Joseph Michael Medwick was born on November 24, 1911, in Carteret, New Jersey. He was the 4th child of Joesph and Elizabeth Medwick. He was of Hungarian decent. His parents immigrated to the US in 1893. His obituary stated that he was a four-sport star in high school, track, football, basketball, and baseball. He won all-state honors as a half-back in football and had many offers from colleges to play football. But he preferred baseball and was signed off of the sandlots by the St. Louis Cardinals.
He was 18 when he made his professional debut at Scottsdale, Pennsylvania. They were a Class-C team. He played under the name Mickey King to protect his amateur status. 5’10” and 187 pounds, he batted and threw right-handed. And boy could he hit. In 75 games, he smashed 22 homers and hit .419 with a .750 slugging pct.
That performance led the Cards to have him skip B-level ball completely. Instead, he went to the Class A Houston team of the Texas League in 1931. He led the league in total bases, but 1932 was the year he really began to shine. He slugged .611, which led the league, and was second in BA at .354; his 342 total bases were only two behind the league leader Hank Greenburg. While playing for Houston, he acquired the nickname “Ducky,” which would stay with him for the rest of his career. It was said his teammates thought he waddled like a duck. Some would call him “Ducky Wucky” and he hated that. He preferred to be called “Muscles.” He induced some of his teammates to call him that. But Ducky caught on with the reporters, and that was that.
With close to three years of minor league experience behind him, the Cardinals called him up in September, and he made his MLB debut on the 2nd. He was hitless but drove in a run and scored one after getting on base with a force out. But he had a great month slashing .348/.517/.905. He was on his way.
Over the next four seasons, Medwick twice led the league in total bases and once each in hits, doubles, triples, and runs batted in. In 1936 he led the National League in doubles with 64. As of 2022, no one in the NL has beaten that mark. The closest was Todd Helton in 2000 with 59. He also got married that year to Isabelle Heutel. In 1937, Joe had a magical year. He led the league in batting, HRs, RBIs, doubles, hits, OBP, slugging, and runs scored. He won the MLP award that season, and by winning the Triple Crown, he became the last NL player to do that. It has been done eight times since then in the American League. Only one MLB player has ever done it twice, Ted Williams. So let Juan Soto win a couple of those before any comparison to the Splendid Splinter is made. Two Negro League players did it twice in the negro leagues, Josh Gibson and Oscar Charleston.
The Cardinal owner was notoriously tight-fisted with his money. Salary was always a sore spot for Medwick. He felt he was the best player in the league and should be paid accordingly. After 1938 things would get testy between him and ownership.
The Gas House Gang
To really understand the Cardinals and the Gas House Gang, you have to go back to the year 1934. That season, led by their fiery manager, Frankie Frisch, and a bunch of hard-nosed players like Medwick, Durocher, Pepper Martin, and Frisch, who was the 2nd baseman and manager, the Cards won the pennant and then played the Tigers in the World Series. They were led pitching-wise by their ace, Dizzy Dean, who won 30 and lost 7, Tex Carlton, 16-11, and Paul Dean, aka Daffy, Dizzy’s brother, 19-11. Five of their regulars hit over .300, and none was below .260. They went 85-58, beating the Giants by two games. Also, a member of that team, for a little while anyway, was former Dodger Dazzy Vance.
The series was a see-saw affair. The Cards won game one in Detroit and lost the second; then they won game 3 in St. Louis. But the Tigers won the next two, sending the series back to Detroit with a 3-2 advantage. Paul Dean started game six and outdueled Schoolboy Rowe, and the series was tied. This set up a game seven matchup with Dizzy Dean facing Elden Auker, who had won game 4. The Cardinals would cruise to an 11-0 win, but the game was not without some drama.
In the 6th inning, the Cards were ahead, 7-0, but they wanted more. Martin led off with a single to left that was misplayed by Goose Goslin, and Martin advanced to second. Rothrock and Frisch both flied out, bringing up Medwick with two outs. Joe slashed a hard drive to right field, scoring Martin. The ball caromed off of the wall, and Medwick headed into third. As he slid in, Tigers’ third sacker, Marvin Owen, dug his foot into Medwick’s leg. The hot-tempered Medwick, still lying on the ground, kicked Owen in the stomach with both spikes. For a moment, it looked as though a fight was going to break out, but the umpires and players quickly separated the two combatants, and the game continued.
Collins scored Medwick with a single, and it was 9-0. Bill Delancy then struck out and was thrown out at first after the catcher missed the ball. As the Cards took the field for the bottom of the 6th, the irate Tigers fans started pelting left field with fruit, pop bottles, and a resounding chorus of boos. The three Cardinal outfielders started playing catch with the fruit, further incensing the crowd. The Umps halted play and sent people out with burlap sacks to clean up the mess. The umpires and Manager Mickey Cochrane tried to restore order to no avail. The fact that Medwick remained unfazed by all of this made the crowd madder. After about a 17-minute delay, Commissioner Landis called Medwick, Owen and the two managers to his box. He asked Medwick why he had done it, and Medwick replied, “it was just one of those things that happens in a ballgame.” Landis immediately removed him from the game.
He was escorted off of the field by five policemen. Landis said he did it to protect the player and allow the game to continue.
As I said, by 1938, Medwick was pretty fed up with ownership. He felt baseball was all about base hits and Buckerino’s. he took a pay cut from 20 to 18 thousand for 1939. He felt he delivered the base hits, and the club should deliver the bucks. But baseball back then had the reserve clause, so no player had any leverage when the season after a great season was not as good. They could not even sit out and move to another team.
Joe was not the most pleasant person, and owner Sam Breadon had little patience with impudent hired help. So he convinced Cardinal GM Branch Rickey that Medwick was expendable, and on June 12, he traded Medwick and Carl Davis to the Dodgers for four players and a sum variously reported at 120 to 200 thousand dollars.
Six games into his Dodger career, he faced his former team. Once again, he was in the middle of an incident that was almost worse than the one in the 1934 series. With two runs in and a runner on, Medwick faced former teammate Bob Bowman. Bowman’s first pitch was high and inside and hit Medwick in the head, knocking him unconscious. The Dodgers roared out of the dugout, intent on wreaking revenge on Bowman, who they felt had hit their teammate on purpose. Some tried to punch him, and Dodger president Larry McPhail got in a swing, knocking off his cap.
Medwick was taken to a hospital. Bowman sat in the dugout with 5 of New York’s finest there to protect him. By the end of the game, there were over 100 officers present. McPhail tried in vain to get Ford Frick to ban Bowman for life and then to get the NY DA’s office to charge him with assault. No luck. Medwick had a concussion but no fracture. He tried to get out of his hospital bed to go after Bowman. One reason the Dodgers were so irate was that the day before at the hotel, Bowman had told Medwick and Leo Durocher that he would take care of them.
Medwick was back on the field four days later. He made the All-Star team. One result of the beaning was the slight movement by some of the players towards the idea of using batting helmets. Most wanted to look tough like the fans wanted them to be. But you can’t cheer for a player who is in the hospital with a fractured skull. Medwick would play for eight more seasons after the beaning. Helmets were not mandatory until 1971. Medwick was not the same hitter he was before the beaning, but he still hit .300 several times, including .337 in 1944.
He played for the Dodgers for parts of Five seasons, 40-43, and 41 games in 1946. He slashed .303/.347/.455 with 38 homers and 293 RBIs. He would finish up with the Cardinals in 1948. His career mark was .322/.362/.505. He had 205 HRs and 1383 RBIs. He continued playing baseball in the minors in 1948 after being released by the Cardinals in July. From 1949-1951 he was a player-manager in various minor leagues.
In 1966 he became a hitting instructor for the Cardinals, and he held that position until 1975. Joe was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1968, his last year on the ballot. About his long wait, he said, ” that was the longest slump of my life. I have gone 0-20 before, but never 0-20 years.” Joe Medwick died of a heart attack in St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 21st, 1975. He was working with the Cardinals at the time.
One of the reasons cited for his long wait to be enshrined in the hall was the contentious relationship he had with members of the press and some of his own teammates. But the man could hit. And he did it his way.
Side note. My ex-girlfriend is related to Pepper Martin. I thought that was so cool.
Future Dodgers Down on the Farm by MT
- OKC blanked Salt Lake 13-0
- OKC is now 62-41
- Edwin Rios was 1-4
- James Outman was 1-4 with a HR
- Mike Busch was 1-5 with a double
- Yadier Alvarez pitched one inning, allowed 1 Hit, and walked 1
- Carson Fulmer pitched a perfect 9th inning, striking out 1 (1.45 ERA/1.06 WHIP, 51 K’s in 43 IP – He has also walked 22, but of late, his walk rate has come down. I think he should get a shot at the Show!
- Tulsa beat NW Arkansas 12-9
- Tulsa is 55-43
- Kyle Hurt again could not get out of the first inning. In 1/3 of an inning, he allowed 4 Hits and 4 ER. Ouch! They are working on something…
- Andy Pages was 2-4 with his 19th HR. He may have plateaued for a while, but I bet he ends the season with 30 HR and close to .900 OPS. He is still just 21!
- Kody Hoese was 2-4
- Brandon Lewis was 2-5 with a Grand Slam (his 14th HR). He is s fringe prospect who was a former Fat Boy who lost 75 pounds or more. He struggled this year at Tulsa, being at around 1.80 all year, but he has started to “get it.” He can play 1B or 3B. I root for him, but his odds are not great of making the Show.
- Great Lakes was beaten by Lake County 6-5
- Great Lakes is now 60-40
- Damon Keith and Diego Cartaya were a combined 0-10
- Eddys Leonard was 2-5 with his 11th HR
- Rancho Cucamonga lost to IE 8-5
- RC’s record is now 52-48
- Yunior Garcia was 3-4 with 4 RBI on his 10th HR
- Ronan Kopp went 3/1 innings and allowed 5 Hits, 3 ER, 3 BB, and 7 K’s – his ERA rose to 2.29. Don’t worry about him.
Last Night’s Game by MT
- Do you remember before the trade deadline where people were making up all this stupid $hit and saying that Cartaya and a bunch of Dodger prospects would be treated to the Nats for Sota and Kaybear? Morons is all I can say!
- Fernando Tatis, Jr. would have made all the difference last night and hit two grand slams to win the game. YEAH… RIGHT! Bring on the Padres! They fear the Dodgers – the Dodgers don’t fear them!
- The Padres added Soto, Drury, and Bell at the deadline and were able to generate ONE WHOLE RUN!
- Who said to DFA David Price? What a dumbass. Well, I confess: I said it too.
- Tony G did not have great control last night (even though he only walked one) – he was missing his spots, but he allowed just three hits and blanked the Clowns from Sand DIego. He might win 20 along with Anderson.
- Cody Bellinger is still at that .200 BA area, but it seems like he makes things count. Along with great defense, he drove in two runs with a double.
- Tell me why Will Smith was not an All-Star? He’s the best Cather in the NL. PERIOD!
- I am going to start calling them the Sand Diego Clowns. It’s appropriate!
- Let’s see what Andrew Heaney can do with these Clowns.
We often say how our pitchers are ‘squeezed’. But Tony got the advantage of two horrible strike three calls. One on Machado in first inning, and one in second inning, Both times with men on base. So after that he was ok. Seems like he couldn’t get any swings and misses first two innings. Anyway. An important win on first game against the ‘super’ lineup. See what happens next
Wendelstadt had a horrible game calling balls and strikes
Needs to get his eyes checked
Both teams were unhappy with him and rightfully so
Great tribute to Vin!
I cryed some tears when the Costner speech was played.
Price is doing good , could be huge during the playoffs with his experience
Go Dodgers!
Yes, that’s when I started as well. Costner is a great speaker.
“I am going to start calling them the Sand Diego Clowns. It’s appropriate!”
Finally someone agrees with me… But I’m sorry, that name is already patented by me, I called them exactly that since last season!
They should be called SHAM DIEGO, something that is not what it is purported to be.
I like that better – The SHAM DIEGO CLOWNS
I LIKE IT!
”Tell me why Will Smith was not an All-Star? He’s the best Cather in the NL. PERIOD!”
Simple, because he did not get enough votes, and we could be guilty of all of that for not voting as many times as we should and could, but about him being the best catcher, he is, unfortunately it seems that he is not the most popular
So when they have to decide on automatic ball/strike rules, instead of having testimony, maybe they could just show a replay of this game.
Bear –
Great article on Ducky Medwick and the Gas House Gang. I heard about the Gas House Gang from my Dad but never knew much about them. Some tough, old buzzards on that team and your article points out what a different game it was back then. Thanks for filling in a void in my baseball knowledge!
Mark, you are right about Price and with Kershaw on the IL and Price’s playoff experience could be even more important come October.
A wonderful Vin tribute yesterday which brought tears to my eyes. And, I want to publicly compliment Dave Roberts on how well he handled his part.
I have seen some negative comments about Joe Davis on LADT. I disagree; succeeding Vin has to be the one of the most difficult acts to follow in history. I personally like Joe’s style and his baseball history lessons; I have learned things about baseball that I never heard before. I am also liking the rotating sidekick approach.
Let’s get a win tonight and the sweep tomorrow and send the CLOWNS back to Sham Diego!
Joe Davis is the Voice of the Dodgers.
Joe Davis is now the Voice of the MLB All-Star Game.
Joe Davis is now the Voice of the World Series.
Next to Vin Scully, I believe Joe Davis is as good as they come.
I liken not liking Joe Davis to a guy who is married to a “10”.
She dies, and he marries a “9.78” and doesn’t think she is pretty!
It’s all in the eyes, ‘er ears of the beholder!
Joe Davis is the best there is, now that Vin is gone. Enjoy the ride…but he’s not Vin!
Agree to disagree. He is what he is, but that does not mean you have to like his style. I do not expect him to be Vin, never did.
Thank you, Tom, I appreciate it. As for Joe Davis, I totally understand that he has maybe the toughest job in sports broadcasting. He has done well. But you have to understand that maybe his style does not play well to each and every fan. We all have favorites. Now, Joe was taught by Vin to be himself, and to tell stories like Vin did. But, I find some of the chatter between him and Orel to be inane. Orel talks just to hear his own voice sometimes. At least it seems that way. But my gripe against most play-by-play announcers I have heard, is that most of them just sound too much alike. I hear a lot of Joe Buck in Davis. And Buck is annoying. The distinctive announcers are mostly retired or dead at this point. You just do not see personalities like Vin, Harry Carey, Jack Buck, or Chick Hearn anymore. Those guys styles are what made fans want to listen every night. To tell you the absolute truth, I sometimes want to turn the sound off and just watch the damn game without all the annoying chatter. Especially on some of the National broadcasts where those announcers have no ties to either team and they just talk incessantly. Also, rotating the color commentators in the booth, is the Dodgers idea, not Joes. Orel wanted to do fewer road games, and the team hired like four new announcers last winter. Dontrelle, Jessica, Mota, and Karros. Personally, I would rather have Nomar as his color guy over any of the others. On a final note, how sweet was it that the Dodgers layed the lumber on SD last night and did it without hitting a homer?
I did not say I like Orel..;) Or Nomar, or Jessica.
I’d like to see Joe in a One Man Booth!
… and exactly why, what for?
To say after a couple of series, he doesn’t stand to the ankles to VIN. The uniqueness of VIN is precisely that: doing it for 67 years and SOLO.
Vin by the way, struggle the last years just because the game today has incorporated advanced metrics and he was working alone with a bunch of papers. Now, Joe can look in whatever Stat site and give all of us the numbers to backup whatever they are saying.
Let’s just…
WIN4VIN!!
100% …. Mendoza is HORRIBLE!
I agree about ‘neutral’ announcers. It seems they just like to blab, say how great they were, get into the latest ‘analytics’, and really aren’t interested in doing play -by-play. So Orel isn’t my favorite, but obviously he knows his pitching, so he has something to offer
Man,sports fans they will turn on there players in a heartbeat.What’s up with Dodger fans change of heart with David Price.3 weeks ago everyone wanted to shoot him,now he can heal the lame.My goodness be real!
Can Juan Soto pitch?
I got this text from my son, who was at the game last night. “All the cholos in right field were heckling Soto all game. I think he got sad and told his manager to take him out”. That’s some funny stuff right there.
I think Manea’s ERA would be at least a run lower if it weren’t for the Dodgers. They’ve pummeled him for 14 earned runs in 2 starts and 8.1 innings. That’s almost a 4th of the runs he’s allowed all year.
We’ll see if Clevinger has better luck tonight, but today I’ll bask in the glory of that beating last night. I’m passing on dinner plans tonight in order to watch the game. I might go to the local place on the corner and start the game off with a burrito and a pint.
Soto said “And I wish you luck to the other pitcher”. Don’t waste your wishes, Juan! Same big mouth as Tatis and Machado. Maybe they’ll book an early October vacation together.
How the hell did both managers manage to use pitchers as pinch hitters in the same game? Idiots!
Gonso got a couple of gifts early in the game, but the Strike Zone was big for both teams all night. If they give Julio that strike zone, it’s going to be a quick night.
Good news for the bullpen. Treinen, Brusdar and Kahnle are all getting close to returning.
It is exceedingly offensive to refer to our Latinx comrades as Cholos.
Let’s face it, the days of great play by play guys may have passed, not to say there isn’t some good ones, but because you work for espn or mlb network doesn’t make you a play by play guy! Take Ernie Johnson, maybe the best studio host in the business, but not very good play by play guy. Still love Rick Monday , even Charlie still nice too! It’s an art that most can’t duplicate. I don’t like joe and Jessica together, nothing against either one. She’s very good at times, and joe is probably better than 95 percent of all out there. Maybe mark has it right, a one man booth might work, worth a try. I like Orel but that’s my personal preference. Strike zone was bad last night agreed. But I grew impatient with cayman not being able to put guys away with 2 strikes! We need more than 5 innings out of our starters, or bullpen will pay for it. Heany could really establish himself tonight with. 6 solid innings. Hope they rock clevinger, still intrigued about his involvement in the Bauer situation . Padre fans, tatis is still out we know, but so is a very hot Justin turner on our side! Cody comes up big tonight, write it down! Go Dodgers!
Nice tributes to Vin last night.
Doc has stated that there is no sadness over Vin’s passing. Only joy, because we have all the memories we have of him. That’s not totally true for me. I’m sad. Losing yet another fixture from my days growing up, gives me a sense of my own mortality. I guess. His passing hit me harder than I expected.
* Bear, you did it. You did a write up on Ducky Medwick, and a good one. I mentioned last week that you might consider it and presto, here it is. As I mentioned when I was in the Phillies Organization we would come out to watch Ducky take occasional BP. He was a hitting instructor for the Cards, as you noted. His bat control and placement of line drives was a thing of beauty. He was 60 at the time.
* I never hated any team or player when I played and coached. I would have with Manny Machado. The slow stroll to home. The smug look on his face makes we want to loosen his teeth.
* Drury looks shaky as hell at 3rd. Maybe he was just nervous but nothing was clean
* Hunter Wendelstadt has lost it. He doesn’t even know the friggin count. Time to retire back to your dad’s umpire school in Florida.
* Profar alone cost The Cat-Man an innings worth of pitches.
* Speaking of Gonsolin, has an amazing knack for escaping. He has looked way so-so lately, throwing a ton of pitches. He seems 3 and 2 on everybody with too many foul balls. Yet puts up zeroes. He looked like he was struggling last night yet he gave up 3 hits, no runs, 1 walk and 6 K’s in 5 innings. He really does have 9 lives.
* Recently it seems like I have seen around baseball 6 or 7 slow rollers and swinging bunts that have been thrown away at 1st by the pitchers or third basemen. Hit and an error with the hitter on 2nd. It might be time to eat that desperation throw.
* To bad the Padres can’t afford the top few buttons for their uniforms. I guess Voit left his mark on the Padres showing chains, chest hair and biceps. Maybe they should go with City Connect uniforms that sport Tank-Top, Muscle Shirts to make it a gun show. They are so bush.
Machado is definitely a thug with a smug along with several other of the Clowns. Preller doesn’t seem to mind signing those types of players. Let’s kick some more ass tonight and may Vin continue to look after Dodger Nation!
Phil
Losing Vin has also caused me to reflect on my mortality too. The only people in my life longer than Vin are a couple of my younger siblings who are also in their 70’s. Life goes by so fast; and, it seems to go faster the older one gets. Cherishing every day is my advice to all younger people.
I have the same reaction to Machado that you do. I would just like to see him at bat against Don Drysdale – just once!
And, I am totally on-board with your posts about the importance of signing Trey Turner.
Big D would put that A-hole right on his keester.
Hi Phil. I’ve been a Dodgers fan since 1953 or earlier (It’s hard to remember for sure). It seems to me that pitchers were not allowed to have unbuttoned shirts, chains showing, etc. back in the 50’s and 60’s. I believe the reasoning was that it could affect the batter’s concentration on the pitch. Does anyone remember this or am I dreaming?
Tom, Big D or Gibson would be a nice match up with Machado. Don’t be digging in Manny. And keep lobbying for signing Trea.
Hodges, MLB is extremely liberal when it comes to personal expression through shoes, wearing of uniforms and jewelry. Amateur baseball is not. Legion age and high school not so much. It’s viewed as a distraction and can’t be worn. Games are frequently delayed as the umpire has kid remove ear rings, necklaces and wrist bands.
The pros are showing off their wealth. Some of the gold necklaces could be boat anchors. Maybe we’ll get a naval diamond display before long.
You are right. All that stuff started sometime in the 70’s, I think. To me as a fan, I think they are distracting and they still will order removal of jewelry if someone on the opposing team complains. No one does since almost everyone does it. Players buttoned the top button on their jersey’s or had the zipper all the way up. Back in the 50’s, players would have harassed any player who wore all that stuff.
Best possible news for Kershaw. The MRI came back “nothing new”…
Kershaw had an X-ray and an MRI on Friday, and nothing new was revealed in the MRI. Manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw was sore Friday, and that prompted the IL move.
“There wasn’t any new findings, so that’s a positive,” Roberts said. “This was the best-case scenario coming from the MRI.”
I’m all for letting Kershaw take a breather and get ready for the stretch run. Spend the time strengthening the back under trainer supervision and keep him throwing on the side.
That was my kind of Dodger game last night! Everyone is dumping on the Padres right now but I expect them to be tough(er) as the season goes on. I hope Machado opts out and wants to wear the blue again at 3rd base (he can be “our” thug). I love beating the Padres but I expect they will give us some stress as the season unfolds. They have some great players, hope they screw it up!
Vinny would have been gracious in that drubbing last night!
No way I want that clown and a long term contract on the Dodgers. He is a cancer. He is not a great person and we do not need any thugs. There are enough of those on the streets of LA. About Hershiser, I know he knows a lot more about pitching than I do. But I do not watch games to be educated. I watch games to be entertained for a while. I prefer Nomar to almost all of the other so-called analysts. That is simply my opinion and my choice. I know no other announcer can ever replace Vin. It is impossible. And Davis is most likely the best choice. But he got the Fox job simply because Buck, who was the lead announcer, left the company. There are very few distinct and different announcers in the game who have their own style and are immediately recognizable. John Miller, of the Giants is one of them. Most of the rest all sound the same. Of course the Rocks announcers are to me, the worst. Drew Goodman is about as exciting as watching a fly go up a drape.
Ya. Hell no to Machado.
“I’ll never be Charlie Hustle”
That’s all it took for me. I assumed his lack of hustle for years was more to do with where he played. Baltimore was mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in Spring Training most of the years he was there. Turns out it wasn’t that. He’s just a D Bag.
Having to watch the Rockies announcers 19 times a year or whatever is a special kind of torture
Cheers
You are absolutely right.
Dodger broadcasters:
Joe – I’m a big “Yes”.
Jessica – knows her stuff, but her delivery and constant giggling drive me crazy
Dontrelle – loved him as a pitcher, not so much as a commentator. Tends to overuse his favorite clever expressions.
Eric – full of himself, but I’m actually liking him better than I used to. Still not a fan, though
Orel – if I’m having a patient day, I’m ok with the Bulldog, otherwise I have no tolerance for the repartee with Joe.
Nomar – over all of the above, he’s my choice.
But by far, my favorite color commentator is Clayton Kershaw. Whenever he’s interviewed in the dugout, his comments and general personality are just great. I always look forward to those inserts into the game.
I turn the voice off sometimes during a Dodger broadcast. I can’t stand to hear Joe Davis’ lame background stories on players. Also I ‘m wondering which laugh is more annoying, Kamala or Jessica’s laugh. Tough decision.
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
Tommy Kahnle said he threw a 25 pitch bullpen today. It’s been his third bullpen since returning to IL. #Dodgers
To tell the truth, I love listening to Charlie Steiner on the radio. When I watch the Rocks games on altitude sports, I turn the sound down and listen to Rick and Charlie’s radio feed. Why do I like Steiner? Because he is so wrong so much of the time. He mispronounces names, gets players mixed up and calls fly outs homers sometimes. He is wonderfully not perfect. Perfect is boring. Oh, Jerry Hairston Jr. He is most annoying.
I would sent Jerry Hairston and Kirsten Watson to OKC. Jerry just irritates the crap out of me and I only see him in the short studio spots. Same with Kirsten. Since I only get Dodger games on the MLB Extra Innings Package, I don’t see her work on SportsNet LA. Maybe she does better work there. But her spots on the stuff I see has been dumbed down so much, she brings nothing to my table. I really miss Alanna Rizzo. She deserved and had a much broader role the Kirsten for good reason. While some claim Kirsten has gotten better, I think see talks too fast, mumbles down her shirt, and doesn’t know baseball.
I’m with MT that I’d prefer a 1 man booth with Joe but what do you do with Orel, Jessica, Dontrelle, Eric and Nomar? How is it that one of the great talents of Vin was to let the game breathe. These folks talk incessantly and the only relief is when Dieter drowns them out with that damned organ.
I cannot stand her at all. At least Rizzo knew baseball, and she could interview the Hispanic players in their own language. Kirsten does not have the knowledge nor the on screen presence Rizzo had. Heading back to Cali next month for a few weeks to help out my sis again.
9:10 PM ET
Padres (61-48)
Dodgers (73-33)
Andrew Heaney L
1-0 .77 ERA 23.1IP 34K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
DH Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
2B Gavin Lux L
LF Joey Gallo L
CF C. Bellinger L
C A. Barnes R
Clear-day
0% Rain
87° Wind 8 mph Out
Tonight’s minor league starting pitchers:
Triple A Oklahoma City – Michael Grove
Double A Tulsa – Gavin Stone
High A Great Lakes – Ben Casparius
Low A Rancho Cucamonga – Peter Heubeck
I’m not in love with Gallo, Belli and Barnes 7-8-9 That’s a potential 0 for 12 with 9 K’s. I hope I’m wrong
Good article from ESPN on that Padres. Passan lays out some interesting facts, many which I forgot. They have literally traded away more stars in the past decade than any team in baseball. And made some of the dumbest free agent signings in that period. And the Dodgers benefited (Kemp for Grandal). Had they simply stuck with their homegrown players all these years they undoubtably would have been better. Preller is the quintessential dope fiend GM. That whole definition of insanity thing.
“Preller proceeded to fail in epic fashion. In a brazen parade of big-name trades, the Padres acquired Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Justin Upton, B.J. Upton and Craig Kimbrel. Among the players traded away: catcher Yasmani Grandal, plus two recent first-round draft picks, Max Fried and Trea Turner. All told, the trades would produce 26.6 WAR of value for the Padres, while Preller traded away 81.6 future WAR (counting value only through a player’s first six seasons of team-controlled service time). And that figure will climb even higher — Turner’s initial team-controlled years go through the end of this season, and Fried’s through 2024.
The worst part: The 2015 team won fewer games than the 2014 squad.”
https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/34346141/how-san-diego-padres-unconventional-master-plan-nabbed-juan-soto-deadline-biggest-fish
Hmmm. Using WAR to assess trades here. I wonder what Bluto has to say about his favorite GM now.
Peace and Love.
We all love the Dodgers.
We are blessed that Spectrum is one of the few, not sure if the only that does both home and away broadcasts. Orel has his years and Joe also work for Fox in the West Coast. Joe Buck still does the games in Fox in the East.
I prefer a 100 times our people whoever they paired to the Damn Yankees announcers and the stupid “See Ya”, just saying.
Those are some pretty ugly numbers at the end of our lineup tonight!
How much more are Padres paying Soto than Dodgers pay Will Smith? Plus I don’t think Soto could play backstop.
Soto’s salary this season is 17 mil. But he is eligible for arbitration this offseason, so it will go north of 20,
Very strange “jumpping”
Mookie’s celebration . I hope it is not the new team at all
Gallo as advertised
I give Gallo until August 31st.
Your opinion. Which you obviously are entitled to. What you are not entitled to is to call those who do not care for certain broadcasters is to call them babies. And it is not whining, it is an opinion.
Lux still has trouble making the easy plays,
Is Max back? Stick around Max. And don’t you go back no more.
They got Gallo to make Max and Bellinger feel better about themselves! And Martin looks like another AF steal!
That was straight up a cold play by AF
Kimbrel in the 9th. We need another run!
Thank You, Cody!
If Dodgers go 38 and 17 from now forward that’s 112 wins! It’s looking that they’ll do a little better than that. All cylinders on this Merlin engine.
Just my opinion , but I think Betts was bagging on Smth’s short arms after hitting the HR. He loves that in side pitch.
How sweet it is. Jam that deadline deal right back down the Padres throats. All the runs were unearned thanks to Lux’s error. Cody has extra base hits in three consecutive games.
It does taste sweet. San Diego does have some good wine country nearby. I predict this year’s vintage to be overrated and generally disappointing. Despite the high price tag.
IMO, Max and Cody don’t have to return to their previous bests; but, if they can come back some of the way – like tonight – the Dodgers will be in good shape offensively the rest of the way….assuming there are no serious injuries.