pittsburgh and to the Dodgers. Whitey, over his career, was 10-8 in series play. For most of his career, Whitey was the Yankees ace. Whitey had shoulder problems on and off, and they cost him some time and a chance to have even better career stats.
Billy Martin was traded over an incident that happened during the 1957 season at the Copacabana that Ford and Mantle were also involved in. The players had gone there to celebrate Martin’s 29th birthday and to hear Sammy Davis Jr. perform. The trouble started when members of a bowling team started directing racist remarks at Davis. Soon after, one of their members was lying on the floor in the back room with a broken jaw. The Yankees fined the players $1,000 each, and Martin was traded to the A’s a month later, breaking up the City Slicks.
Ford would pitch in 11 World Series for the Yankees. He won 6 rings. His career mark was 236-106, 2.75. After his career, he also admitted that he doctored the ball. Say it ain’t so Whitey! Yep, he learned a method from Lou Burdette of the Braves. And his catcher, Elston Howard, used to scuff the ball on his shin guards.
In the 1964 season, Whitey had been experiencing some numbness in his left hand. He pitched through it, but in the World Series game one, his arm got numb, and eventually, his hand was so numb he could not grip the baseball. He went to a doctor after the series, thinking he had had a heart attack. It was no heart attack but rather a clogged artery. Fearing that a bypass would end Ford’s career, he opted for a procedure that opened the small capillaries and kept the blood flowing all the time.
Despite the Yankee’s lousy season in 1965, Whitey won 16 games. In 1966 he was back on the mound, but they found out cold weather made the condition worse. The procedure made Ford not to be able to sweat on the left side of his body. So he pitched in warm weather. But it was clearly the end of the road for Ford. He won 2 games in 66 and 2 more in 67 and called it a career.
Whitey suffered some financial setbacks over the years. He coached off and on, owned a restaurant that failed within a year, and also had some medical problems. Elected to the hall in 1974, his second time on the ballot, he never tried to capitalize on his HOF career. He sold most of his career memorabilia in 2008. Along with Juan Marichal and Ted Lyons, Whitey was one of only three pitchers born since 1900 that were under six feet tall. Whitey passed away on Oct 8, 2020, while watching a playoff game the Yankees were playing. I will always remember Ford. I especially remember the 450-foot blast Frank Howard hit off of him in the 1963 series. He was a tough opponent.
Future Dodgers Down on the Farm (MT)
- OKC beat Sactown 10-4
- Rehabbing Dustin May started and went two innings. He allowed 3 Hits, 1 ER, with 3 BB and 3 K’s.
- Miguel Vargas was 0-3 with 2 BB.
- Mike Busch was 2-4.
- Jacob Amaya was 1-3 with 2 RBI.
- TULSA was beaten by Wichita 7-3
- Bobby Miller went 2.2 Innings with 6 Hits, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K’s. Overall reaction? Thumbs down! I think Miller is one of those guys who plays down to his competition.
- Brandon Lewis is finally starting to put it together at AA. He was 2-4 and pulled his BA up to .196.
- Leonal Valera continues to be solid as he was 2-4 (.299 BA/.768 OPS). He is the Dodger’s future Utilityman.
- GREAT LAKES beat West Michigan 12-2.
- Diego Cartaya was 1-3 with 4 RBI, including a 2-run HR
- Eddys Leonard was 2-3 with his 25th double. He has a little more power than Valera, but they are the same guy.
- Alex DeJesus was 3-3 with 2 BB (.315 BA/.881 OPS). He should move to Tulsa
- Emmett Sheehan pitched innings, allowing 1 ER and 3 H to go with 3 BB and 2 Ks.
- RANCHO CUCAMONGA beat Visalia 12-ZIP
- Yeiner Fernandez (still 19) was 2-5 with a Grand Slam and a 3-Run Blast. He is another candidate to move up (.283 BA/.777 OPS)
- Damian Keith is still rocking at .307/.957
The Show by MT
Yes, it was a SHOW last night as Tyler Anderson shows no sign of regression. I keep hearing that the Dodgers may try and trade for Frankie Montas, Tyler Mahle, Martin Perez, or Jose Quintana. Why? That makes no sense to me. If they are going to make a trade, they should go big… like Luis Castillo! I guess it depends upon what the Reds think of Ryan Pepiot, whom the Dodgers WOULD trade. I still don’t see Pepiot as a starter, but I do see him as a high-leverage reliever. If the Dodgers make a trade for Castillo, he would be the centerpiece. Maybe the Reds think he can start…
It was great to see Cody Bellinger get the Grand Slam (off a Lefty at that), and I am resigned to seeing him do this occasionally as he plays Gold Glove defense in CF and runs the bases like a wild deer. I would love to pronounce him “Fixed”, but if that happens, it will be in the offseason. Last night had to help his confidence, and confidence is where it all starts.
Great game!So happy for Cody. Hopefully that can be a turning point for him.
And a great call by Joe Davis.
Negative: Muncy is just not hitting and who is comfortable with Kimbrel being the closer in a playoff game ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!
Bear –
Good article on Whitey Ford! I remember him well from the 1950’s because it seemed like he was in the World Series every year.
Agree with you on Tyler Anderson; what a pleasant surprise!
It was heartening to see Cody have some success – and the reaction of the fans! Despite some of the negative comments about him that we have seen on LADT it is obvious he is still a fan favorite. I agree that getting “fixed” will probably take a off season of reworking his swing but positive reinforcement always helps one’s mindset.
I am really liking the way the Dodgers are able to come back for these late inning wins.
Now, I am just hoping Kimbrel can have a few clean outings the rest of the season so I have a higher level of confidence about him in the post season.
Very nice write up on Whitey Bear. In ’63 I went to the airport to meet the Dodger plane coming in from NY after the team had taken two from the Yankees. I got all the players and coaches autographs on a ball. I heard that the Yankees’ plane had arrived at another terminal so off I went. The first player I ran into was Whitey. He was nice enough to sign another ball I had brought with me. I continued down the concourse and here came Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. I asked them for their autographs and they very nicely told me no. I was crushed but didn’t push the issue. It was still fun to see them both in person. It was quite a night.
Bear FYI – it’s probably been corrected by the time I post this, but you have Whitey born in the year 1948 in the first sentence. That would make you older than Whitey would have been. LOL.
Whoopsie! Yep, typo on my part is fixed now. I had heard a long time ago that Howard would use his shin guards to scuff the ball. There was some other mentions of ways that he would scuff the baseball. Someone claimed to have one of his old gloves that had a tack in it. Kapler explained the strange first inning delay and visit by Pryor to the mound last night. The Dodgers were concerned that the Giants first base coach was too far up the line and trying to see into Anderson’s glove so he could let Slater know what was coming. Davis had no clue what was happening. Good for Cody. Nice way to finish the game. Of course Mr. Kimbrel had to make it interesting. But a W is a W.
I think Kimbrel will be fine. Mentality changes when you have a 4 un cushion, now having said that….
D May or Buehler may be our closer in the Pen circa Julio 2020.
This team is special….
Castillo really could make a difference. Dodger SPs are strong as a group, but Castillo would bring extra octane that the staff now lacks now Buhler and May recovering from injuries. Plus, acquiring Castillo would keep him away from the Yankees and Mets.
There is also chatter that the Angels might deal with Syndergaard. He’s done OK but the velocity is down a bit. No hint yet that the Angels would entertain offers for Ohtani, though the return would be huge.
I’ve never read an insider breakdown of how AF pulled off the Scherzer-Trea. Everybody knew Scherzer would be dealt, but Trea came as a surprise given his contract. Congrats to AF for pulling that off. Was it he who insisted suggest that the deal be expanded?
How long has Nationals ownership been working to reduce their payroll? They lost Harper and Rendon in free agency, and dealt Scherzer and Trea and Schwarber–and now they’ve put Soto on the market. Can’t be a happy place.
Is there something about Castillo that the Dodger brain trust thinks it can take him from good to great? Then AF makes a move. Good for Bellinger! He needed that!
Let’s begin the Luis Castillo trade suggestions.
Luis Castillo
Alexis Diaz
B Drury
RPepiot
MWhite
MBusch
MMuncy
7 million cash
Alexis is Sugar Diaz little brother which I think will he better than Edwin. 7 mil are to cover Muncy contract and prevent DRoberts from using him everyday.
What position does Diaz play?
Not a bad proposal. I don’t want to give up on Max yet–call me sentimental– and would instead offer Lamb plus a minor league catcher, perhaps Feduccia. (Getting Drury would guarantee more bench time for Max.
And I’d offer Grove instead of White.)
Feduccia is already 25, could be at least decent backup catcher at ML level, but is blocked in LA behind several guys.
Good stuff Bear on Whitey.
* Fun game to watch last night. Our pitching gives up no earned runs.
* Webb was Houdini. What an example of the need to get to an Ace when he’s struggling early and not allowing him to settle in. He struggled finding it in the first 2 innings. He had 4 walks, 2 hits and 51 pitches and looked a Lamb hit away from being done. Amazingly he got through the 2nd down 1 – zip. As Aces often do, he found it and gave up 1 hit and no walks the next 4 innings. After the bewildering looks in the first, it’s remarkable he gave them 6 innings on 103 pitches.
* Jake Lamb takes too many pitches.
* Joc’s back is sore. Not hard to figure carrying that beer keg around.
* Joey Bart certainly appears to be a disappointment for the Giants. The 2nd pick in the 2018 draft and the heir apparent to Posey, he is hitting .179 and drives me crazy. If Bart isn’t fashionably down on a knee, he could blocked the wild pitch in the 8th. And he has about six things with Velcro on at the plate that he has to be readjusted after every pitch. That shit gets really loose while he takes a pitch. Get in there and hit!
* What a great moment for Cody Bellinger. His teammates looked happy about the win but even more happy for Cody himself. What I like almost as well as the homer was the hustle he showed in the 4th when he busted his ass to first to avoid the double play.
* Kimbrel had a successful outcome but I have decreasing confidence in him with each appearance. He was a ball away, on a 3-2 pitch, from walking Mercedes, after Estrada’s single. Gonzales’ double could have made things really interesting. Way too much traffic with him.
Perez is off the board:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/07/mets-acquire-michael-perez-from-pirates.html
Great stuff, as always, Phil.
Hard to believe that we aren’t talking about the lack of getting to Webb in the first couple of innings costing us a win last night. Thanks to Cody, we won it anyway.
Love your comments about Bart, especially adjusting the Velcro.
Walker Buehler will start a throwing program next week, with Monday marking the six-week anniversary of surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow per Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register .
Dodgers Digest has a deeper dive on May’s performance. Seems the spin rate on his sinker was more than 100 RPM higher than any in the ML this season. All systems go.
Plus a look at Edgardo Henriquez, the 20-year-old hitting triple digits for Rancho. Future closer?
And then there’s the depth at catcher…
With Dalton Rushing aboard, perhaps 25-year-old Hunter Feduccia could sweeten an offer for Castillo…
I couldn’t remember the names… but the Nats also picked up prospects Donovan Casey and Gerardo Carillo when they got Keibert and Gray.
Just learned that Casey got called up to the majors–but sent back down without an appearance. On the cusp, but needs to play every day. Carrillo is apparently making progress in double A.
What a great feel-good moment for Belli to bask in the sun, for a day at least. Back to hacking tonight no doubt. But, he always shows up to make a catch or beat out a fielder’s choice. I still really like this guy and hope for the best for him.
Great article on “Whitey”. I didn’t realize he was so vertically challenged.
Damn, if Muncy and Belli can get just one big hit every other day, we wouldn’t lose another game.
It might take a little while for May to flip the switch and find the zone. Buhler is tracking a few weeks behind him, at least.
Anderson is doing it the old-fashioned way. I love to see a good old “Crafty Lefty” junk it up there and paint corners. They seem to be a dying breed, once a staple on most rotations. Jamie Moyer would be proud.
The word on the streets is that the Dodgers are very in on Castillo. He has a year of control remaining, so he would be a nice piece for a repeat.
Freddie Freeman is just awesome. It feels like he’s been hitting 500 for the last couple of weeks. It’s refreshing to see a guy that’s got the thunder in his bat go the other way to make sure he scores a runner. He’s a very unselfish hitter that the other guys can learn from.
It would be incredible to add Soto to this stacked team. But, I think it might be better to get Drury or Happ to go along with Castillo. Plus, the trade simulator says Castillo and Drury can be had for Pages, Pepiot, Kendall, Jackson and Chalmers. Think the Reds would go for it? LOL
Urias and Kershaw to finish off the series. Can’t wait until game time tonight against old friend and back to earth Alex Wood.
Good news for the east coasters. It’s an early, nationally televised game on Fox at 4ish PM PT. That’s 7ish for you all on the sunrise side of the country.
On a side note. I bought a new TV on Prime Day to upgrade the garoffice from a crappy and old 32 inch TV I bought about 8 years ago. I replaced it with a TCL lightweight cheapo Roku TV because Roku, unlike Fire allows you to install the Spectrum Cable Application. UPS did me dirty and mashed my box, so when I pulled it out of the box, the screen was a spider web. I was pretty pissed because I already took the old tv down and removed the old wall mount. I wasn’t about to redo what I have already undone. So, I went to Amazon.com and filled out the return, then went to bestbuy.com and found the same tv, same price available for store pickup. I threw the spider web back into the box and dropped it off at the UPS store, then proceed to bestbuy to pick up the replacement without the UPS disgruntled employee treatment. It was on the wall and setup for cable and the spectrum app within an hour or so. I bought the RV mount with a quick release bracket and two bases so I can use the extra base to mount it outside as well.
The upgrade is awesome,with a great picture and good sound in a light and janky plastic TV. It’s crazy that 40 inch TV is cheaper than a trip to Target or the Grocery store these days.
I haven’t joined in on conversations about trades and deadline acquitions. I’m not much of a GM. But the latest conversations about getting Juan Soto are amazing. To me, I’m not breaking the bank to get this guy, as good as he is. * My preference is to try to entice Trea Turner to stay. He’s proven to be a super valuable piece for the Dodgers without having to shop elsewhere. A lot of money for 5 years may make it work. If not, we move on but all the options need to be extended to him – Top Priority.
* Jim Bowden of the Athletic recently wrote about the possible trade suitors for Soto, including the Yankees, Jays, White Sox, Giants, Mets and Dodgers.
* Heres what he says about the Dodgers:
The Nationals will try to make the team that acquires Soto also absorb Corbin’s bad contract, according to sources. Corbin has two and a half years left on a six-year, $140 million deal he signed after the 2018 season. He’s been the worst starting pitcher in the majors since the beginning of the 2021 season, with a 5.84 ERA in 50 starts during that span. So if your team wants Soto, who is making $17.1 million this year, it will need to account for the likely significant raises he’ll receive in his final two years of salary arbitration, a record extension (if it wants Soto beyond 2024) and perhaps taking on some or all of Corbin’s remaining salary.
* Dodgers — Soto just feels like a future Dodger or Yankee and after the blockbuster Dodgers-Nationals trade at the last trade deadline, why not do it again this year? The Dodgers could offer infielder Gavin Lux and put together a package of prospects from their loaded farm system, starting with power right-hander Bobby Miller or righty Ryan Pepiot, along with two more position players from a group of infielder Miguel Vargas, outfielder Andy Pages, shortstop Wilman Diaz or second baseman Michael Busch.
* Are you shitting me? If it takes that to acquire Soto I am totally not interested. No way I weaken our talent pool to get one guy. Now that would be a “Dope Fiend”: move.
I’d do that trade if I could give them Landon Knack instead of Miller or Pepiot and add Lux, Pages, Diaz. Here is why.
Knack is having a bad year in AA. in 2021 when he had a good year mostly in A+ ball, he had lopsided splits, excellent against one side of the plate and bad against the other side. This year in AA ball his OPS is similar against both sides of the plate, although both bad, but his batting average against him is lopsided in the same direction as it was in 2021. I fear he is going to be a one side of the plate pitcher. I may be wrong, but that is what I fear.
Pages in AA this year has had a big drop off in his slash line from his time in lower level leagues. I see him as all power and nothing else offensively.
Diaz hasn’t even reached A ball and he has sucked so far.
Lux hasn’t had a .800+ OPS year, yet in his career. It’s possible this year. This is his first year that he is making good contact and that is why his OPS is in the upper .700’s. I’m not good with scouting stuff and predicting future results, but the power isn’t there. Maybe it comes later. But without power he will never be a superstar. Don’t get me wrong about him, if he continues to have an OPS in the upper .700’s that is good enough. Only good enough though.
I forgot to say at the end of my post that I doubt the Nationals take that offer.
Lux is not going anywhere
Why would you offer so many prospects for a guy that has a 767 OPS against lefties?
That’s this year, but it is .869 for his career.
That would tend to mitigate Dave Roberts using Clayton Kershaw against him in 2019!
Eric, and you’d pick up Corbin’s remaining salary in that deal?
Oh shit, I forgot Corbin has to be included. Never-mind my trade proposal. I don’t want Soto since a bad contract is attached to him.
I think that scenario is likely what the Nats will demand. Unless they get shot down by every other suitor and the price drops dramatically, AF would have to have been on some kind of mega coke bender and not slept for 5 days to even consider that type of cost.
7:15 PM ET
Giants (48-45)
Dodgers (62-30)
SP Julio Urias L
8-6 2.89 ERA 96.2 IP 94K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH H. Alberto R
3B Max Muncy L
LF T. Thompson R
CF C. Bellinger L
2B Gavin Lux L
Clear-day
0% Rain
79° Wind 9 mph Out
Can anyone tell me why is Zach McKinstry on the 26 man active roster and never plays? He could be at AAA Oklahoma City getting at bats, building up his stats and a candidate to be traded at the deadline in a package for a bat or SP.
And why is Muncy in AGAIN ? Vs a LHP to boot.
That proposed trade above for Soto is horrible. For the Dodgers. No way I would do that. No way I give up Lux the way he is progressing.
But more and more I am warming up to a trade for Castillo.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
One reason is because JT is injured.
Kimbrel has some absolutely filthy stuff.
He’ll be fine.
I hope you are right, but Kimbrel has a history of being very good to struggling to falling off the rails.
Look at this:
0.44
2.10
1.01
1.21
1.61
2.58
3.40
1.43
2.74
6.63
5.28
2.26
0.49
5.09
4.09
Those are his actual ERA’s from when he started until now… by season.
You say he will be fine…. and he might be, so what year is this?
Maybe he’s getting past the bad part of the year early and he’ll be unhittable at the end. The only years he had ERA’s higher than this year are the ones where he pitched less innings than his current total.
Those ERA’s 0.49, 5.09 towards the bottom of your list for Kimbrel are 2 team ERA’s, the overall ERA for that year was 2.26.
Kimbrel’s career:
He had excellent slash lines for the first 9 years in a row in his career through 2018.
He had a horrible 2019, no need to talk about that.
He had a borderline above average/average slash line in 2020, his only problem was giving up too many walks, his batting average against him was excellent, his slugging against him was fine but I’ve seen better. He only pitched 15.1 innings in 2020. And 2020 for Kimbrel is a good example of how the ERA stat in some cases is not a very good stat to evaluate pitchers on.
He had an excellent slash line in 2021.
This year he has an overall average slash line so far this year, but his batting average against him is bad. He’s giving up too many hits, but the hits are not hit hard overall, therefore his slugging against him is above average. Because he is giving up too many hits his OBP against him is below average/worse than average.
I don’t like the results from Kimbrel so far this year, but he has a long history of being excellent. Out of the 12 years in his career, besides this year, he has been excellent in 10 of the 12 years, 1 horrible year, and 1 borderline above average/average slash line year that shows how the ERA stat in some cases is not a good stat. So I am very patient with him.
Another good example of ERA not being a good stat is David Price’s ERA this year 3.47, that is actually decent, but go look at his slash line it’s horrible. That tells me that he has been bailed out by the pitcher after him.
As soon as May gets back up, I would pair him with Anderson.
Anderson pitches 5 or 6 innings, and May takes over in the 6th or 7th inning.
The other teams goes from seeing Tyler Anderson and his 91 to 92 MPH Fastball to 100 MPH and more spin than Goat-Stink.
You’re missing something. You can pair him with Heaney instead. Let Heaney go 3 and May 4.
Heaney throws 95-96. I’d rather see him follow a soft-tosser. They would be so late on May’s stuff!
I’d have Heaney follow Gonzo or White.
Fair enough. Maybe use Heaney two innings at a time, a couple times a week.
Blake Treinen threw a 25-pitch bullpen session today. He said it was his fifth full bullpen, and he threw his whole mix. He came out of it well, but he’s not sure yet when he might face hitters.
I also would love to go for Castillo. I’ve said this yearly on this board, around this time of year. We don’t need any starters thru September. What we need are October starters.
Before, it was Kersh, Greinke, and who starts game 3? Then we got Ryu, and then who starts game 4? Then Greinke left, and it’s who starts game 3 on the road? Trevor Bauer was supposed to be our Game 3 starter on the road, but that didn’t work out. So now we need a safer option.
We have tons of 4’s and 5’s, which is great for depth and the 162 game season. But it’s different come October.
If healthy, Buehler and Urias start game 1 and 2 in October. But Buehler is out. So really, who are we comfortable with in October? Kersh? Maybe. Urias? I think yes, and I think last postseason he and Buehler were gassed after the SF series. But after that, as good as Heaney, Anderson, Gonsolin are, are we ready to start them in a Game 3 at Atlanta in a 1-1 series?
I’d never trade anyone who I think can be a 1 or a 2; hence I do NOT trade Bobby Miller? But I’d trade a prospect who’s ceiling is no higher than a 3, as you an always find those. I’d trade Pepoit/MitchWhite, etc any day of the week for a guy like Castillo who could start a Game 3 on the road.
I watched him throw in the All Star game, and he was an easy 99mph on some pitches. I’d trade for him, knowing we have him for sure for October 2022 and October 2023, at least. We have more Pepiots and Mitch Whites coming up; we don’t need 7 of them. What we need are Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3 starters (and maybe even Game 4).
You speak truth, Bobby ! Castillo is all this team needs for October plus the reinforcements from the IL.
We got JDavis& EKarros on FOX. Sometimes fans don’t know how blessed we are of having so many good to great voices in Spectrum Sportsnet.
Eric, I can hear you screaming from the East Goast!
L O L you bring your worst reliever on the pitching staff to finish the game.
Damn I was hoping for a better outing from Moronta. Two full years in his career with excellent slash lines. Only thing a little bit high is walks.
But only with a 4 run lead! Doc knew what he was doing! If it was 5 then he would have brought in Bickford!
We today tied the Yanks and have the same win percentage. May the Yanks lose tomorrow and Dodgers sweep Giants.
The word is that the Nats will be seeking at least 4 or 5 top prospects in any deal for Soto. Dodgers are not going to pay that price. Pursuing a trade for Castillo with Drury in the mix makes more sense. Since they have no idea when CT 3 will be back, Drury could easily step into that role. But then again, it was said on MLBTR that the Reds have placed a high price on Drury.
Why do teams put a “High Price” on players? Don’t they use the assigned values from Trade Simulator?
The backend of these games has been very interesting of late. It’s amazing how depth in the bullpen, or lack of it affects the game. The bullpen was so much better before Hudson went down, they had to rearrange roles and it kept trucking along. But, now that Brusdar went down, it seems to be a struggle every night.
Moronta couldn’t find the plate. By looking at him, home plate is the only plate this guy can’t find.
David Price did his job by giving up a shift hit and bleeder before retiring the last out. It was an adventure.
“Sometime in August” Blake Treinen and V-Gone will return. Graterol will be back soon. It’s gonna be a little Sketchy for a while.
Heaney may help rest a weary bullpen, or could cause more stress if he can’t take down his fair share of innings.
I have the game on my iPad in the truck as our family went to the drive-in movie and saw a film that I would heartily recommend you not see called “Nope.” Just say “nope” to Nope! Anyway, I have a White F-150, so does my son, and so does my son-in-law so we all parked side by side and played musical vehicles during the movie. It was fun, and I watched the whole game.