I thought it would be interesting and appropriate to look at the Dodger bullpens in the seasons they won the World Series. This is simply because so much of what I have read lately on our site pertains to the makeup for the post-season of our relief staff.
For the record, the 1955 team used 15 pitchers during the season. Five were primarily starters, Newcombe, Erskine, Podres, Meyer, and Loes. Several made spot starts, Craig, Labine, Spooner, Koufax, Lasorda, and Bessent. Six different pitchers recorded saves, with Roebucks 12 leading the team. Labine, Craig, Spooner, Bessent, and Hughes. Labine, who appeared in 60 games, started eight and relieved in 52 to lead the team. Roebuck had 47 appearances, all in relief. Labine had one complete game as a starter. Craig had 3. Don Bessant’s 2.70 ERA was the best among the relievers. He also posted an 8-1 record. The only save recorded by the pen in the World Series belonged to Labine, who also threw a complete game win. Bessant appeared in 3 games and did not give up a run. Podres, who was the series MVP, threw two complete games.
The 1959 Dodgers were a mixture of old Brooklyn vets and a bunch of kids trying to make their mark. They also had several journeymen players who would contribute to the season. They employed, once again, 15 pitchers during the season. The five starters were Podres, Drysdale, Koufax, Craig, and Danny McDevitt. The ten pitchers who comprised the pen over the year were Labine, Stan Williams, Larry Sherry, Art Fowler, Johnny Klippstein, Chuck Churn, Gene Snyder, Carl Erskine, Fred Kipp, and Bill Harris. Harris got into one game and Kipp two. Erskine was at the end of his career and retired in June. Williams, Sherry, and Snyder all made spot starts. Labine led the team with eight saves. Erskine, Churn, Sherry, Fowler, and Klippstein recorded the rest. In the Series, Sherry would be their main go-to guy. He would record two wins and two saves and win the Series MVP award.
The 1963 team used 14 different pitchers during the season. The starters threw 50 complete games. Koufax, Drysdale, and Podres were the big three. Bob Miller and Pete Richert were the other two. Ron Perranoski was the closer, and he finished with a 16-3 record and 21 saves in 69 games. His bullpen mates were Larry Sherry, Ed Roebuck, and Dick Calmus; in his only MLB season with the Dodgers, Nick Wilhite and Ken Rowe. The bullpen got exactly 2/3rds of an inning of work in the Series. Perranoski came in to save Podres’ game-two win. Koufax pitched two complete games and Drysdale one as they swept the Yankees. And so far, they earned the only WS title win on their home field. All of the others have been won on the road, or in the case of 2020, at a neutral site.
1965
In 1965, the Dodger pitching staff was led by a three-headed monster that won 64 of their 97 wins. They used basically a 5-man bullpen consisting of Perranoski, Bob Miller, Howie Reed, Jim Brewer, and Nick Wilhite. Perranoski had 18 saves, Miller 9, Brewer 2, Reed and Wilhite, one each. John Purdin, Mike Kekich, and Bill Singer had minor roles. Miller was in the most games, 61. Reed had 7 wins, Miller and Perry 6 each. Brewer won 3 and Purdin and Wilhite, two each. In the World Series against the Twins, no saves were recorded. The only time the relief pitchers made an appearance was in the three losses. All four wins were complete game victories by the starters.
1981 was, as we all know, a strike year. It was also the first time in the playoff era that the Dodgers would win a championship. They had lost their first three playoff era World Series in 74-77 and 78. But this was the year of Fernando. They used a 4-man rotation, and nine different pitchers spent time in the pen. Steve Howe led in appearances and saves with 41 and 8. Dave Goltz, Bobby Castillo, Dave Stewart, and Terry Forster were the main guys behind him. Rick Sutcliffe, Tom Neidenfuer, Alejandro Pena, and Ted Power also got into some games. Goltz, who was supposed to be their big free agent starter from the year before, stunk up the joint as a reliever losing seven and posting an ERA north of 5. Stewart and Howe had ERA’s around 2.50. In the first round of the playoffs, against the Astros, no saves were recorded. Ruess and Fernando had complete game wins, and Hooton won his game by 5. In the NLCS, the only save was recorded by Bob Welch in Game 5 in Montreal. In the series against the Yankees, Howe got the only save and also a win.
The 1988 team basically went with a 5-man pen. They were pretty good. Alejandro Pena and Brian Holton had sub-2 ERAs. Howell had a 2.08 ERA and 21 saves. Pena saved 12. Holton saved one and won 7. Tim Crews went 4-0 out of the pen, and Jesse Orosco saved 9. In the NLCS, Howell was ineffective, and if memory serves me correctly, he got a suspension for having a file in his glove. So the bulk of the work went to Holton, Ricky Horton, and Pena. They each worked four innings in the series. Holton and Pena got saves, and Pena was tagged with a loss in game 3. The other save belonged to Hershiser in game 4. They used four relievers in the Series against the A’s, Holton, Leary, Howell, and Pena. Howell got the only save.
During the shortened 2020 season, the pen was a very important part of the team. Since spring training had been split into two parts, and they were only going to play 60 games, the starters would not be going deep into games, and in many instances, they were piggybacked. Fifteen pitchers would make appearances out of the pen. Jansen was the closer. Fifteen saves were recorded by the bullpen, and Jansen had 11 of them. Only Pedro Baez, with 2, had multiple saves besides Jansen. But the bullpen had six pitchers record at least three wins. Jansen, Treinen, Floro, McGee, Kolarek, and Gonzalez. The starting staff only had one pitcher with more than three wins, Kershaw with 6. Ferguson and Alexander won 2 out of the pen. After the season was done, instead of the normal two series to get to the World Series, they would have to navigate 3 Series. They beat the Brewers 2-0 and advanced to play the Padres in the Division Series. Graterol and Jansen earned saves against the Brewers. Except for game 2, which was saved by Joe Kelly, they rolled the Pads in 3 and advanced to the NLCS against Atlanta. By game 5, they were down 3-1 and in a huge hole late in the game trailing by 2. A great play by Mookie had kept Atlanta’s lead at two when he made a shoestring catch and doubled Ozuna off of third because he left too soon. Late thunder came from a 3-run bomb by Will Smith and another by Corey Seager, and they held on for a 7-3 win credited to Treinen. Game 6 saw Buehler stifle the Braves for 6 and then Treinen, Baez and Jansen shut the door. Game 7 was a nail-biter. The two openers, Gonsolin and May, put the Dodgers in a 3-0 hole. The pen started its work in the 4th inning. Treinen went two scoreless, then Graterol threw a scoreless inning. In somewhat of a surprise, Roberts went to Urias with the game tied in the 7th. Bellinger’s homer off of Chris Martin untied it, and Julio totally shut down Atlanta, and the Dodgers were on their way to the Series to face the Rays.
The pen got a lot of use in the Series. In game one, Kershaw was masterful over six innings, and the team gave him an 8-1 lead when he left the game. Floro gave up 2 in the 7th, but Gonzalez came in and shut the Rays down. Baez and Kelly finished the game with scoreless innings. The game two loss was decided early when the Rays built up a 5-0 lead off of Gonsolin and May, and Gonzalez by the 5th inning. Kelly gave up another in the 6th, and the Rays held the Dodgers off for a 6-4 win. In Game 3, Buehler took matters into his own hands and shut the Rays down through 6 strong innings. Treinen and Graterol each threw a scoreless frame, and then Jansen came in to pitch the 9th. He allowed a two-out homer to Arozarena and then got the last out.
Game 4 was a see-saw affair, which saw each side getting and then losing the lead. Urias, who started, was not sharp and gave up 2 in his four innings of work. 2 homers were hit off of him. Blake Treinen was also ineffective and gave up 2 in 2/3rds of an inning. The Dodgers had a one-run lead in the 7th, and Baez gave up his second homer and had a blown save. Kolarek and Graterol held the Rays scoreless in the 8th after LA had scored in the top of the inning, and Jansen came in to lock down the win….Ooops. What happened in that 9th inning was surreal to me. We had all seen Jansen’s high wire act before, but this bordered on the unnatural. Jansen struck out Tsutsugo. Kiermaier hit a soft single to right. Wendle hit a hard liner to Pederson for the second out. Jansen then walked Arozarena bringing up Brett Phillips, who had just come into the game. With two strikes, Phillips hit a flair that just made it over the glove of the second baseman, Kike Hernandez; it looked like the game would be tied, but Taylor misplayed the ball, and Arozarena, seeing his bobble dashed towards home, but he tripped and headed back to third, when he saw Taylor’s throw misplayed by Smith, so he reversed direction and scored the winning run. I am pretty sure this little episode, and the homer he allowed the previous game, would factor into Roberts’s decision not to use Jansen to close game six a couple of days later.
All of the scoring in game five was done by the 5th inning. Both pens did great jobs. Kershaw gave up the only runs the Rays would score in the 3rd inning. After he left the game in the 6th, May, Gonzalez, and Treinen shut the Rays down for the 4-2 win. Treinen getting a save. Game 6 saw the Dodgers use an opener again. Gonsolin was ineffective but ended up allowing only one run because Floro came in and struck out Arozarena with a couple of runners on. Wood, Baez, Gonzalez, and Graterol would follow while LA tried to figure out Blake Snell. Through 5, Snell was dominant. He struck out nine and had not allowed a hit. Then in the 6th, with one out, he gave up a sharp single to center by Austin Barnes. Inexplicably, the manager, Kevin Cash, pulled Snell from the game with Betts coming to the plate. Nick Anderson came in. Betts then hit a screamer down the line for a double. Barnes scored on a wild pitch, and then Mookie scored on a grounder to first and beat the throw home. Betts then added an 8th-inning homer off of Pete Fairbanks and Julio Urias, who entered the game in the 7th, did the rest. Striking out Willie Adames for the last out and securing the Dodger’s first title since 1988.
So, who will be the Lockdown Man this time? Getting there is not going to be a walk in the park. Since the Dodgers have dominated the league for most of the year, a target is firmly on their back.
After allowing two hits, a Hit Beaty, and an earned run, Evan Phillips saw his ERA “balloon” to 1.38.
DFA HIM!
Ryan Pepiot is maddening. Yes, he nibbles way too much, but he also loses concentration and misses by three feet which is just crap! If you can’t come within a few inches of your target, you can’t play in the Bigs. When you miss by three feet (which he does way too frequently) you have ZERO chance.
Kimbrel holds up with a 5-run lead!
Mike Grove went 5 innings and allowed 1 ER for OKC while walking 1 and striking out 5.
Andre Jackson followed with 4 shutout innings.
Dalton Rushing was 3-4 last night for RC. In 91 AB’s he has 34 hots, 7 HR and 26 RBI and is hitting ONLY .418/.534 OB% and 1.303 OPS. That ain’t shabby!
My memory of watching Urias in the beginning was him tryingto nibble too much and throwing too many pitches. I guess eventually he got his confidence and changed his approach.
Urias did not miss by three feet like Pepiot frequently does.
Kimbrel has looked a lot better his last couple outings. Maybe, just maybe he can be the closer he once was. That would be HUGE for the Dodgers. There is still some hope left. Lets see how he does over the next 3-4 weeks.
The Pepiot audition should be over. Kid has excellent stuff but he needs time to work on his control. He is no option for the playoffs.
he probably will be sent down today and I would bring up either Kahnle or V-Gone, maybe both should the Dodgers decide to DFA Hembree.
Next time the 6th man in the rotation comes up I would really like to see Bobby Miller given a chance.
Down on the farm Outman is still raking. Two more hits yesterday. If Vargas does not hit maybe Outman will. Could he be our Arozarena or Rosario this postseason ?
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The odds are pretty long that Vargas will hit if he doesn’t play.
Anyone can catch lightning in a bottle. Outman could… but the Dodgers could sure use a high-contact RH bat!
4 weeks to go. There should be plenty AB for Vargas, especially with Lux on the shelf.
If he does not hit, Outman should be given a shot. He did well his first time up. He could be that RH bat you rightfully point out as a need.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The problem is that outman does not hit RH’ed.
My last sentence in the post you are referring to was put on the wrong place in the post. Should have been in context to Vargas. When I saw it it was too late to edit. But you are certainly right, Outman is a LH hitter. Maybe he could take Gallos spot on the roster.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because the Dodgers locked up the season series against the Padres with their 10th win of the head-to-head matchup, Los Angeles’ magic number to win the division dropped from 12 to nine with the victory. The earliest they can clinch a postseason spot is Friday.
… which is absolutely crazy.
Farhan has lost some of his luster!
Preller is just a feller!
Trayce Thompson is looking more and more like Lou Johnson from the 1960s. Before September ends, I would like to see him playing on an every day basis in LF to determine his role in the playoff run….
I have seen enought of TT and Gallo and CT3 to say he should be the everyday right fielder for us.
CT3 off the bench and Gallo (if he makes the roster) the LH pinch hitter .
TT has earned it.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trayce absolutely has earned more starts and ABs. What more does he have to do?
A platoon of him and Gallo makes some sense on paper but Trayce has reverse splits. He’s been hammering righthanded pitching… though his HR yesterday was off a lefty.
Belli is such a frustrating player. So much proven talent… but is he really the best option in the playoffs? Right now he’s a glove-first CF with a terrible OBA and an occasional HR.
If Outman is called up and continues to impress, perhaps the best OF would be Betts. Trayce and Outman.
That’s obviously a long shot.
But if we base the decision on recent performance, well….
Projected playoff lineup:
Betts RF
Trea SS
Freddie 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3b/DH
JT DH/3B
Lux 2B
Trayce LF
Belli CF
Bench of Barnes, Taylor, Alberto, Gallo… Vargas?
So strange the Dodgers have a fairly recent MVP batting 9th.
Trayce has my vote, not sure what more he can do except cut down on all those K’s. 56 in 140 AB’s is pretty extreme, but so is his competition.
Trayce has a lovely swing
In the Captain Obvious department Pepiot will have no future as a MLB SP if he doesn’t harness his wildness. The experience gained this year with 7 big league starts might prove immeasurable, but he also might find himself being passed by the like of Stone, Miller, Nastrini, Frasso etc. He also might find himself traded this offseason.
74 pitches for 6 outs while Ferguson got three outs in inning one on 11 pitches. Got to do better than that and he has no shot at being on the post season roster, so I agree with others who say it’s time to see what Stone or Miller can do in the bigs.
Two of the greatest advantages the Dodgers have over the rest of the league. Homegrown starting pitching and catching. Kersh. Buehler, Urias, May and Gonsolin with Pepiot (yes he will figure it out), Miller, Stone and Grove waiting in the wings. Wow! Look at the Padres-all imported and expensive starters. And Will Smith, what a huge advantage his bat is over the rest of baseball! With Cartaya and Rushing waiting in the wings! And I love Vargas’s swing. If not this year then next-he will be a force in our lineup!
Anyone else happen to notice that the Mighty Mets fell to the Nats for the second game in a row? Still worried? The Braves are just one game behind now. One of these teams will get the top wildcard spot, the other will win their division and get the second bye.
The Padres have an opportunity to choke away their playoff spot altogether for the second year in a row with just a half game ahead of the Phillies and a three game lead against Milwaukee. You can just about put a stick in the Giants, 8 games behind the last wildcard spot. Why can’t they be good? Maybe Farhan isn’t a genius after all. His record as the GM of the Giants…
2019 – 77-85
2020 – 29-31
2021 – 107-55
2022 – 64-68 so far.
Pepiot needs to figure out how to harness his stuff otherwise he’ll be Ross Stripling or Mitch White 2.0.
I think we’re pretty late in the season to be calling up a starter to make their debut. But, I would imagine that the Dodgers will want to keep trying that 6 man rotation for most of the remaining season. Gonsolin is eligible to come off the IL this weekend. Kershaw, Urias, May, Heaney and Anderson still exist, so they’re covered.
It’s really sad that Bellinger completely forgot how to hit. But, I would still rather have him in CF than anyone else on the roster. Brant and RVS better clear their offseason plans and lock Belli up at Camel Back Ranch in the offseason.
Trayce should play full time in LF for the rest of the year. Let CT3 give Belli and Trayce a blow a couple of times a week and let Mookie play second base here and there to keep Gavin fresh. CT3 needs to get going so he can pinch hit for Belli in critical spots in the postseason.
Belli showed a good eye drawing three walks last night. He rarely walks three times in a week. Freeman 0-4 trade the bum! LOL. Turner’s recent fielding gaffs are a bit disconcerting. But he will figure it out.
TT obviously has the yips.
It’s something to watch. I know you are kidding, but stranger things have happened. They were ugly.
Stripling’s on a good run with B’Jays this season.
Go figure.
Stripling’s good! Pepiot is good! So is White.
The Dodgers make good pitchers.
So is Soto, I’d love to have that player here.
Nice win after letting SD back in the game. I did like the on field tete a tete between Mookie and the announcers. It was good entertainment. And them finding videos of his first MLB hit and the first on field interview he did, was pretty cool too. Especially when the ball was smacked to right and he replied, “I am not catching this one guys.” When they asked him who needed a fashion makeover, he walks over and asks Bellinger and Gallo their thoughts. He was going to say Bellinger, but then they all agreed that CT3 needs the makeover. Funny stuff. For me the funniest moment of the broadcast was when the camera focused on some clown in the pavilion, who was obviously hammered, slamming a beer and then crushing the can. Dude was wasted.
Nice compilation there Bear, that had to take a lot of digging. I really enjoyed it, brought back a lot of memories
I’m not sure, I haven’t seen stats and it’s also not my thing, but I think Kimbrel has been almost perfect in the 8 inning in the games he’s pitched in, far from saving the game. Maybe that’s his role, set-up
Dodgers: Former Dodger Shuts Down Astros’ Cheater Josh Reddick Online.
He says the 2016 Dodgers cheated too, but he didn’t want to say anything about it.
https://www.dodgersnation.com/dodgers-former-dodger-shuts-down-astros-cheater-josh-reddick-online/2022/09/04/
Juan Soto says that the Dodgers are just one more team, one more organization among all. Both teams are in the big leagues and both have good players, both can play baseball. Which level?
Juan Machado or Manny Soto? They’re both a couple of fucking assholes, sons of bitches!
This season, Kimbrel has a 4.15 ERA in the 8th inning. Versus a 3.98 ERA in the 9th.
But how do you really feel, Jorge?
I am really surprised any GM wants to deal with Andrew Friedman when he pulls off deals for Trayce Thompson for cash considerations, Chis Martin for Mckinstry and Vesia for Dylan Floro.
Astros might wanna – Fields / Alvarez probably not so good.
I look for the Dodgers to concentrate on roster management in the offseason. There is extreme competition for the 40-man roster. Look for them to trade older players for younger, promising players that they don’t have to protect. If they don’t, they will lose some through the rule 5 draft or have to dfa them. I have been extremely impressed with Trayce Thompson. Believe he will play a much larger role next year. would love to see Joey and Cody get their swing problems resolved, but don’t think they will. Cody has tried many versions, but they all look the same to me. Would like for him to try a crouching stance. My advice might be terrible, but it’s free.
I personally think his upright stance is a huge part of the problem. His swing is too long and loopy at this point, and to tell the truth, most of the time his strike zone identification is not very good. He swings at a lot of balls he is never going to hit.
Outman said his swing was completely revamped from the ground up. I wonder who helped him with that? It seems obvious that the dodger hitting coaches can’t help Belli.
The Dodgers coaches worked with Outman, but it was over a couple of years and at the minor league level. Sometimes it takes a different voice. I wonder if that “Voice” could be Freddie and his father?
JT is an option. He is a real technician on hitting.
Phil Jones is on to something, but it’s probably not that simple… maybe it is.
Cody is not using his shoulders as leverage. They move but not as powerfully as they used to. Maybe there are adhesions or scar tissue that prevents it? Is surgery possible to correct?
I had my hip replaced 13 years ago and can run 35-40 feel… pretty quickly, actually, but then I “forget” how to do it. I’m not tired – I just can’t continue the motion. Lost muscle memory. Of course, at 69, I should not be doing that any way…
The other night Belli struck out on a change up. By comparing his swing from the front view, his head moved a conservative 20 inches down and 20 inches forward. Using a little Pythagorean theorem, his eyes traveled 28 inches. I understand that there was a little arc there and no a straight line so they actually travelled more.
Next time you tee up a golf ball, I want you to try this. Stand straight up, then drop you head a foot and a half down, then a foot and a half forward and attempt to hit your ball. Now think about doing that with the ball traveling at 90+ mph and you’ll have a better understanding of why he can’t hit.
I think Trayce and Gallo will be free agents. The Dodgers would be foolish to let Trayce go, and he is obviously comfortable in LA.
Gallo, I suspect, will move on… perhaps to Anaheim, since he seems to love living in SoCal.
Belli is under contract but if he doesn’t break out of his 3-year funk he could be dealt.
He’s part of my latest fantasy blockbuster package for Ohtani….even if the Angels already have a decent centerfielder.
Doubt the Angels would sign him with the impending sale and the fact that Ohtani is the main DH when he is not pitching. Angels are a mess, why would he even want to go there? I think he might come back on a one-year deal. He might benefit a lot from a full spring training with the Dodger hitting gurus.
Bellinger could be dealt???!!?!?!?
How do you imagine he has any trade value?
Sure, Belli could be dealt. But yes, his value is way down.
I can envision him in a blockbuster for a star that the Dodgers might covet–though there might not be many of those now.
Ohtani is a handy example, because his two-way stardom probably makes him the most valuable player on the planet right now.
The Angels would insist on several young, controllable prospects, as well experienced players they could quickly plug into their lineup now. (Remember, the Dodgers gave up FIVE prospects for a half-season of Machado. How much for a full season of Ohtani? )
Belli would be a marquee name, tarnished but still young and carrying the tantalizing possibility of returning to MVP form. Right now, he’d probably be the Angels’ rightfielder, pushing Adell, a poor fielder, over to DH.
All of this is just an academic exercise, of course. My guess is that Moreno will leave the Ohtani decision to whoever buys the Halos. At any rate, the Dodgers certainly have the talent to put together a big package either over the winter or at the next mid-season trading deadline.
And if there’s any traction, perhaps AF would try to include Ben Joyce, the guy with the 105-mph fastball.
Trayce is not a free agent.
That’s good news!
I often wonder about the contract status of veterans in the minors. Usually assume they can move on if they see a better opportunity elsewhere.
Jason Martin in OKC might be such a guy. He’s playing great but doesn’t seem to even be in the conversation for LA. If he was a Halo, he’d probably be in Anaheim.
Belli can’t be traded. He has a “No-Trade Contract.”
He’s arbitration eligible, so no one in their right mind will trade for him and offer him arbitration when they can just get him if the Dodgers do not tender him. So that is effectively a “No Trade Contract.”
Dodgers could cover part of his salary. Various ways to skin that cat.
Re bullpen….
In years past, the relief crews featured young guys like Bob Welch and Dave Stewart, who went on to illustrious careers as starters. Is there any reason to think Miller or Stone might not have a similar career arc?
The fact that Koufax and Hershiser closed out games raises another option….
If the game is on the line, and he’s had some rest, would Roberts again turn to the ace Urias?
Better him than Kimbrel, right?
If Kimbrel is right, he will close. Maybe he regains his dominance, maybe not, but I really do not think Urias is going to be an option this time. He is the most experienced playoff starter besides Kersh.
Urias will likely start Game 1.
Later, in a series, he could pitch an inning or two of relief. He can do that, but don’t expect it.
After what happened last season, I don’t expect it.
Let’s say Game 7 and he has two days’ rest…
But after what happened in 2020….
If the game is on the line, I think Roberts goes with what he thinks is the best option. If Urias has enough rest, it could be him.
I don’t think it’s Kimbrel.
Maybe Treinen. Maybe somebody else.
Got it:
Alberto!
It was fun watching the Dodger game last night in a San Diego hotel bar. All the staff were Padre fans. The collective groan when Trace hit that home run was great. Death rattle of hope.
What I most enjoyed was a group of inebriated men from Italy. Who, several times, requested the bartender change the channel to tennis when it was a one run game. The look on the bartenders face could only be appreciated by a baseball fan. The kind of look a chef would give somebody if they ordered a $75 steak, well done with a side of ketchup. Disgusted disbelief.
To add to your story, guess who loves ketchup with his $75 steak?
Yes, Trayce’s dad, Mychal Thompson.
Shout out to Mychal. Cool Papi.
Great scene description Jayne. That’s funny.
* Like many here, I’m not impressed with Pepiot. His stuff Is is reported to be nasty but I don’t see it. He has no out pitch. Too many foul balls with 2 strikes. And his misses are too big. He isn’t close to ready.
* I actually think Juan Soto can visually track the ball to contact with the bat and watch it off the bat. Many say the hitter loses the ball the last few feet. Kind of a blind spot. But I think he can visually see it all the way. I’m not one to compare him to Ted Williams, just yet, as some have. But that is some special vision skill.
* Nice to see Alberto given the night off the mound. We’ll hopefully need him on good rest down the stretch. Seriously I’ve grown to like Hanser a lot. He seems to be a legit popular clubhouse presence and provides better than expected defense in the infield. And he can hit a bit against LHP where he has a career BA of .324 and .275 this season. I don’t know what the rule is about guys not on the 26 man post-season roster being able to be in the dugout but I could see the players missing this teammate if he isn’t on the playoff roster. I don’t know if he’s a bubble guy and somewhat redundant with CT3. I know it’s a tough business but Alberto brings some intangibles to the party.
* The in-game interview with Mookie was fascinating and revealing. He is the opposite of arrogant as a player and person. Mookie’s insecurity is a motivation. He plays because he doesn’t want to screw up. There’s a deep pride factor there. Different guys are motivated by different things. And it’s necessary for a good coach and organization to know what motivated each guy. Some play for pride and fear of failure, some need a kick in ass and respond to that. Others don’t. Some guys can respond favorably to open criticism and others need a quiet one-on-one meeting behind closed doors. Some are cerebral guys other players really aren’t very smart and require different explanations. One approach does not fit all and successful organizations hire “OKG’s” and know what motivates their guys.
I have skirted the issue, but Pepiot is a mental midget. He is his own worst enemy and needs someone else to get into his ear. I don’t know who that is.
Mookie uses insecurity as motivation, while Pepiot is crippled by it!
William’s eye/hand skills as measured in his pilot training were some of the highest ever recorded IIRC.
Haven’t watched much of Soto but here’s my short list of guys who ‘had it’:
Rod Carew
Pete Rose
Wade Boggs
Albert Pujols
Tony Gwynn
Some more but these guys were always dialed in. Tony G was prolly best contact hitter I remember. Boggs was close – he went for long ball one season and never tried that again.
I would add Ichiro to that list.
Carew says Arreaz (sp?) is his favorite hitter now–and he just broke up Dylan Cease’s no-hitter.
Great analysis Phil Jones. I would have liked to have a coach like you. I missed an opportunity to play some higher level baseball that I think I could have done with better coaching but things were different in the early 80’s in my world.
I truly believe I could have been a HOF Fame player with better coaching, more talent, and great eyesight! 😉
Really, I was trying to pay a compliment to the information he posts is all.
I am not disparaging that… 😉 I agree with that premise.
Not that anyone cares:
09/05/22 Baltimore Orioles claimed RHP Jake Reed off waivers from Los Angeles Dodgers.
DODGERS RECALL JUSTIN BRUIHL
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled left-handed pitcher Justin Bruihl and optioned right-handed pitcher Ryan Pepiot to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Bruihl, 25, returns to the Dodgers for the third time this year and has appeared in 18 games this season, allowing seven runs in 17.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. He has been with the Dodgers two seasons, recording a 1-2 record with a 3.22 ERA (13 ER/36.1 IP) and 22 strikeouts in 39 games. With Triple-A Oklahoma City, he was 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA (12 ER/28.0 IP) and 23 strikeouts. He was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on July 15, 2017.
Pepiot, 25, appeared in the game last night, allowing three hits and four walks in 2.0 innings. He is 2-0 on the campaign with a 3.78 ERA (14 ER/33.1 IP) and 38 strikeouts in eight games. With Triple-A Oklahoma City, he is 8-0 with a 2.58 ERA (24ER/80.1 IP) and 98 strikeouts in 16 games (14starts). The Indiana native has spent parts of three seasons in the minor leagues with the Dodgers, going 13-9 with a 3.51 ERA (81 ER/205.0 IP) and 256 strikeouts in 55 games (46 starts). He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the third round (102nd overall) of the 2019 First Year Player Draft out of Butler.
10:10 PM ET
Giants (64-68)
Dodgers (92-41)
SP Logan Webb R
11-8 2.89 ERA 165.0IP 46BB 137K
SP Andrew Heaney L
2-1 2.12 ERA 46.2 IP 12BB 70K
Confirmed Lineup
2B Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
3B Max Muncy L
RF T. Thompson R
LF Joey Gallo L
DH M. Vargas R
CF C. Bellinger L
C A. Barnes R
Clear-night
0% Rain
88° Wind 5 mph Out
NO Dodger Minor League Games Tonight
Heaney is like the pitching version of the true outcome hitter
Yeah…. maybe Heaney won’t make it to the post-season.
Hope we see Miller and Stone before too long.
We will likely not see Miller or Stone THIS season.
Tomorrow I explain why.
I should have caught this sooner….
DFA Heaney!
Fire prior
Andrew, I hear Cancun is lovely in October!
Man I really feel sorry for Belli right now.
He really looks so defeated.
I think Heaney might, maybe, should not be a starter. That may be the deal. We shall see.
Kike Hernandez signed a one year 10-million-dollar contract extension with the Red Sox.
This is why I have commented several times before saying that I am not high on Heaney and left him off my playoff roster list the other day. He’s a home run giving up machine.
Man, Deno just slaughtered the rally!
ya, that was game altering
I don’t understand that played by Dino. First of all there was nobody out
Second of all it’s not like we’re desperate for a win, so why risk your catcher at home plate getting injured. Made zero sense.
And he just pulled a Boner with Trayce a few days ago
Add to that, Barnes had a previous super stumbled in almost the same play some weeks ago!
DFA Dino!
Thanks Wat, got a chuckle out of that one
Unlike some, Ebel took complete blame for making a mistake. He is human. Hard to believe that some here are really Dodger fans. Complaining about a meaningless loss in a season where their team has dominated. Yeah, it was the Giants, and Heaney got lit up. I have seen the same thing happen to Kershaw in games with much more meaning. Heaney, even with his propensity to give up home runs lately, is not as bad as all that. I do not think he will make the NLDS roster, but he might be added if they make it to the NLCS. He is a strikeout pitcher who left some up in the zone. That can happen to anyone. Expecting someone like Miller or Stone to come in and be better than Heaney has been most of the year is beyond wishful thinking. The more prominent problem continues to be the bashless brothers. As long as they get little to no production out of Muncy, Bellinger, and Gallo, the offense is going to be totally reliant on the first 6 guys in the order. And Trea is going to have to be a lot better player in the playoffs than he has been so far in his career. They need a healthy Lux in there too. Sorry, Vargas has just not been that impressive yet, and I see no way that kid makes it onto the playoff roster unless there is an injury.
Dodger game was tough. It’s the Giants. Giants have nothing to play for but beating us. So this kind of game doesn’t surprise me. The entire team is making plans for the off-season, worrying about their contracts and where they will play next year. And hurting us. That’s it. This will be a tough series.
My son and I had a blast at Petco. San Diego is a great town. They’d have a great team, if their GM wasn’t a dope fiend. They do have a great fan base. My son and I were decked out in Dodger gear in a near sold out park today. One of few, especially playing the D Backs. The fans Joshed us. With a wink and an unmistakable look of envy. A look that said “Dodger fans! Dodgers suc…Um…we have Fernando… oh ya. We’re going to kill you guys in the playof… never mind. We got …well shit, we have better beer than LA, at least.” And they do. They have that.
We had a blast.