That photo is of my wife and daughter, who each have three children. My stepdaughter, Cassie, also has three, and my daughter-in-law, Rhiannon, has two, including our first grandson and six granddaughters. We also have a mother in our life who has two children, and while we are not related by blood, it is a bond of the heart, as my wife and I are God Parents to the Children of Major John Lubbe (Ret.) and Donna Lubbe. Here’s the whole clan:
Back to Dodger Baseball
It was exactly ten years ago that I got my last Dodger Press Pass.
As my company went from a local water treatment dealership to a national and then global company and my family grew, I had less time to travel to Dodger Baseball Games. Also, under the Andrew Friedman Regiume, I have not gotten one Press Pass, although I have requested one on two or three occasions. So, if some of you think I am biased because I get rewarded for saying good things about the Dodgers, the truth is, I have never been treated so poorly as a Blogger as I have under Freidman. Still, I only speak the truth. It was sixteen or seventeen years ago when I became the first blogger to sit in a major league Pressbox at Dodger Stadium.
I have had the privilege of rubbing elbows with the man the Pressbox is named after and many other baseball dignitaries. The big sticking point of why I no longer get press passes is that they require a blogger to be a member of the BBWAA, which is the Baseball Writers’ Association of America… and I refuse to join, so I really can’t blame Friedman, but also realize that I get nothing from the Dodgers. Hell, I used to get Press Releases and a Christmas Card for Godsake! Still, this is the best organization in baseball, and this is the best time to be a Dodgers fan! EVER!
Last night’s game was a microcosm of the Dodgers season. James Paxton has been a great acquisition, and hopefully, he can stay healthy with plenty of rest (and they are giving him a lot of it). The Bullpen is looking strong, and those of you who do not get the nuance behind early-season pitching moves… well I am sorry that you are playing checkers while Doc is playing chess.
The Dodgers are now up to 3rd in team ERA. The Yankees and Red Sox are ahead of them but are too thin in the pitching department to maintain that pace. The Dodgers have the depth to sustain this pace and they have multiple arms returning in the next few weeks (months). The Dodgers are first in MLB in Runs Scored and are #1 in OPS, BA, and OB%. This is despite having Lux, Outman, and Taylor all hitting below (some WAY below) .188! This will change, one way or another.
Walker Buehler takes the mound today – hopefully, he is a little sharper than his first start. It’s a process and I have high hopes.
Down on the Farm
OKC BASEBALL CLUB – Gauthier was 3-4. He is becoming a possibility. Vanasco – 2 IP, 3 K
TULSA DRILLERS – They lost 14-0. Don’t bother.
Ran out of time…
Beautiful family! Happy mother’s day to all moms! Miss mine everyday! Sometimes i wonder why players ,(mostly relief pitchers) sign with the Dodgers. Up , then down. on the team, then gone. I understand a very high percentage want to be in Dodger Blue, but the shuffling back and forth has to be hard to deal with! Now look who’s on the IL. Phillips, Clayton, Kelly, May, Miller, Brasier! … When they come, someone has to go!! …. Go Barnes!!
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the mothers,wives girlfriends and whoevers I might have missed who put up with us Dodger fanatics during the year. We love you and appreciate you more even after a Dodger loss with your sometimes unheralded patience. Enjoy this Special Day and everyday should Mother’s Day.
Sunday Dodger Minor League Schedule
10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jared Karros) vs. Lansing (Jacob Watters)
11 a.m.: Tulsa (Justin Wrobleski) at Midland (Royber Salinas)
12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Landon Knack) at Sugar Land (José Urquidy)
12:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Payton Martin) at Visalia (Adonys Perez)
Decision Time Coming Soon????????? Who goes and who stays???????????
From The Dodgers’ Official Page:
OF Jason Heyward (lower back tightness)
Expected return: Mid-to-late May
“Heyward took live batting practice at Petco Park from May 10-11, a significant step in his recovery. The veteran will go on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, which is conveniently playing in Sacramento while the Dodgers are in San Francisco. Heyward will play on May 13 and May 14. After those two games, the Dodgers could make their decision of whether to activate him or give him a few more Minor League games. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Heyward feels healthy and now it’s a matter of getting his swing to a good place before activation. (Last updated: May 11)”
While the “consensus” seems to be Outman will be sent down, I have to wonder if Taylor is going to be the odd man out. Last night, Hernandez hit for Ohtani. Given that it was mentioned earlier in the broadcast that Hernandez will be playing today, I would have thought it would have been an opportunity for Taylor to get an at bat.
#Dodgers Bobby Miller said he threw 2 simulated IP in his bullpen session Thursday. Will throw another bullpen on Sunday. Facing hitters in live BP situation could be next step
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 11, 2024
Roberts playing chess with the bullpen ? Good one, Mark.
I don´t know if Roberts ever has played a match of chess . Though looking at his usual Sunday gambits it very well could be. Lol.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Roberts’s task is not “Win Today.”
It’s “Win the World Series.”
That means that you have to stretch players beyond their comfort zone.
He has done that recently with Grove, and Grove has usually delivered. He will keep doing it too.
Something to ponder:
JHey has been on the IL for over a month now with “lower back tightness”.
We keep wondering if it will be Outman or CT3 who is shuffled off somewhere when he returns.
Ohtani was removed from last night’s game with ‘”lower back tightness”.
Doc says he doesn’t think it’s overly serious. Doc always underestimates injuries.
Don’t mean to ruin everyone’s Mother’s Day, but there is a chance that the guy who Heyward replaces when he comes back is Shohei.
The Dodger game book indicates they’ll call it day to day for about a week without putting him on the IL, but then………………………………………………
Let’s hope this is one of the few times that Doc is actually right about an injury.
Doc always underestimates injuries.
This is another example whereby Doc is vilified.
What Doc says about injuries are what the Medical Staff and the front office tells him.
Every team tries to “play down” injuries as much as possible.
This is just another example of “Doc Bias!”
I listened to the post game show where they interviewed Roberts. They ask about Ohtani. He said the medical staff told him lower back tightness. But he couldn’t leave it at that . He went on to say he had not talked to Ohtani but it is “minimal” who knows what actually happened. Instead of just staying with lower back tightness he has to throw in it’s minimal. Based on what? He just loves to talk. I guess the Dodger brass is ok with his blabbering. This is not an attack on his managerial skills it is just annoying and misleading.
4:10 ET Mother’s Day Lineup
Dodgers (27-14)
Padres (21-21)
SP Walker Buehler R
0-0 6.75 ERA
SP Yu Darvish R
2-1 2.94 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
DH Will Smith R
RF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
CF Andy Pages R
LF E. Hernandez R
2B Miguel Rojas R
C A. Barnes R
67° Wind 8 mph Out
So now Outman is not starting against “tough RHP?”
Soon, “any mlb pitching”!
Druw Jones with a wave and miss on a breaking ball.
Oops. Replay fail.
Space Dust starting to take effect.
It was said on Friday’s broadcast that Kiki and Rojas would start today because of facing three righties in row and wanting to get them playing time is why
If anyone’s in Visalia, I’m in the rf shaded seats with a beer, a popcorn and a Yale hat. I’ll buy you a beer 🙂
haha love it! Wish I was there
This is heaven.
Bullpen right here. Can hear dudes talking Spanish and throwing shit at each other.
My bad. Not Martin pitching. Just asked dude in bullpen why not and he said,” we have a lot of pitching”
Yean looks big
I’m about 20 feet from DePaula. Looks like a big leaguer. Loose athletic build.
Can’t see Payton Martin too close. But he’s getting outs.
Very Cool.
I am looking to get to Rancho at least once this year.
I left my family at home so I could concentrate on the action. I have some photos if I can figure out how to post them.
Email them to me. mark@uswatersystems.com.
I will post them
Thanks.
And thanks for this website.
DePaula K’s looking. Was ready for his first HR of year.
Time for beer #2. Ticket, pint & popcorn was $28. Might go for burrito next.
Just told dude in bullpen he played for best org in baseball and he said, “by far”
Injury to catcher
First run scored. DePaula with decent throw to cut-off man. He’s not going to be a defensive whiz but he can play RF.
So, some of you said that after Lance Lynn gave up his 2nd HR, Doc should have taken him out.
Does that apply to Buehler, too?
Or do you have a double standard?
Apples and Oranges. A big difference between a playoff do or die game and a somewhat trivial regular season game in May.
It’s sarcasm. 😉
Barnes might throw his grandmother out stealing! lol
Henriquez warming up.
If he doesn’t strike out the side I’ll be disappointed
Didn’t come in. Yean was dominant.
Munoz monster shot right over our heads!
Who knew at the beginning of the year that the Dodger defense would be better than our offense!
.. and the offense is the best in baseball!
We’ll need Striker in October, not in May.
Cartaya 3-4 3 rbi today.
1. Blind Squirrel; or
2. On his way?
We shall see.
It was nice 3-Run shot!
Plus a double.
Neither?
At OKC, Miguel Vargas is 3-4 with 5 RBI… including a Grand Slam.
From the Dodgers’ Official Page:
GOOD NEWS!!!
“May 12: DH Shohei Ohtani sits with lower back tightness
Ohtani said he experienced back discomfort during his pregame warmup on Saturday and it tightened up on him as the game progressed, leading to him being pinch-hit for by Kiké Hernández in the ninth inning.
Though Ohtani was out of the lineup Sunday in the finale in San Diego, he and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said they expect him to make his return to the starting lineup on Monday against the Giants.
“I personally feel that I can play, but just taking it easy,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, before Sunday’s game. “I started to feel the tightness grow a little bit more throughout the game [Saturday]. But when I woke up this morning, I actually felt pretty good.”
Not really stressing about today, Roberts had to throw Bueller out there to get him in his routine, ain’t gonna be pretty sometimes, but we need him for October. And as we all know,, for some reason over the past 2 or 3 years we just can’t figure Darvish out, dude just seems to have our number. All in all, tight series, Pads always play us tough. Onward. On another note, thanks so much Mark for blocking a few of the haters out there, they wouid be blowing this site up by now,