Can the Dodgers win with Mookie Betts at SS? Of course, they can. They do not have to get a SS THIS YEAR. I do not expect Mookie to play SS for more than a year… maybe two, but he is solid at the position. Yes, he will make an error or two, but Seager and Turner were not defensive wizards either. I would go so far as to say that Mookie is a better SS than either of them. There is no right answer here, but it is my belief that the Dodgers are fine with Mookie at SS.
The Dodgers cannot win with Robert Van Socyoc’s “All or Nothing” approach. Ok. here we go: I have said it and it seems obvious that with the Dodgers it seems like “everyone hits” or “no one hits.” That’s not exactly true, but it seems like it. That’s not what happened last night as the Dodgers won 4-3. Robert Van Scoyoc began his coaching career in 2008, focusing on youth hitters in the Santa Clarita Valley and serving as a part-time assistant coach at Valencia High School. Between 2010 and 2011, he was the hitting coach and recruitment coordinator for San Diego Christian College. Following this, he partnered with Craig Wallenbrock to mentor various college and professional hitters, including J.D. Martinez, whom they assisted in improving his swing in 2013. Van Scoyoc worked as a hitting consultant for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2016 to 2017, helping Chris Taylor enhance his performance through swing adjustments. Before the 2018 season, he was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a hitting strategist. He then returned to the Dodgers as their major league hitting coach for the 2019 season. Subsequent to that, the Dodgers have always been one of the top-hitting teams in MLB. JDM, Ohtani, Betts, Will Smith, Teoscar, Freddie Freeman. Max Muncy and others have flourished under his tutelage. JDM even took less money to play for the Dodgers just so he could work with RVS. The Dodgers’ lack of success in October has more to do with the players and circumstances than the hitting coach. Would we feel differently if the Dodgers had the title they were cheated out of in 2017?
The Dodgers are not playing with urgency. Damn right… and they should not! The Dodgers have been so good the past few years that they have cruised the last five or six weeks of the season. The Dodgers have finished first in their division for twelve years (if you don’t factor in 2021 when they won 106 games and finished 2nd). The past couple of years, they were so far ahead that the team was not playing meaningful games down the stretch, and that malaise carried over into the playoffs after the “bye week.” This year, I believe that the Dodgers are doing it differently by design. They are on cruise control right about now. It is impossible to maintain the intensity at a high level all season. I have played a lot of baseball and basketball but was never good enough to play at higher levels. However, the sports I was best at were tennis and ping pong. I started playing ping pong when I was about twelve years old, and I have never seen anyone I could not beat. I play ping pong like this:
My oldest son also plays like that, and at 71 years old (he’s 37), he can now beat me regularly (but it is close). I am telling you this because there are times when I have played numerous opponents, and I just “lose it.” The paddle feels like a foreign object and I just have to stop playing for a while. I am not saying I am a World Champion or anything like that, but I was pretty damn good. My point is that as a human being, I could not sustain playing at a high level forever. I don’t know what it is, but mentally, you have to take some time off.
The point to all of this is that I think the Dodgers have made a decision to put this team on cruise control until later in the season, when they may have a team meeting and tighten the screws. Of course, they are not going to tell you that or announce it to the world, but the goal is to “peak in October.” So, don’t lose your mind when they lose a few games in June or July. In the scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. The Phillies have the best record in the NL, but the Dodgers are just four games behind them. I promise you that the Dodgers will end the season with a better record! Things have gone well for the Phillies, but their rotation is not as deep as the Dodgers, and if one of their starters goes down, they likely can’t take the hit. Watch and see…
Andrew Friedman is not afraid to take a flyer on a waiver pickup, but he is also not afraid to make a blockbuster deal. Cavan Biggio could be a stroke of genius or a blunder. I have no opinion… but time will tell. There may be a blockbuster deal, or the team could stand pat. I am just enjoying the ride. Don’t lose your mind right about now. Don’t worry – be happy!
Dodgers need two bats with high average, high OBP . Two out of Kike, CT3, Lux and Biggio have to go for those two bats. Too many weak bats at the bottom of the lineup and on the bench. There is not way around it.
In the here and now I would play Mookie at 2B and Rojas at ss when both are in the game. A lot better defense than the other way around.
I got goosebumps when I watched that interview by Joe Davis and the voice mail he received from Vin Scully.
I once met Mr. Scully at Vero Beach during a ST game. we came over all the way from Germany, first time at Vero.
He was on his way to the press box when I asked for his autograph and he was so kind and friendly that he stopped and signed my cap and and a ball. When he found out we were from Germany we talked a few minutes (at least in my memory it were minutes, more likely 30 seconds, 🙂 ).
Such a friendly, kind man, always in touch with the fans and Dodger faithful.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!
Agree
Mark, who do you want the Dodgers to trade for and who will be DFA’d by the deadline from the present roster? Tough decisions for AF and BG.. The pitching roster will be even harder to finalize with all the returning arms.
Well, I do not have a player in mind because it takes two to tango. But, we need to remember that Max Muncy will be back… probably in late July or early August. That will lengthen the lineup. If I had to pick one player to trade for, it would be Francisco Lindor and move Mookie to 2B. Lindor would be awesome. CT3 would be the casualty. If you really wanted to kill it, trade for Lindor and JDM, and this is what you would have:
1. Betts 2B
2. Ohtani LF
3. Freeman 1B
4. Martinez DH
5. Smith C
6. Muncy 3B
7. Teoscar Hernandez /Heyward RF
8. Outman/Pages CF
9. Lindor SS
That dog would hunt!
I like it, but there is a better chance of getting JDM from the Mets.
With all due respect: A pipe dream IMHO.
And the Dodgers do not need LIndor or /and JDM to begin with. They just need two guys who can put the ball in play, take a BB, move runners over, play solid defense. If one or both of them are scrappy, tough grinders that much better. Team could use some emotion, fire . We have enough sluggers, maybe too many for our own good already.
Best case scenario CT3, Lux, Kike and Biggio start to provide that for us but I do not believe in a sudden turnaround by those guys. That ship probably has sailed, especially CT3 and Kike.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, a pipe dream…. But a lovely hallucination!
We’ll have a better idea of which teams will be sellers in a few weeks. The Mets may or may not be on the list.
I do like the idea of putting Shohei in LF. He might like the idea too, but I think the brass would worry about the potential for injury.
Ohtani playing LF is a bridge too far.
Happy for CT3. You could see how relieved he was rounding the bases after the home run.
But then, the very next at bat, he missed 2 very hittable pitches before striking out on a check swing. In my mind, he has about 3 weeks of runway left before we decide if he’s turned it around, or if he’s a lost cause and it’s time to replace him with someone for October.
A hitter with a .300 AVG will fail to get a hit 70% of the time and a batter who gets OB 40% of the time will fail to get OB 60% of the time. Baseball differs from most sports because its superstar hitters build HOF careers while experiencing failure the bulk of their careers.
Superstar hitters can only produce so much. Relying solely on a few batters to score runs on a consistent basis will produce mix results, because even the most talented hitters in the game will experience failure at a higher rate than success.
One of the reasons I love this sport is because consistent offensive output can only be achieved collaboratively as a team. Sustaining success with the bat in baseball is hard because pitching and defense remain the more dominant parts of the game.
While having the mental acuity to handle failure plays a pivotal role, the game’s primary objective by default ends up being run prevention. Strong pitching and defense, while relying on probability to project success with the bats. The old adage defense never slumps comes to mind, as a team can more reasonably project defensive output than offense. Hitting is much more random; unpredictable.
The problem with a lot of this is high expections.
For the amount of money the Dodgers spent, most people think they should be better. Maybe they should. Maybe they will.
Mookie seems to be doing fine at shortstop. Is he a long term solution? Probably not. Hey, I liked Seager. Disappointed the Dodgers didn’t sign him. They did offer $250 million or so, he turned it down. I also really liked Trea Turner, figured he would get around $300 million. He did and the Dodgers never tried to sign him. That is weird. Never even made an effort. Some said it was because he wanted to play on the east coast. But Turner said that wasn’t the case. He loved playing in LA. He was surprised at how it played out.
They obviously didn’t want to pay $300 million plus for Seager. Maybe they were concerned about injuries. He does get hurt a lot. They obviously were hoping Gavin Lux could step into the position.
But not signing Seager led to Freddie Freeman. You could argue that Freeman’s bat is better than Seager’s, but Corey has had two big World Series and was named MVP, twice. That tends to color judgements when looking back or forward.
Hey, I thought it had something to do with payroll and budgets. But this past winter changed all that. Some of it probably had to do with Ohtani generated revenue. It’s a real thing.
Will the Dodgers add at the trade deadline? Go big or tinker around the edges? No idea. Probably will depend on what is available and the cost in terms of prospects.
It use to bother me when we failed to extend one of two top SS in the game; however, Mookie’s move to SS has resolved that issue in my mind. Mookie hasn’t been perfect, but neither were Turner and Seager. In a perfect world, it would’ve been ideal to lock up Seager, not as a SS but as a 3B. I don’t believe SS is the best position for an oft injured player. That is one more the more physically demanding positions.
Short term, Freeman is the better player, but due to his age Seager is likely the better option longterm.
I watched the pre game Dodger game the other night with Jerry, Nomar and I forgot the other guy’s name. They stated OPS in the MLB is down from .740 the previous year to .700 a .040 point difference. They attribute it to launch angle and batters trying to hit homeruns and striking out more than trying to just making contact and putting the ball in play. A fair assessment.
That may be part of it, but the fastball velocity and spin rate, together with pitching analytics, play a role as well.
If pitchers were perfect, hitters would never get a hit, but now, they all hunt for “mistakes.”
I have no clue what AF is thinking about. He has made some good trades, and a couple of stinkers. He is always looking at the waiver wire. I do not believe he is going to overpay for any player. Example, Robert Jr. Does Robert Jr. make the offense better? He is a shell of the player he was last year so far. Granted, he is just a couple of weeks off of the IL, but he is hitting well below the Mendoza line even though in his last 5 games he has slugged 3 homers. The only 3 hits he has managed in 16 at bats. He also walked 3 times and struck out 5. His OPS though is just below .800. His OPS+ is 117. Fits perfectly into this lineup of high K, good OBP hitters if you add Muncy to the equation. But the Sox want a Soto like return for him. Not happening in LA. Sorry, but Lindor and Martinez won’t happen either. Ohtani in the outfield? They won’t take a chance of damaging that expensive right arm.
What u r currently watching is your playoff offense. Even if they bring in a couple of bats they will change them to the home run swing. The offseason they went out and got 2 power guys with high strikeout rates. How did we win last night? 2 homers from unlikely sources but it was the home run. This is what they teach and it is not going to change until the teacher changes. Seattle decided they could not live with that approach.
The difference this year from last year is we have more pitching. If healthy our starting pitching and our pen should be really good. There is no way we had a chance last year with an injured kershaw pitching on fumes. A rookie in Miller and a past the prime Lynn. The question should b who was responsible for that playoff staff? Who said you will be surprised at the arms we have. Did he really believe that? If so I have some ocean view property….
Mark, I love you but that song is so bad.
I never said it was good.
Great interview with Joe Davis on Eisen show.
Mark, since you and your son are great ping pong players, why don’t you play in Kershaw’s ping pong fundraiser at Dodger stadium?
It is a great cause and has all of the Dodgers plus many local celebrities. It would probably be good for your business as well and provide some great material for the website! Seems like a great experience as well to play ping pong against Kershaw, Betts, and rest of the team.
If they have a 55 and over division I’d consider it. I can no longer beat my son.
Saturday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jacob Meador) at Dayton (Ryan Cardona)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Jared Karros) vs. Arkansas (Danny Wirchansky)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (River Ryan) at Sugar Land (Colton Gordon)
6:50 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Sean Linan) at Fresno (McCade Brown)
River Ryan will make his first start for Triple-A this season on Saturday, after getting sidelined for two months with shoulder soreness. He pitched four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in two rehab starts for Arizona and Rancho Cucamonga.
Mark, I am unable to post the lineup tonight as I taking my lovely wife to dinner tonight to celebrate she is now deemed cancer free from 6 months of chemo and a recent operation for breast cancer. Early detection was the key after her yearly mamo gram last November. Radiation is the next step in the process. How long it will be is TBD. It’s been a hell of an ordeal but the support from family and friends along with prayers got us through it. I don’t wish the unknown from it on anyone.
Best wishes to you and your wife Andrew.
Wow. Glad she’s doing better!
Thank you Bobby. I rarely drink, but to celebrate tonight I may have one or two cocktails.
Thank you Watford. I appreciate that coming from across the pond.
Awesome! Enjoy your dinner and take nothing for granted. Life is fragile and precious. Enjoy every minute.
Thank you Mark. Your site was therapy while she was receiving chemo treatments and the unknown was all we had to look forward to.
Congrats AVF, enjoy your night out, appreciate the lineup postings you do. You are correct with the early detection as my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 and she is doing fine 11 years later after a procedure and medication. Luckily she didn’t have to have radiation or chemo.
Thank you Zeke. It’s my small contribution to this wonderful and best Dodger site.
The great physician at work! Congrats!
Thank you. She had the best care from doctors and nurses and the little I could do to keep things positive at home.
My best wishes to you and your wife, AVF. Hope you too have a fantastic dinner tonight and a long and happy marriage for many years to come.
Cancer is a terrible monster. Has brought so much pain and sorrow to so many men and women. A cure can not come soon enough.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you dodgerram for the well wishes. Early detection and aggressive treatment is the key.
AVF congrats to your wife and to you. Thanks also for your contribution to this site.
My wife will be having breast surgery for cancer on July 8. And yes then the unknown but hope for the best.
Enjoy your time with your bride.
Thank you Bobo. Prayers and best wishes to you and your wife.
Wish your wife and you the best Bobo.
9:10 PM ET
Royals (40-31)
Dodgers (43-28)
SP Seth Lugo R
9-2 2.36 ERA
SP Y. Yamamoto R
6-2 3.00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
CF Andy Pages R
RF J. Heyward L
3B Cavan Biggio L
2B Gavin Lux L
C A. Barnes R
81° Wind 7 mph Out
Was able to post the lineup because it was earlier than expected
Hey AVF. thanks for your lineups each day. I don’t post very often here, but I am very happy for your wife and family. Early detection is the key. I lost my mother to breast cancer because it was not dealt with early.
Great news AVF. Have a wonderful celebration tonight!
Thank you Cassidy. It was a great night with fabulous food and outside dinning withy perfect weather. My night was made and an early Father’s Day gift to see my wife smiling and laughing again.
Mark suggests Othani could play in the LF, and that’s exactly what I think too, and I think it’s not a bad idea, and maybe even necessary…. But I thought about Bichette and Vladimir instead of JD and Lindor, it wouldn’t be crazy , AFA did it before when it brought Turner and Scherzer, so it wouldn’t be impossible.
Andrew,
Very Happy to hear the positive news about your wife.
I enjoy your daily impute and comments.
Have a great night and God Bless
Go AVF !!
Thank you NJ Dodgers for the well wishes.
Not good with Yamamoto
Biggio is fitting right in with the Dodgers and the bottom of the order. Three called strikeouts. Pathetic! What an acquisition.
Blake’s fastball velo pales in comparison to what it was in his prime.
Pads lost again tonight, so the Dodgers won’t lose ground in the division.
Good for the Dodgers everyone else in the NL West sucks.
Yep. There is no right. But we have a lot of wrongs right now.
Lets hope Yoshi is not severly hurt. Need him in October.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He sounds like a Tommy John candidate.
The Dodgers will turn it on when? …. Who exactly turns it on?? Somebody needs , or should i say somebodies need a boot in the aaaasssss! Damn , maybe Tommy Pham needs to come to LA!!
I’m sorry! needless ranting. Happy father’s day everyone! So thankful for my 2 sons! Wonderful men, fathers, and husbands, and tremendous sons! … Fingers crossed for Yamamoto. But we have pitching even without him. this club needs offy, and not another waiver wire addition!!