I hope that 2024 brings the Dodgers a World Series.
However, If I had to take the field or the Dodgers and had to put up $100,000.00 of my own money, I would take the field because it is a crapshoot (to some degree). Maybe “crapshoot” is not exactly the right word, but it’s close and I will devil you with it until you accept it.
Every year for the past ten years, the Dodgers have been one of the best teams in baseball and they will again in 2024. Can they win it all? Yes!
Will they?
I hope so!
Happy New Year – 2024 to LADT Posters. Can’t wait until spring training and the upcoming year. Wonderful time to be a Dodger fan. Lots of haters out there but that’s ok. They don’t boo nobodies. Can’t recall who said that but I like it.
Happy New Year to all of you posters and your families. May 2024 be one helluva lot better than 23. For the Dodgers, playoff success. For all of you, good health.
Mark Timmons
December 31, 2023 at 8:55 pm
Such as? That’s a very abstract statement. Tell me what they should do.
I wish I had the magic answer Mark. I really feel like wrapping up the division and not playing meaningful games for most of September and then having the long wait until they start the playoffs has been a big factor in our failures the last two years. Perhaps the third time is a charm and we will have a better outcome this year.
Question him all you want. But to blame him when his players do not perform, well, that is not on him. Brining up what happened in 17 and other years has no bearing on how the team performed last season. I personally think he did one of his best managing jobs last year and was deserving of votes for manager of the year. Over the last two seasons, six one-hundred-win teams have gone down in the first round including the Dodgers twice and the Braves twice. It is harder to win in the postseason now than it ever has been. To win the World Series, you need 13 postseason wins. The Dodgers were the first team to ever accomplish that in 2020. Doc might not be appreciated by the fans, or the writers or anyone else, but his players stand by him. Is he a great field general? Not in my eyes. Never has been a tactician. One of the reasons they won in 20 was because Doc let the situation dictate moves more than using matchups. I mean would you have started Austin Barnes over Will Smith against Snell? I would not have. But Barnsies single drove Snell from the game, and that was on the Rays manager. Totally a bad move because Snell was dominating. Add that to the list of managerial blunders in the World Series. Lasorda made some lulu’s. But he never caught half the flack Roberts does. For whatever reason, the last two postseasons the team has failed to capitalize on their opportunities. They would not have won game one. But two and three were definitely winnable. Doc did make a mistake leaving Lynn in. And in all reality, Pepiot probably should have started. But Lynn, despite giving up a lot of home runs, had pitched pretty well for LA. Much better than he did in Chicago. It wasn’t like the Arizona line-up scared anyone with their power. They hit three homers the entire World Series. Seager hit that many by himself. They hit 9 against the Dodgers in three games. They lost the series because Muncy, Betts, Martinez, Freeman, and the rest of the team could not hit a couple of pitchers they have totally owned over their careers. And they were never ahead in any of the games. That is on the players. Not Roberts.
Tldr
Hope this New Year blesses us all with a World Series ring. But seriously guys, get off the fire Doc train! Like I posted before what Ned Colleti keeps saying every time the subject is brought up. As a GM, you better make DAMN sure the next guy is better than the guy you just got rid of, or your ass is next. Easy for all you guys to say dump the guy, but I challenge you all to name someone out there that can not only manage the Dodgers successfully on the field, but manage all the different personalities, especially this year, in the clubhouse, not even taking into account the media circus it’s going to be with Ohtani and Yamamoto. All I see is the same old recycled managers names who all got let go for one reason or another, and glorified bench coaches that might be the next new thing but would be overwhelmed handling probably the most high profile and demanding job in the majors, especially with a very demanding media market. Yes, Doc has his warts, but who doesn’t? This side of Bruce Bochy, not one manager has consistently won and kept his job the last 8 to 10 years other than Robets, love him or hate him. Gee, how does that decision look now years later when Freidman took Roberts over everyone’s golden boy in the organization at the time Gabe Kapler? Got ran out on a rail in Philly, and even his boy Farhan could nt save him in SF. Unless of course a few of you Keyboard Managers can do better, which sure sounds some of you can, so after you get done posting yet another ass ripping post on Roberts, make sure you save time to freshen up your managerial resume and send it to Freidman , I’m sure he’d be impressed as hell at your mind blowing expertise and insight managing a team from your keyboard. Thought some of you guys were smarter than this . Big picture guys, big picture. Take the damn blinders off. And yes, I post my real name because I don’t need to hide behind my words,
Couldn’t agree more.
OK, I used to be in the locker room a lot more in the past. Since AF has taken over I have not gotten a single press pass. It’s a good thing I believe he is doing a great job because I have plenty of reasons to blast him about access. The fact is: I don’t have the time. As my business and family grew, I simply had to cut back, but I still have plenty of connections and rest assured, if the Dodger’s Clubhouse is not the best in baseball… it’s among the Top 2! Doc is the reason.
For some reason, Doc is judged differently than any other Dodger Manager. Jim Alexander of the OC Register wrote this:
Jim Alexander: I don’t think I’ve ever seen such hubbub over someone being honest. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Tuesday that the team had a meeting with free agent Shohei Ohtani – effectively fracturing the cone of silence that agent Nez Balelo had attempted to enforce regarding negotiations with his client – and it’s treated as this shocking revelation, baseball’s version of George Washington admitting he chopped down the cherry tree. (Kids, if you haven’t seen that one in your history books, Google it.)
This is an example of how weird the reaction was: On Channel 9’s three-hour news block last night, the crawl at the bottom of the screen normally reserved for important breaking news included, to paraphrase, Dodger manager confirms talks with Shohei Ohtani. Imagine, the audacity of someone to be honest and state the obvious rather than tiptoeing around it, as everyone else in baseball, including his own team’s front office, has done.
I thought it was refreshing. And given reports that members of the Dodgers’ PR staff corralled Roberts after his session with reporters at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, I hope he gave them an earful.
Bottom line: Yes, it’s natural for the agent and his staff – i.e., “Shohei’s camp” – to try to set the terms of engagement. But this warning that any disclosures will be held against you is silly and counterproductive, especially for a sport that needs as much attention and publicity as it can get. Shohei’s free agency is the biggest story of these winter meetings – indeed, the inaction has held up just about everything else for the first two days – and discouraging the release of real information has had the opposite effect, even more speculation and rumor.
You lived it, Mirjam, when Kawhi Leonard – who is similarly fanatic about secrecy – made his choice to come to the Clippers in the summer of 2019. Doesn’t this sound familiar?
Mirjam Swanson: It’s been impossible not to hear echoes of that free agency when following along with the Shohei sweepstakes. Remember when Magic Johnson tipped his hand about the Lakers’ meeting with Kawhi back in that summer of 2019, and how that didn’t help their case to sign him? I remember asking Kawhi about that during his introductory presser.
His response? On the Clippers’ end, “nothing really got out. … A lot of things are made up now. You start a website or a blog and push that out and say, ‘Kawhi’s doing this, Kawhi’s doing that.’ But it’s always important to me to have a mutual understanding between everyone and just be transparent, if it’s good or bad, and I feel like that builds a great relationship.”
So, transparency. To me, transparency is what Roberts did – stating the obvious truth. But to the Kawhis and Ohtanis – well, to Kawhi and Ohtani, those are very singular people! – it is a no-no. These guys like control. The demand of silence and secrecy might even be something of a test for how organizations are going to go about handling these athletes’ business. So I don’t think it’s necessarily nothing – even though I agree that it should be nothing.
It’s only wrong if you use more than a thousand words to express the feeling. You’re in trouble dude!
Cheers and happy New Year
We all know what has happened on numerous occasions to the “Best Regular Season Pitcher of the 2000s: He has repeatedly melted down in the playoffs.
Dave Roberts is an idiot and should be fired because when he brought Clayton in from the bullpen in 2019 to pitch to two hitters, he game up 2 HR.
Bruce Bochy brings in his Ace (whose regular season stats can’t hold a candle to Kershaw’s) and he delivers – Presto: Bochy is a genius.
Roberts has one Championship, and it is widely understood that he should have two.
Quit comparing the post-expanded playoffs to what occurs now with the playoffs expanded to 12 teams.
And… let me mention one final thing: Dave Roberts did not make the decision to start Kershaw and Lynn over Pepiot in last year’s playoffs. That was a team decision. 20-20 hindsight says it was wrong… but hindsight is never wrong.
And that is the final thing I will say on this Today. The “FIRE ROBERTS GROUP” simply is adept at using the circular reasoning fallacy in it’s argument that assumes the very thing it is trying to prove is true. Instead of offering evidence, it simply repeats the conclusion, rendering the argument logically incoherent.
Statistically you would expect a team that is superior (beats playoff teams 55% of the time) to win the World Series once every six years. When you consider the Dodgers were cheated out of a title in 2017, they have 2 titles in 8 years of Roberts managing. That puts him above the expected pace.
Happy, Healthy, Safe 2024 and beyond to all the contributors that make reading this Dodger site a joy each day!!!
was bobby cox a great manager, or did he have one of the greatest pitching staffs of all time? was joe torre a great manager , or did the yankees checkbook make him “ a great manager “ ? was lasorda a great manager or just a great motivator? i’m beginning to look at managing in a different way these days. personally i believe the best manager the game has had the last several years just retired, terry francona. that’s just my opinion though. dave roberts is a good. motivator, good clubhouse guy, and at times he make some damn good moves. of course he’s prone to a couple of boneheaded moves also. but who do want to manage the dodgers? i like old school, but owners are not likely to hire the leylands or the weavers anymore. analytics arethe big picture! i think doc will have the hardest job of his time in managing the starters this year! how long does leave glasnow in? buehler, when he’s ready. Bobby Miller, manage his innings. yamamoto,? do they let him go deeper in te game? now all this maybe predetermined by the front office. and if it is how do we blame Roberts? my biggest concern with doc is. his outfield platoons. if they go find an everyday left fielder i think doc will be ok. i guess we should be thankful we’re not talking about the NBA and their coaches! i’m almost certain most of us could coach a nba team! doesn’t take a lot of effort to stand on the sidelines with your arms crossed! happy new year everyone!
Hiring Weaver would be a pretty neat trick considering he has been dead since 2013. Leyland is 79 and Dusty Baker is retired and supposedly going to work for the Giants. The one guy I would have liked to have seen manage LA is also not in the picture, Mike Scioscia.
Name one manager that could have done better than Robert’s during his tenure, then prove it. I guess if it’s so obvious that Robert’s should be fired, that makes AF an idiot. I for one am so grateful to be a Dodger fan. It’s been an incredible 10 year run. And it’s not stopping anytime soon! Just try to enjoy it!
And if Ohtani has anything to say about it Friedman will be here for another 10 years.
Not many words, but very profound.
I’ll summarize: If Doc is an idiot and should be fired, AF should be too and they you can kiss Ohtani’s ass goodbye!
I’m trying to do my part to cut the average words per post down to a reasonable number. 🙂
AMEN Cassidy!!!!!!
Happy New Year!
Dave Roberts has managed 8 years for the Dodgers and won 63% of his games, an average of 101 wins per year. In my view, he does a great job with the clubhouse, has a positive outlook and handles the media well. In 2023, I thought he did a fantastic job managed around injuries and winning another division title. His winning % is among the best ever in baseball, and the team is expected to win 100 plus games for the foreseeable future. I disagree with some of his postseason decisions, especially around pitching, and his postseason winning % is 536 with 6 straight losses. But Roberts overall has been a very successful manager and he will likely be the manager for many years to come.
I mean the way to make the playoffs less of a crapshoot is to expand them dramatically.
Not sure how feasible this is.
That is an excellent point!
ok Bear! i know earl is passed! i was saying those types of managers are no longer wanted in this era. Bochy is a dinosaur now . i would trade roberts for scoicia in a heartbeat. but AF wouldn’t. water and oil! once Bochy retires (again) that will be the end of managers who make almost all the on field decisions. sad!
Just pullin the old chain there dad. I knew you probably knew that. Practically every manager in the majors uses the same type of chain and logic. And you are right about Francona. Vastly underrated as a manager. Look how quickly Kapler went from a genius for getting the Giants to 107 wins and a title, to out of a job.
Could this be the2024 lineup and does it match the Braves lineup
Betts 2b
Ohtani DH
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3B
Tescar Hernandez LF
Heyward RF
Outman CF
Lux. SS
Well the top four excellent the bottom four could be strikeout strikeout strikeout until you get to Lux so should they go for someone in that bottom half of the order that just makes contact or a homerun hitter that’s the question with this lineup. Some nites that could hit five homers a but on other nites have a bunch of strikeouts another nite all depends on who is pitching and fans like the home runs rather then base hits. Then look at lineup with Taylor and Margot adds and you go oh yep more strikeout victims where they could have three strikeouts and one homer and be okay decent or four strikeouts and fans go why do we have those guys an other teams have guys that can put the ball in play. You add a Yelich Addames and Burnes to this team what a more consistent lineup all threw the order then what I just put up. So that’s the question then trade with Brewers now or wait at deadline. Hmmm.
In my opinion, the Dodgers are no longer interested in Teoscar. It will be a homegrown player in LF.
I could see that. And there was some chatter that the Dodgers were interested in him. But the chatter has died down a lot.
kapler had magic dust one season! i saw him make a second trip to the mound without anyone warming up! i think he’s too robotic even for today’s game. i guess it’s time to get on board with Doc. cause unless he totally screws up this year he ain’t going nowhere! and it’s very possible this team doesn’t win it all this season. i love the LOS ANGELES DODGERS, but as the roster sets right now, i give the Braves a slight advantage. once again, the outfield scares me, and the bench makes have gas!! still time to fix it. heard earlier Joc and Blue Jays might have a mutual interest. good for him! was always a favorite of mine! nice career , though i thought he would be an all star for years. anybody seen anything on lux and his status?
If the Dodgers do in 2024 what the Braves did in 2023, 2022, and 2021, they will integrate a couple of youngsters into the lineup, namely Busch, Vargas, or Pages. If you want to have continual success, you can’t just sign free agents. You have to integrate the rookies into the lineup.
Now I realize that it is possible Busch, Pages and Vargas will all flop (I highly doubt it, but it is possible). But all have a good ceiling. Here’s a best-case scenario for each of those players:
Vargas – .278 BA – 15 HR
Busch – .260 BA – 30 HR
Pages – .240 BA – 30 HR
The Dodgers only need to HIT on one.
Mark,
Lux ALMOST counts as a youngster to be integrated because (prior to the start of last season) he hadn’t yet reached his full potential and now post surgery he will need to recover and try again. And that’s IF he even has the physical ability to do so anymore. Sad but it is possible he has greatly reduced lateral movement ability and likely has lost a lot of speed too.
In 2023, the Dodgers successfully integrated Outman into the lineup and Bobby Miller into the rotation. Really solid rookie years for both, and there’s no reason to think they can’t build on their success–even if someone insists Outman should be platooned.
The news about the performance bonuses that Outman and Miller earned came as a surprise to me. Nice!
The Braves lineup certainly has had an advantage over the Phillies the last 2 years and how has that turned out? This Dodger lineup has more than enough talent to win a WS.
For those of you who are hoping Doc gets a ride out of town in the near future, notice that Ohtani’s contract says he can opt out if either Mark Walter or Andrew leave.
No mention made of Doc.
Happy New Year everyone!
It is definitely a good time to be a Dodger fan. Looking forward to a successful season. It has been a refreshing experience since this ownership group took over the reigns of the organization. Thinking about the McCourt era reminds things could be worse. Much worse!
At the moment, there is no better organization to root for.
Go Dodgers!
I have never been called a “groupie.” I march to the beat of my own drum. I have criticized the Dodgers in the past, and I still think AF is wrong about Lux playing SS. Other than my father, I have never had any role models. I have never idolized anyone. and I really have no favorite players.
I take people for what they are, and I am not afraid to make changes when necessary. What I am trying to say is I am not a fan of Doc… but I am not a detractor either. Managers have a “shelf life” I think.
Some fans want Chase Utley, Orel Hershiser, or Mike Scioscia as manager. Chase and Orel have no interest, and Iron Mike would be a disaster now… maybe not 15 years ago.
While I do not idolize AF, I am usually on the same page with him, Baseball is a business, and I also run a wildly successful business. I do it by hiring people smarter than me. That narrows it down to 97% of the population… OK, OK, 99%.
Happy New Year! Observing the last several years in the playoffs, I share your worry about Mookie & Freddie.
I feel the same way.
Happy New Year to all who observe. May your hangover remedies work.
This is surely nothing, but I just noticed on Dodgers.com that Gavin Lux is missing from the depth chart. For SS, only Rojas and Taylor are listed.
A harbinger?
Some of us are suggesting that the front office has done the heavy lifting and shouldn’t make any more bold moves. I think there is a lot of unfinished business.
–Another SP? It could be a free agent like Imanaga, or a deal for Burnes or Cease. (My hope: the lefty Luzardo.)
–A closer? The Hader reports persist, as well as the possible trade for Clase. (A package for Clase and Beiber could provide Prior with his annual rehab project.)
–A righty bat for left field? While I’m rooting for Vargas, he and Busch are strong trade candidates. A proven FA veteran like Duvall or Michael A. Taylor could fit nicely.
–A rebuilt bench? As Mark has suggested, AF could move bench pieces like Rojas and Margot.
I think Barnes stays… but I’m still hoping for nagging injuries that finally give Feduccia a chance.
I think Lux stays too.
But…
If there’s a move to be made, I think I like the Clase and Bieber possibility. Bieber is a reclamation project. He’s a FA after next year so won’t create a logjam with all guys coming back and the kids, and, because he’s no longer an ace, won’t cost as much. It’s more of a classic AF move.
No to Hader. Clase’s still pretty close to being a stud, the Dodgers aren’t really interested in overpaying for a true closer, and the Dodgers just really need more of a 3-5 starter for depth than another ace. The Guardians or whatever they’re called could use Busch. I wish the Dodgers could keep him to replace Muncy, but he’s gotta play. I think Vargas stays and they try him in left.
Bieber’s arm is holding on by half a ligament and one-third of a tendon…
I agree that a Clase-Bieber deal seems possible.
He has a team-friendly contract, so it would require more than Busch. Perhaps Busch + Grove + ???. (One scribe suggested putting Hurt in the deal–but I want to keep Hurt! And I still wonder if Hurt could be stretched as a starter.)
Hard to know about Bieber’s arm. But we do know that AF likes his reclamation projects–and how often has he shied away from pitchers who have had or needed surgery?
An AF quote about Vargas.
“Vargy is one of the more talented natural hitters I’ve seen as a minor-leaguer coming up. So just getting back to that is going to be really helpful for him. And just how clear-eyed he is about it has us really encouraged leading into spring training.”
Can’t wait to see his second and hopefully healthy chance. I’m more than happy to see what Outman, Lux, Busch and Vargas can produce this coming year. Let’s keep adding pitching this off season.
If they move Betts back to rightfield and put Lux at second base and Rojas at shortstop and Heyward and Taylor platoon in LF that makes them a better fielding team but does it make them a better lineup by doing that? A outfield of Heyward Outman and Betts sounds better it’s that same problem a productive hitting shortstop then or a better fielding shortstop then Lux. Hmmm I keep seeing that as something they will work with at spring training those nine players as the mostly everyday starters makes them a better fielding team.
The Dodgers are in excellent position to allow the market to come to them. If Vargas and/or Busch get off to a strong start this spring, either or both could become options for the Dodgers on the field or off the field by headlining as trade collateral to address other areas of need; i.e. RH bat in LF.
At this point, the wise move is to be patient and exploit opportunities when/if they present themselves.
However, wouldn’t be surprised to see Busch and/or Vargas become that additional bat we covet.
WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!
Bear is my nickname. I got it when I was in the Army. I used it when I was playing country music out in California. Most knew me by bear, not my real name, Michael.
Well, here is my two cents, and that is about all it is worth. Betts is going to play second, and Lux is playing SS. They are not going to move Mookie back to the outfield even if it solves a couple of shortcomings some see the team as having. The move is because of a couple of reasons. The main one is saving Mookie’s legs. He feels more like he is in the game on the infield. He is also very good defensively there. They believe Lux can play SS at the MLB level. Rojas is a very good SS with a so so bat. Lux brings much more offense to the game. If he can play the position as well as Seager did, they will be ok. If he doesn’t pan out, there will be changes. But Mookie is not moving.
Since we’re on the topic of circular thinking, I can’t think of anything more circular than logging into LADT for another year and seeing the same arguments – for and against – about Roberts that we’ve hashed and rehashed countless times in past years. It’s like Groundhog Day.
He’s not going anywhere; you’re not going to convince your Roberts-hating interlocutor to change his mind, and although I think he works well within the system AF has set up and is an overall good fit, it doesn’t mean I have to think he’s the best thing since sliced bread, either.
Oh, and I can’t think of a worse managerial choice for the Dodgers than Mike Scioscia. Just to refresh people’s memory: while manager of the Angels, he consistently butted heads with the GM and the entire analytics department (to the extent they had one. I think they’re way behind the curve here) and summarily dismissed all the advanced scouting that was given to him. It got to the point where Scioscia went over his GM’s head and went directly to Arte Moreno and got the GM fired in one of those, “either he goes or I go” ultimatums. … Because he’s old school and has to manage HIS way – with his gut.
He wouldn’t last a week as the Dodger skipper, presuming they’d ever be stupid enough to hire him in the first place. The Dodgers are a well oiled machine. Absolutely no room for toxic political back stabbing drama and Luddite insubordination.
Just because a guy used to play for the Dodgers does not automatically mean he’s going to be a good choice as a manager. I’d rather have Jay Johnstone wearing balloons on his head than Scioscia.
And seeing Bauer’s tweet about his cousin who committed suicide did remind me of what could have been and made me pretty resentful. We talk about how the Trashtros robbed the Dodgers of a WS in 17, but what if Bauer was pitching for the Dodgers last year like he really should have? It’s Bauer instead of Home Run Lynn in a key game. That doesn’t mean the Dodgers would have gone to the WS, but realize what was taken from us as fans because, as the evidence now pretty conclusively shows, he was extorted by a complete charlatan, smeared by politically obsessed lunatics with their own agendas, and tossed under the bus by MLB. It’s a reminder of how completely awful people like Molly Knight and Dustin Nosler and his sycophantic audience of millennial social justice warriors truly are. I dunno. If I was Bauer I’d probably just stay in Japan, marry a nice Japanese lady and say sayonara to America’s toxic politics and toxic, entitled people.
Anyway. Happy New Year!
Bravo…..well said!
Epic… Simply Epic! Patch.
100% agree on everything, including Blob Nosler and Molly Nightshade.
I pushed the envelope on Bauer and would fist-fight anyone who said otherwise!
P.S. I know I have to slip that punch in on the first or second time, or then it’s the 9. Old men like me are dangerous…
Many Dodgers fans opposed the Bauer signing.
And let’s remember: There were four accusers, not just one.
Right on the head of the nail patch. Well said.
The family just left… it was a great New Years Day:
I don’t get the thought behind all the angst over Doc. Is it even “thought”? 10 of 10 years in the playoffs is phenomenal. Unprecedented. I suppose his most harsh critics think the Dodgers should have won 10 straight championships? No? Ok, you wish they had gone to 10 World Series winning the majority of them and lost the others in the 7th game?
C’mon, grow up. If you’ve been around any sports much less baseball you KNOW that is not remotely possible. Dave no longer hits, throws, or catches the ball. He doesn’t run the bases either. So he cannot have that direct an influence over the outcome. No more than ANY other manager.
Had Tommy had to win as many games to win his TWO championships he probably wouldn’t have. And while I agree the Astros very likely cheated the Yankees out of the AL pennant in ’17 we will never know but we DO KNOW FOR CERTAIN they cheated to “win” in 2017 – they admitted it so it is very reasonable to say Dave has been more of a winner than Tommy was.
PS: Yes, I want them to win the WS every year but I’m an adult and recognize it is not possible. I want them in the fight in every season for as long as I get to live. But I know every team gets the best players they can and not all those players will/can execute at all times.
Ha Ha. I forgot about this. Make Terry Collins the new manager.
https://x.com/BBGreatMoments/status/1741985608262668419?s=20
His teams have a winning record in the playoffs.
All is right in my world. Alabama lost and so did Texas. Washington against Michigan in the Championship game. You guys worried about Mookie and Freddie in the playoffs need to understand that both of them probably are embarrassed by their performances. I would bet both will be much better next time around. They are both too professional to not be.
Saw an interview with Mark Prior on MLB.TV. Prior said that he will be instituting some changes in the way they train and gear up pitchers to be ready for the season. They are taking into consideration the way Yamamoto trains, and they want him to be comfortable. He also said he has been in contact with Kershaw. Kersh said his arm was feeling great after the surgery and that he will begin a throwing regimen soon. He also said Kersh wants to be a Dodger. It is all in his court now. If he wants to come back, the team wants him.
And so does this fan. I know Kershaw will only pitch for Dodgers as he is what heroes and true friends are made of.
The Dodgers hired Yamamoto’s trainer. I suspect he can help a lot of pitchers.
I mentioned before the Pitching Ninja’s report on Yamamoto. (Can be found on YouTube.)
While a lot of pitchers are hitting the weight room, Yamamoto is focused more on flexibility. It will be interesting to see if yoga becomes part of “the Dodger Way.” Everybody is expected to do the usual stretching… but Yamamoto takes it to another level.
Nearly a year ago and up til opening day I offered an even money bet my Dodgers would win the division aainst the field. The way the talk was around here and elsewhere I thought someome would take me up on my bet proposal. Nobody took that bet. While they voiced Dodgers didn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell they wouldn’t put their money where their mouth wasu. The race to the division title is the true test of which team is best and there shouldn’t be any lesser team to contend for an overall title. But there is now chances for the lesser teams to get hot and steal the show. I offered no bet for Dodgers to win the World Series because it’s no longer a true test of who’s the best of the best. Mark’s words are vey accurate that the wiser bet would be on the field as the world title is so watered down with less than the best that odds don’t favor the best. Winning it all now means less so for me the division title means the most. Wild cards are here and theres little chance that monster will ever be distroyed. MLB has nade the sport FUBAR. At least I can be proud that I recognize but it’d be cool to be able to celebrate rightously. I think I’ll make it through season’s end regardless of professional opinion otherwise. At least Dodgers are sure to give me good baseball at a;ll points so I’ll celebrate all victorys. Oh yeah, Happy New Year all!