What are the “Chance’s?”

Posted By on September 8, 2022

Back in 1999, the Dodger organization used to have these various contests for fans during a celebratory home stand that they called “Think Blue Week.” They had a series of essay contests to win various prizes.  The prizes included being able to take batting practice in the Stadium and raking the infield with the grounds crew during an inning of the game.  You could even be the P.A. announcer for an inning or two.  With the encouragement of a co-worker, I submitted an essay on why I was the biggest Dodger fan in the world in order to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the start of the game.  Apparently, I wrote something right because I received notification that I won the contest.  It was to occur at a June 9th inter-league game when the Dodgers played the Texas Rangers.

This was in pre-blog days.  It was during the infant stages of the internet when you actually were careful with the number of minutes that you actually used the world-wide-web, and the process of logging on was a lengthy ear-screeching modem adventure.  We all remember that at least those of us over 25 years old do.  The essay I submitted was actually typewritten and sent via snail mail to the Dodgers.

I received strict instructions to be at the Stadium by a certain time where I would be given a jersey, tickets, and instructions on the “do’s and don’ts”  with the event.  I was also told that I would be on the field with other winners for a meeting and a photo with a Dodger player as well.

I looked forward to that meeting, thinking that I might be fortunate enough to get to chat with Eric Karros, Mark Grudzielanek, Todd Hollandsworth, Raul Mondesi, or maybe even rookie Adrian Beltre.  I figured that the odds of meeting recluses such as Gary Sheffield and Kevin Brown would be remote, but I was hoping to have a healthy chat with a solid major leaguer.

So the day arrived, and all was cool.  I got to the stadium on time.  I traveled down from my San Francisco Bay Area home early that morning with two of my kids in tow. I met with an intern in the Dodger front office who coordinated things for the Think Blue Week winners. she was extremely kind and even allowed my 10-year-old son to accompany me on the field.  We waited, and the moment of truth arrived.  Up walked a uniformed player to pose for pictures and sign a ball.

“Hi guys, I’m Chance,” he said.  I’m thinking, “ok, I have recognized every Dodger player on the roster since 1970, from Don Aase to Geoff Zahn, and I had no idea who this kid was.   So dumbstruck, we posed for a photo, and my son got the ball, and still, I HAD NO IDEA WHO HE WAS, and I felt really stupid because I had nothing intelligent to say to him other than a quick “hello” and “thank you.” He moved on to some of the other winners of various contests, and I peered over to the Dodger dugout and saw many of the starters stretching and preparing for the game, and then it dawned on me.

These guys aren’t going to send a starter or anyone of import to hob knob with the Truest of the Blue winners.  They sent the guy that drew the shortest straw, the kid that was carrying their bags and being hazed as a rookie, straight up from the minors.  He was the one to deal with this “distraction.”

Now I don’t want to come off sounding ungrateful.  That would just be wrong.  The Dodger organization treated us all very well.  I had seats next to Mike Brito and his radar gun in those dugout level behind the plate.  That was absolutely amazing.  I was on the field during pregame at a time I had never experienced that.  I was able to take my young son out there to see all the sights and smells of the ballpark. I just kind of chuckle at the fact that I had my hopes up to meet a major leaguer, and I ended up meeting the Dodgers version of Moonlight Graham.

So to Chance Sanford, a Dodger for five full games and a major leaguer for 19 games total with 36 career at-bats and a .167 average.  I want to thank him for being a nice guy and a trooper to all contest winners on June 8, 1999.  My son thought he was as important as Sheffield at the moment he appeared. And hey, I actually was there one day before Chance’s final appearance as a major leaguer.  Plus, how many of us ever sniffed a major league roster, even a Single A roster?  These guys are the best of the best, so who am I to criticize this man who made it to the show and will always have that on his resume?  According to Linkedin.com, Sanford is currently working for a law firm in the Frisco, Texas area these days.

The back of Chance’s Card!

When it came time to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, was it starting catcher Todd Hundley to receive my throw? No, I got Angel Peña.  No biggie.  At the time, Peña was a highly thought-of prospect in my eyes and a heck of a nice guy.

Eventually came the moment of truth, and I had a few seconds to stand on the same mound as Sutton, Orel, Fernando, Sandy, and Drysdale.  I remember looking up at the cake layers of stands for that brief second (and there were a lot of them), and thinking, “whatever you do, don’t throw it in the dirt.” I didn’t, it was low and outside, but it made on the fly.  That was my one moment in the sun, 15 seconds of attention, and it came with a smattering of applause.

Dodger Bullets

  • Seen as starting pitching-rich at the beginning of the season, the Dodgers now seem to be operating on fumes in the dog days of summer.  Injuries that would have decimated most staffs in MLB have taken their toll on the Dodgers, but they continue to win.  It is tough to complain about a team that leads MLB in starter and bullpen ERA, but I’m more than concerned about the health of the staff entering post-season play.  The Gonsolin injury is extremely troublesome.  The fragility of Kershaw and Heaney is concerning as well.  Right now, they appear to be in a comfortable position, but with an injury or two, things could go crashing down.
  • Joey Gallo looks to me to be absolutely lost at the plate, but he runs into one now and then and is that home run threat every time he steps up to the dish.  We all root for him to excel, but within a few weeks, if he isn’t fixed, the team may have to settle and go with the hot hands for the playoffs.
  • Speaking of outfielders and hot hands, Trayce Thompson’s surging bat has been a pleasant surprise, but we really should remember that this is a small sample size.  I hope he has turned the corner and is going to produce from now on, but I certainly wouldn’t count on it.  He has meandered around MLB from organization to organization for a reason. Injuries may be one of those reasons.  It would be out and out miraculous if he suddenly turns into a superstar now.  Giving him the starting CF spot and dumping Bellinger could be a mistake.  Thompson is injury prone, 32 years old, and he has holes in his swing.  I love what he does, and his story is great, but color me skeptical.
  • Speaking of Bellinger, Jerry Hairston’s criticism of the former MVP and his hitting approach appears to be accurate. I just wonder why he continues to not follow that advice and adjust his stance to what he was doing last year during the postseason.  Is he simply that stubborn?  We all know that Bellinger has had his share of batting stances over the years.  With all the hitting gurus with this team, can’t they get on the same page with this man?
  • It has come out that Blake Treinen was advised by Dr. Neal ElAttrache to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, and he opted not to do so after consulting with his wife and undergoing a lot of soul searching and prayer. That is the first time I recall a player claiming that it was his relationship with the Almighty that influenced his decision.  Treinen’s velocity is down a little, so there is probably something to be said about Dr. ElAttrache’s diagnosis.  I simply hope his arm holds up through the remainder of the year.  He certainly is taking a true leap of faith.
  • Recent errors in judgment by third-base coach Dino Ebel were noticeable by many.  Honestly, I can’t remember major mistakes made by him before this past week, which is saying a lot considering his length of tenure with the team.  The “sending” of Austin Barnes against the Giants the other night was simply a bad read by him.  Those things happen. The screw-up in New York against the Mets was a tough position for a third base coach. Trayce Thompson was breathing down the neck of Gavin Lux, the baserunner in front of him. Thompson had a great read off the bat, and Lux didn’t.  That resulted in one runner being on top of the other. Confusion occurred because of their close proximity to each other.  A miscommunication that should not have happened.  I’ll take Ebel over any other third base coach out there and think he would make a fine manager if ever given the opportunity in the future.  The recent internet critique troop is simply overreacting to these mishaps on the bases.  If another one happens in the coming days, the firestorm will be strong, though.
  • These strange weather games in Dodger stadium always seem to happen against the Giants.  Last year’s NLD 1-0 loss with Candlestick-type winds was one.  Now the ball flying out of the yard because of the warm weather and lack of marine layer has created a different game at the Ravine.  Every fly ball seems to be floating out of the ballpark this week.  Fly ball pitchers like Heaney are in a tough spot when the weather is hot, and humidity is low.  Fortunately, those days are few and far between at Dodger Stadium.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Remember when the Mets beat the Dodgers in the season series, and the East Coast press corps was claiming they are the best team in the league?  Well, a week later, they are about to lose the division to Atlanta. Watch out for the Braves.  They have been playing .721 ball since June 1st, which is actually better than the Dodgers.

This article has 110 Comments

  1. “When it came time to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, was it starting catcher Todd Hundley to receive my throw? No, I got Angel Peña. No biggie. “

    I disagree – Angel was a “Biggie.” REALLY! 😉

    Pena

  2. Very nice Story Mark!
    Must have been a Thrill to stand. on that mound.

    I thought Treinens injury was to his shoulder and not the elbow?

    Go Dodgers!

    2. I thought it was shoulder discomfort too.

      Where is the story about it moving to his elbow?

      That’s surely a weird one.

      1. I think he has the Tommy John part wrong. I think that is the doctor that suggested he have shoulder surgery though.

  3. Haha, that’s a great story.

    I was on the field once, back in 9th grade band. We performed the national anthem and I was standing on the grass right behind the 2nd base with my trombone. After we finished, I was blown away by all that applause. From down on the field, it was thunderous.

    Anyone going to watch the Rams display the SuperBowl banner at Sofi tonight? I can’t wait to see it!

    1. Nice of the schedule makers to give the Dodgers a day off for tonight’s Rams opener. A lot of people think this could be a Super Bowl Preview.

  4. One small correction. No TJ surgery for Treinen. He had a partial shoulder capsule tear like Urias had. I liked his story about him and his wife praying on it. It’s uplifting to hear that some people are still engaged in spirituality. There’s more to this earth than science alone.

    At this point in the season, most teams have a journeyman or not quite ready prospect trying to take down innings for the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation. Bullpen games are another option. Sadly, the Dodgers only have 5 healthy starters right now with Gonsolin on vacation and no less than 2-4 prospects that can come up and deliver outs when needed.

    I’m amazed that Bellinger continues his hitting woes (a nicer term for stinking up the joint). Everyone it seems is saying similar things, yet very little has changed. Even Muncy layed a bunt down the third base line the other day and when Doc commented on it, he said that he’s surprised that more players don’t take advantage of that. An interesting take from a team that deploys defensive shifts at the highest frequency in the game. This makes me wonder why there isn’t a sign delivered from the 3rd base coach instructing the hitter to do this. It also makes me wonder why a team isn’t making everyone do bunting drills daily. I loved making kids do bunting drills when I coached youth baseball. I thought it was a great way to get kids to track the ball all the way to the bat. I also used to tell kids that they should track the ball all the way to the glove on any pitch they didn’t swing at. Get them in the habit of watching the ball all the way in.

    I’m no more concerned about Gonsolin’s soreness than I am with Scherzer’s injury. The Dodgers are famous for faking injures to get guys some rest. Ross Stripling was on record recently saying that he had to fake an injury and Ferguson alluded to it earlier this season. Gonsolin has pitched more than twice as many innings as he ever had in any year. If you can put two and two together, it looks like Gonso is getting a breather.

    Scherzer is feeling fatigue in the same side that an oblique injury sidelined him on the IL earlier this year. He’s 38 years old, and hasn’t pitched near 200 innings in 4 years after exceeding that mark in the 6 straight seasons prior. The Mets are in a virtual tie for first place with the Braves with the high stakes of having a buy vs having to play an additional 3 game series on the line. If you’re being objective, you should be more concerned about Scherzer. Both will be back before year end.

    My son got to go on the field before the game once. He was one of those kids that gets to run out on the field and meet up with a player at their position to get an autograph and then run back in. He didn’t get stiffed like you did. He got to meet “The Bison” out in RF during his rookie year. He also got handed a couple of bobbleheads when he returned, then got to eat and eat and eat in the suite and got meet Dodger’s legend Ron Cey, who was assigned to hang out with us during the game. That was special for me since he was my favorite player growing up and Kemp was my favorite player at the time.

    It seems that people keep forgetting that this year, you need more than 4 starters in the postseason. They took a travel day off the CS and DS schedules as a result of the strike/lockout. Right now, nobody matches up with deGrom. He paints 100 on the edges and is as close to unhittable as anyone who’s ever stood on the hill. Let’s hope he’s getting his hot streak over with now. Scherzer was incredible after being traded to the Dodgers at the deadline last year, but that didn’t last into the playoffs. Anything can happen and no one is invincible. If the Mets and Dodgers are both fortunate enough to lineup their best starters for games 1 and 2, I send out Urias against deGrom and Gonso against Scherzer. The good news is that the Dodgers have destroyed right handed pitching all year (tops in the league by almost 50 points of OPS) and the Mets have been pretty bad against lefties (21st in the league).

    If I was going to be objective, I would be more concer

    1. Love your sentiment about Spirituality.

      Here’s a lovely and pertinent quote from Treinen:
      “The fact that I’m even throwing this year is such a miracle that if I’m my velo is down, I don’t like to accept that, but it is what it is,” Treinen said. “And if I can compete with the right action, to me it doesn’t matter if my velo’s averaging 95,96 versus 96, 98. It wouldn’t matter as long as I can execute and have the action I’ve had in the past.”

        1. It’s precisely this kind of response why I avoid Dodgers Digest, because the general attitudes and responses and maturity level there are similar to yours.

          I’m agnostic. I’m not particularly spiritual, nor do I believe in a higher power. I can still respect Blake Treinen for his beliefs – the willingness to put faith in something larger than himself (which is the antithesis of the modern narcissism that is the norm), the willingness to share the decision making with his wife, and his gratitude for making it back and still being able to pitch – even if diminished.

          Treinen showed himself to be a quality person. You just showed yourself to be garbage person.

          2. I dunno.

            There was a time when people were respectful of the fact that others had different faiths.

            What if he came in here with some equally derogatory comment over the fact that Trenein was Jewish? Should we just not say anything?

            Not only is it disrespectful to those on this forum who are Christian, but it’s a bigotry and hatred that I don’t think has a place among civil discourse, and certainly doesn’t elevate the dialog in a way that makes this community attractive to others.

            So, I’ll say something to encourage it to stop.

          3. Splitting hair alert.

            It’s neither expressive of hatred nor bigotry to consider the idea of a God or God-given miracles to be crazy. It kinda quite normal amongst me and my friends, TBH.

            It’s just that there’s no, to quote Stein, “there there”. And why the fuck bring it about on a Dodger board.

          4. To not believe in a god, or to even think such a belief is crazy, is not bigotry – obviously.

            To insult someone, heap scorn upon and publicly accuse them of being crazy simply because they have such a belief IS bigotry – obviously.

            Why is simply acting respectfully to others such a big ask? It should not even be a question?

          5. That’s my point, Patch.

            Here’s your final line:

            Treinen showed himself to be a quality person. You just showed yourself to be garbage person.

            Now that I type this, it’s all good.

            Let’s all move on.

          6. Faith is a great thing. I wish I had some. Through my walk of life there’s been few things my faith in matters and people paid off. I sure could use a busload of the stuff, never know when the next battle will come.

    2. Minor quibble about pitching matchups.
      DeGrom may be the best pitcher out there, but he won’t be facing Urias or Kershaw or any pitcher at all. He’ll be matched up against the Dodgers lineup–the best in baseball by practically any measure.
      Urias would be facing the Mets lineup, which is the 7th best in terms of OP).
      But actually, I think the Dodgers will wind up facing the Braves.
      And they have the 2nd best lineup.

    4. B&P stated while discussing Bellinger “Even Muncy layed a bunt down the third base line the other day and when Doc commented on it, he said that he’s surprised that more players don’t take advantage of that.”
      No kidding. Me too.
      Given the fact that Bellinger is a LHB with great speed and has the entire left side open to him, he refuses to lay down even a mediocre bunt. Not only do I think that is a waste of a free base hit, it’s also selfish. He could help his team much like his defense helps the Dodgers. But he seems stubborn about dropping down a bunt as he is stubborn about making any significant swing adjustments. It’s too late now for swing changes but it’s not too late to drop down a bunt for a base hit.
      I guess he wants to hit bombs instead. He has 17 homers in 432 at bats. Do the math. His homers are rare. He’s currently batting .199. If he added 20 bunt base hits, which isn’t a stretch, his BA would be .245. I think that would help the Dodgers more than what he’s doing.
      The reason guys don’t feel confident, is just like anything else; it takes quality practice. Idiots like Eddie Perez say bunting is dangerous. Lots of things are dangerous, if you’re shitty. It takes quality practice which never happens. You might see 3 or 4 half-assed practice bunts in BP against 60 mph lob ball pitches. Proper mechanics aren’t coached or practices so guys aren’t good at it. It’s useless.
      Great bunting threats change and pressure the defense. It’s a method to get teams out of a shift. Great bunters used to practice bunting to locations and targets like hoopla-hoops, against game speed pitches. Even a hitting station with a machine turned up works wonders with a coach working on proper fundamentals. If this happens at all now, it would end with Spring Training. I used to love calling breaking balls when guys were bunting instead of the more popular high fastball. Why? Because nobody practices bunting a breaking ball.
      This takes commitment and dedication to do it well. And that’s what’s lacking by today’s players when it comes to bunting. Chicks still dig the long-ball.

      2. Rod Carew famously told the third basemen he was going to bunt on him, and did it anyways. Today’s players are prima donnas. Can’t bunt and can’t hit the other way. What nonsense. Brett Butler would show bunt on almost every AB. If they played in, he would hit a soft liner the other way, over the infield and in front of the outfield. Tony Gwynn would look for holes to hit into. Hell, Pete Rose would hit balls out of the strike zone on a 3 ball count and get hits.

      3. Doc commented that he was surprised more players don’t take advantage of the shift and bunt for hits.
        Duh!!!! You’re the manager. Make them practice bunting and then give them a bunt sign.

        If I were Doc, I would tell Belli that as of today he gets no more batting practice. For every pitch he would normally get in the cage, he now has to do nothing but practice bunting. Obviously taking BP does nothing for his ability to hit, so maybe not practicing would help him. In the meanwhile, as Phil pointed out, bunting on a regular basis would certainly raise his batting average.

        1. This was my reaction. It was like, “Yeah, that worked out pretty good! I’m surprised more players don’t try to do that.”

          What?!!

          Here’s a thought. How about you identify that as an opportunity to exploit to gain an advantage and instruct your players to execute?

          Roberts is not a game manager. He manages a system. He’s a bureaucrat.

          To be somewhat fair to Roberts, I’m sure players are reluctant to bunt. “I’m not gonna bunt! My agent says that will negatively impact my wRC+! A bunt is not considered a “barrel!” My ISO will go down! It will hurt my value in free agency!”

  5. Great story Evan! So B&P if Bellinger’s futility continues what would you do with him in the post season?

    1. I keep him in CF and let him bat 9th hoping he gets a walk, a sac fly here and there or the pitcher makes a mistake and hits his bat. If we’re behind, I pinch hit for him when they bring in a lefty with CT3, or maybe even Gallo against a righty. I think this offense can afford to have him in the lineup. Only if we’re behind in the series and against a lefty would I consider sitting him to start a game. And if we get the lead late, he comes in as a defensive replacement. Trayce is my first choice to play CF when he isn’t in there. He looks more comfortable and has more range than CT3.

  6. Watching the Mets and Braves fighting for first place in the East Division is beginning to look like the Dodgers and Giants fighting for first place down to the wire last year. If so, I hope the battle leaves both of them like the Dodgers and Giants – worn out and not at their best!

  7. I have a strange first pitch story. Living in Illinois and being a Dodger fan since the Brooklyn days I would usually take the family to games when they played in Wrigley Field. One Sunday my son and I were catching balls during batting practice down the left field line. When batting practice finished we went back to my wife and daughter sitting in our seats just past 3rd base. A Cub representative was standing there. He had asked my wife if she wanted to throw out the first pitch. She said sure but her husband would like it even more. I had a Dodger hat and Dodger shirt on. He told me I had to take my Dodger hat off. I went with him to a room where other adults had been selected for the other positions. We were given Cub hats to wear and Cub jerseys to wear. They explained to us what was going to happen and then took us to the field. I couldn’t believe how much slope there was to the field when I walked to the mound. Frank Castillo was the starting pitcher for the Cubs. He autographed a baseball for me. I told him I pitched batting practice every day for the high school team I coached and if he needed a relief pitcher I could go a couple of innings. He laughed and asked where I was sitting. He said his arm was tired lately and I may be needed. I had to give the jersey back but got to keep the Cub hat and autographed baseball. My pitch was outside but It was in the air to the catcher. I gave the hat and ball to 2 Cub fans on my high school team. Now teams usually get kids to take the field. This was around 1995-8. Seems strange they didn’t pick someone else when they saw I was a Dodger fan but it actually happened.

  8. Anyone done a long take on Mike Marshall’s 1974 season? 208 innings. Guy was Boss… for a while.

    1. Well, I lived it, and it was amazing with all the innings and such, but really?

      The Dude was 15-12 with a 2.42 ERA and a 1.186 WHIP. The fact that he pitched 208 innings as a reliever was amazing, but in 27 decisions, you netted three additional wins. He pitched eight seasons with more than 100 innings (99 in two), but color me unimpressed!

      He was an interesting guy!

      1. Yes, a character. Looking at the numbers, save for ‘74, he was ‘ok’.

        The personality was something else apparently. A fantasy matchup would be Dr. Scherzer v Marshall as pitching coach.

        Marshall: ‘…get up and loosen up – you’re going in.’

        Scherzer: ‘…I went 7 yesterday?!’

        Marshall: ‘….do it. I am The Doctor here you punk.’

  9. OK, I keep hearing about Cody Bellinger’s “UP RIGHT” Batting Stance. Do you really see much difference?
    CodyBellingerStance

    If anything, he has done a lot worse when he is not upright.

    I listen to reason… not people who just PARROT silly stuff!

    What I am saying is that it is a whole lot more than his stance. His best year was when he stood straight up!

    Face it: If you knew, you’d be making the big coin!

    2. I don’t care if Bellinger stands with the bat up his ass and his eyes closed at the plate. His problem isn’t all about his upright stance and bat angle. It also isn’t all about his bucket foot or looping swing path. His major problem to me, which I have stated ad nauseam, is his severe head drop to get into his launch position. And that change of head and eyes – IS LATE. I suggest more flexed knees and bent spine angle to get him balanced and into a launch position right at the start so he doesn’t have to find that position, while the ball is on the way. It simplifies things, pre launch and would uncomplicate his swing. Which all leads to better, consistent timing.
      If he could reduce that head dipping as a trigger, the other stuff could be worked on secondarily; like the bucket foot and his botton hand dominated swing path. He would actually see the ball better.
      So why did this suddenly become a problem when he’s a former MVP. That’s simple. His swing has too many moving parts. His head moving, long, loopy swing is a young man’s swing and requires timing. And a really supple back. Due to injuries and age that swing has slowly left him over the last 3.5 years.
      But what do I know compared to all of the professional hitting coaches available. But it’s pretty amazing to me that being around Freddie and all of the other hitters who have stable head positions, that nothing has rubbed off on him. I have no idea why.
      But that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.

      1. Your last is something I’ve wondered about as well. Freeman actually hold his bat initially the same as Bellinger but gets set in a more hitter friendly position.

      2. That’s what completely mystifies me is that Bellinger has access to supposedly top of the line hitting coaches and example after example of teammates’ successful approachs to hitting. I don’t know where the breakdown is happening, but it has to be with the player I would think. I’ve said this for about three years that Cody is a selfish player offensively. Apparently, Cody has no real desire to make the radical changes (in his mind) to his hitting approach. Refuses to lay down a bunt or even learn to bunt. Doesn’t walk much. Again, if he makes no concerted effort to make the necessary changes in how he tries to hit a baseball then I don’t think he’ll be a Dodger next year. Get what you can for him and move on. It will be sad to have happen, but he’d probably leave in free agency anyway.

        When Max bunted yesterday I thought Roberts was going to leap from the dugout and run to first base and hug him. Now, was that so hard? Five years in the making. Cody was probably taking a piss and missed the play. It’s crazy to hear Roberts say “I wish more players would try to bunt”. Like, who’s in charge here? He doesn’t want to hurt a player’s feelings by asking him to do something he might not want to do. I never agreed with the analytics approach with the three outcome result being OK. No one will ever convince me that a strikeout is acceptable over putting the ball in play. When the ball is out into play anything can happen. If a player strikes out then only one thing happens and that’s the batter walks back to the dugout and sits on the bench.

        About five years ago I stopped watching the Dodgers and baseball. It was boring and frustrating. I eventually came back to watch the Dodgers when they began hitting more than home runs and winning a lot. A short hiatus. It almost got back to that point again at the beginning of this year. They would score 4,5,6 runs in one inning and that would be it. They were winning, but no fun to watch. But, Freddie and Mookie shook up the clubhouse. They stopped relying on the HR and the singles and doubles came in waves. Several big innings in a lot of games. Stealing bases. Productive outs. You know, like real baseball! So, to see Max bunt yesterday was a cherry on top of what has been a fun team to watch this year.
        Carry on.

  10. The year Elizabeth was crowned queen—1953—Eisenhower was inaugurated, Stalin died, Crick and Watson discovered the Double-Helix, and the average price of a new house was $9,550.

    1. You’re probably still mourning Stalin’s passing.

      RIP QE2. You were quite an incredible lady.

      This was probably my favorite part of the 2012 Olympics. It’s the most British thing you’ll ever watch.

      https://youtu.be/1AS-dCdYZbo

        1. Now THAT sounds like QAnon. Aren’t they supposed to believe JFK Jr is still alive, or something? I honestly don’t even know what that is (I doubt Fizzle knows, either).

          1. Yeah. that’s where I stole it from.

            The do say, however:

            You don’t blame Marx for Stalin
            and
            You don’t blame Adam Smith for Milton Friedman.

    1. And why is that?? Because he has faith in God. Maybe you dont but I sure as sheet do!!!

      Go Rams tonight!!!

          1. How ’bout you just keep a short leash and boot him if he continues to be an ass. He contributes nothing, has never had anything worthwhile to say, and will not be missed when he’s gone.

        3. How about you not questioning other people’s beliefs. How about respecting others as you expect them to respect you. Keep up the BS and you are gone.

    3. Although if you dig deep a lot of Treinen’s passion does get nutty, just labelling a confirmation/display of faith as such is a bit much.

      1. People who always think they are totally right are either borderline personality disorder, narcissism, or both. It is their ego’s reaction to the fear of being exposed; they can’t even be honest with themselves. They actually believe they are right because they filter the facts that they are willing to perceive.

        1. And the current political climate encourages hatred of The Other Side. Even showing faith or support of the police are signals that the person in question is part of The Enemy, and must be hated. I suppose you could make a thesis that an entire political ideology is, at its core, a case of collective narcissistic personality disorder.

  12. RIP Queen Elizabeth. 96 years young. What a life. If I were Dodger management, I would reach into the way-back machine and pull a Branch Rickey-Duke Snider on Bellinger. I would have him out early to the park every day and make him stand at the plate without a bat and call pitch type and location to the coach behind him. I would do that for a week straight until he could identify pitches that he can hit, and those he cannot. I still also believe that Bellinger’s shoulder, although fully healed by now, is still causing him some anxiety. Belli is like Gallo, he is capable of thunder in that bat every AB. If he ever learns that he does not have to pull every ball into the seats, he will be a lot better hitter. Evan, I too was on the field just once. I got my picture taken with Jay Johnstone. I also got to go into the dugout and met some of the players. Wes Parker gave me a ball that several of the players, coach Mota and Ozark also signed. It was my one moment in the sun, and I will treasure it always.

  13. In June of 2021, I placed a $100 down payment on the Ford F-150 Lightning.

    Today, they asked me to Configure and Order it to be delivered in Spring of 2023.

    I also had to put $500 more down.

    So, here it is:
    Lightning
    I am inclined to think that EV’s are going to be a charging debacle for a few years, so I plan to keep my current F-150 for a while… just to be sure.

    1. Thats why I just got in line to order a Maverick.

      More faith in hybrids than pure EV or pure petrol.

  14. Kpizzel, I would like to know what evidence you have that God is fake. Of course this isn’t the format for this but I’d still like to know if you actually have such evidence, or is it just your faith?

      1. Agree. This isn’t going to lead to constructive dialog. (And I’d rather not have to read through it).

    2. Faith can only be substantiated and not proven in either side. That is when speaking of religion. There are those who say they are witness to God’s miracles to what others say are supernatural. If you’re seeking proof you’ll have to settle for a decision instead.

  15. OK, I do not mind discourse, but I will not let this deteriorate into name-calling and all that.

    The true “nut jobs” are people who believe they have the only right answer.

    I don’t like nut jobs.

  16. Bluto, I thought it was a fair question considering the accusation. But perhaps you are right, considering the obvious answer.

  17. So the gut feeling here is that Gonsolin is taking a break and not really injured? Does anyone here think that is what’s going on with Almonte too?

    Kimbrel has not allowed a run in his last 7.1 innings. In those innings he has allowed 1 hit and 3 walks. Maybe a start to something good.

    J Turner is 5 points away from 800 OPS. Really good considering that he finally started to get going for good on June 30th according to game logs.

    Well, nothing much to talk about. Maybe that’s because the Dodgers are doing extremely good.

  18. Kimbrel’s lack of strikeouts is a little unnerving, but the results are better. Funny how all the soft hit balls are now finding gloves.

    Anyone with izzle in their name doesn’t deserve the attention it’s getting.

    It’s got to be tough to keep showing up and selling out when you’ve already clinched so much. The magic number is 6 for the division, home field is the next milestone. It would take a sweep to clinch the division this weekend.

    If you know who the QANON nuts are, you’re probably in the same bowl and covered in salt.

    That Lightening looks pretty cool. Enjoy.

    Politics and religion.

    Politics, religion and ideas on how to fix Bellinger’s swing.

      1. I’m thinking of changing my fake name to Blutizzle

        I really like the guilt by association thinking too.

        Very McCarthy-esque.

        And Patch like to call people Commies!

        Hmmmm.

        2. Have you no sense of decency, Bluto? At long last, have you no sense of decency?

          I have another post in jail, btw.

  19. Enough of the frippen name calling and enough posting things that have zero to do with baseball. You want to discuss religion, go to a church.

      1. I was not referring you personally Bluto. I know your sense of humor. But this is a baseball blog, and the trouble and BS has always come after other issues are brought up. Attacking someone’s beliefs simply because you do not believe is not kosher. Calling someone a Commie when you have no proof is not right either. I respect every poster on here. I do not always agree. But I am here to write and think about Dodger baseball. I am not here to argue politics, religion, the media or anything else that has nothing to do with baseball. Humor is fine, I can handle that. I cannot handle attacks on people’s belief system.

  20. We will not tolerate jokes here.

    This is serious business.

    Comic Sans, Helvetica, and Times New Roman walk into a bar. “Get out!”, shouts the bartender, “we don’t serve your type here!“

  21. A teenager brings her new boyfriend home to meet her parents. They’re appalled by his haircut, his tattoos, his piercings.

    Later, the girl’s mom says, “Dear, he doesn’t seem to be a very nice boy.”

    “Oh, please, Mom!” says the daughter. “If he wasn’t nice, would he be doing 500 hours of community service?”

  22. I had no idea that my brief mention of Treinen’s faith based decision was going to cause such a firestorm. You open the door just a crack and the controversy starts. It is so true what they say about politics and religion…just don’t want to go there on this forum.

    1. We should all be kind and considerate to one another, and if you don’t do that, I’ll beat the hell out of you!

    2. Not your fault Evan. Some people just want to cause problems and impose what they believe on others. Being a vet, freedom of speech and thought are high on my list. But respect for others is way up there too.

  23. The truth be told:

    You have a right to believe what you want.

    If you believe in God – OK!

    If you are agnostic – Fine!

    If you are an atheist – OK!

    It’s when you condemn others who disagree with you that you lose all credibility!

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