Starting a few weeks ago, Bluto posted three comments that were very instrumental in my decision to close LADT. He wrote this:
“The drama or negativity people invent is something else.”
Message boards or blogs have always been havens for people who hide behind a keyboard and feel like King Kong as they anonymously post whatever they want with no repercussions. To Vinny’s Ghost, Zeke, John, Bobby, NH Dodger, DodgerDad, JayB, Woddy in VT, MushersPop, WatfordDodger, SBuffalo, and others (I can’t remember them all), I appreciate you all and am sorry to leave. I have threatened to stop this blog several times, but it just did not seem right at the time. This time, I am done. I will explain…
Bluto also wrote this:
“What are your priorities in life, if not optimism, about sports teams and enjoying the company of friends?”
The Dodgers played badly against the Astros and Padres, but the team is clearly trying. You know they all want to win. You know Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts want to win. With a multitude of players in the IL, it’s clearly been a struggle.
But when I watch a Dodger game, I am there to have a good time. I want them to stay in the game until the 9th inning, but my experience isn’t terrible because they lost or are in the midst of a losing streak. I don’t understand people who, even when the Dodgers are winning, would find something to be mad about.
These are the same people who will say ‘trade —— because he’s having a bad year‘ and then next year scream ‘look what we gave away‘, or ‘Let’s trade all of our prospects’, and then ‘why don’t we develop players’.
It’s just insane. If you are stressing out about baseball this much you need to re-evaluate if sports are for you. Some fans just think being miserable is part of being a Dodger fan and I’ll never understand that. They may not be the best team in baseball today but they are fun to watch if you enjoy the sport.
I feel like most people who are constantly yelling about how the team sucks aren’t fans of the game because even when the team is bad, someone who loves the game can still enjoy it.
There’s a difference between self-deprecation and finding a perverse sense of happiness in the team being bad. Many Dodgers fans appear to be more excited when the team is bad because it gives them an excuse to be miserable, angry people. That is really what they are to their core: miserable, angry people!
They seem to think that being miserable is part of being a Dodgers fan. Actually, I think being an entitled toxic whiner is what should not be.
Finally, Bluto wrote this:
“Yeah, I can see why Mark may walk away from this stuff!”
BANG! When the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change… you change!
The fundamental fallacy of most sports fans is that if the team isn’t winning, it’s because the players somehow lack character or aren’t trying hard enough. It’s childish, particularly in baseball, where you’re trying to identify a pitch and whether to hit it in .2 seconds, failure is the norm, and trends play out only over huge sample sizes. To think otherwise is moronic.
I want to thank Bear – he is a real friend. Jeff Dominique is a good guy, but I stand by what I said. He made a comment about me, and I responded. If you don’t understand that, well, you are obviously a moron… and we all know…
Watford Dodger summed it up very well in a post several commenters sent to me:
“Very disappointing to read the negative comments about Mark and LADT.
Its amazing how many posters are willing to pile on, yet all seemed to visit his site every day to see what his latest Post had to offer.
To come up with new content every day for 20 plus years and have that amount of dedication takes a lot of effort and energy. His writing style was deliberately polarising but unfortunately some people were unable to see this and seemed to take affront or take it personally.
The use of the word Moron seemed to really upset people. Really!! Come on, it’s about as light as your gonna get, and of course the more people whined the more he used it. He was also right about the Dodgers far more than he was wrong.
I read there and contributed occasionally for 13 years in which time I learned so much more about the great game and enjoyed the to and fro with many of of you guys.
I would like to thank Mark for his efforts.
cheers”
Thank you, Watford – We did not always agree. In fact, sometimes we disagreed a lot, but he was respectful and generally gave a solid explanation of his opinions. People who think that I am a narcissist or thin-skinned are not morons. They are idiots and clearly have no clue. I won’t even attempt to defend myself because they literally have no comprehension.
I am seventy years old and having the time of my life. To be miserable over sports is just silly, especially when the Dodgers have as good a chance of winning it all this year as any team in baseball. They may be better than any other team. Watch and learn. LA Dodger Talk was once very important to me. That time has passed. I will still follow the Dodgers, but that phase of my life is over, and I am at peace with it.
Godspeed to everyone. Goodbye!
Thanks for your dedication and hard work for this amazing Dodger site. Enjoy life and each precious day!!!! You will be missed.
Thank you,
Godspeed!
Good luck Mark!
And thank you for allowing me to express my hatred towards a certain shitty team, without having kicked me out of this blog.
It’s been fun.
Thank you. I wish you nothing but good.
Hi, Mark,
Sorry to see you go. Although this site could be testy at times, I almost always enjoyed my daily dose of LADT. If it’s not fun for you anymore, it’s definitely not worth it. I’m sure it took a lot of your time. As Edward R. Murrow used to say “Good night and good luck”. Enjoy your old age. You look to be in terrific shape.
Best regards,
Woody
Appreciate the shout out above. I agree with you sports should be fun and entertaining. When it starts to seep into other things in life and cause stress, then it’s time to rethink things and prioritize the more important aspects. Take care and enjoy your new house and thriving business as I am sure they keep you plenty busy enough.
Thank you and God Bless!
WORD
Good on ya Mark!
Maybe I will contact your son:-) about a water system when I am living in Panama (hopefully) by this time next year.
Been a hoot!
Cheers
I’m still working.. I would be glad to help you.
I will stay in touch, I have been more of a reader than writer over the past few years but never the less this is my morning read most days. I wish you the best my friend.
Thanks Billy – Godspeed to you.
best of wishes mark! i was hoping you would open this back up. i found this site and was so excited to finally have people to talk to about the dodgers! being on the east coast most people could give a rats. -ss about the dodgers! i live and breathe dodger baseball! always trying to find a bright spot in a bad loss. last night it was kopech. clayton deserves a little more rope, and the wounded shall return. i’m probably done too! yesterday i retired after 40 years of ballistic testing. immediately after leaving i drove 4 hours to watch my grandson play. they got whipped! the parents were moaning and groaning , careful of what they said in front of me, since my son is the coach. i simply told them, 2hours from now, throw them in a pool and they’ll forget all about the bad games. 3 hours later, pax was swimming and having a blast. maybe the adults should take notes!! i take losses pretty hard too. but at the end of the day, its a bunch of overpaid men playing a childs game. pretty rotten way to make a living, RIGHT? God bless you Mark and your family! i’m done too, i tried the other site, no thanks! Healthy ? they can win it all! As they stand now ,? crapshoot. Enjoyed it everyone had a blast!
Thaks DD,
I will miss people like you.
Right on man!! Right on.
Cherish that time watching your son coach and your grandson play!
Thank you Mark
I have enjoyed your blog for a long time.
I hope you will post your takes at Dodger Chronicles from time to time. I enjoy your prospective on our team.
Best Wishes
God Bless you and your family
It’s been a great run. Godspeed to you!
Hey Mark. I totally understand your reasoning for permanently shutting down LADT. You have a lot of positive things in your life right now and at 70 I would think it would be a good time to concentrate on those. With your current feelings about LADT it doesn’t make sense to continue to have the site affecting your personal in the way that it is.
This was the first blog of any type I consistently read and finally contributed to. Thanks for the platform that allowed me to express my feelings and thoughts about Dodger baseball. It was fun to interact with many well informed and interesting people. I appreciate the time and energy you have dedicated to this site for the past 20 years.
As you enter the final innings, here’s to you enjoying many extra innings!
Take care.
And, of course, CARRY ON!!
Ted, Good on you. Thanks for the memories.
Miserable angry people. Sadly I think that is becoming the norm. 2 months ago I made my first post ever right here. I tried to chill people out and be the voice of reason. Mainly to back up Mark. He is right about you guys. I live in Northern Michigan. Maybe I’ll see you at a Loon’s game. This will also be my last foray at posting.
Book em
Book ’em, Dano! Thak you!
Jeff Dominique is a good guy, but I stand by what I said. He made a comment about me, and I responded. If you don’t understand that, well, you are obviously a moron… and we all know…
______
Mark, with all due respect but that is not true. You took an unprovoked and totally uncalled swing at Jeff Dominique first. Then he responded.
I found your site only a couple years ago and I liked it very much. Thanks for the good times and the informative blogs and the chance to interact with other Dodger fans. Not that easy for me living in Southern Bavaria . MOF it has never been easy for me to follow my Dodgers. In the 80s and 90s and before internet the only way to do that in this region of the world was via AFN Radio and TV. I remember many sleepless nights listening or watching the games. When there were 1-2 games a week it was a blessing. Other than that USA today and the boxscores was all there was to follow.
As I said I really enjoyed your blog but allow me to say it would have been even better if you did not call some of your followers “morons” and “idiots” just because they sometimes had other opinions than yourself. For that your last blog was consistent with you and your blogs in the past. 🙂
I wish you and your family and your new puppy nothing but the best. Live long and prosper as Mr. Spock would say.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let me make this perfectly clear: I did not say anything about Jeff, I said that he tolerates morons. Is that a bad thing? I guess it depends on your perspective.
At any rate, Godspeed to you and yours!
Look Mark, if you had guests at your home and I for no reason would call them “morons” and “idiots” who you tolerate at your home wouldn´t that offend you from YOUR perspective too ?
Take care and best wishes.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you acted in a manner that some have, not only would calling them out be within reason but excusing them from one’s home be more than justifiable. Consider this: why would anyone want to invite self absorbed, confrontational and disrespectful trolls in one’s life? Not sure if it’s narcissism or an inability to understand that folks don’t want that type of negativity in their lives.
Articulating a difference in opinion is one thing; hence, the old adage of agreeing to disagree. However, being unreasonable, confrontational and disrespectful is troll like behavior.
Utilizing your analogy, the decision Mark is making is to no longer allow “guests” back in his home due to the bad behaviors of a few.
The inability to self control troll like behavior is what makes them morons.
I told myself that when I saw that Eric had half taken over the other site and you were probably laughing your ass off. Now all they need is Bradley. Cheers
What nah no I have to find a new blog to post on dang. I like this one. Oh Bear hey we got Amed Rosario back bet yesterday love that pickup. I like all these guys on here its for fans that’s what a blog is for some people afmgree and other don’t that’s why I post and read other coments. I hope it doesn’t leave Mark.
Bradley, I enjoyed your zany trade ideas. Have fun!
Will they juts bring Dusty Baker in to manage this team Dave Robert’s has lost this team. They need a drill Sargent hello Dusty Baker and a exdodger. And oh yes won a world series. Fans would love that to bring in Dusty now. Dave Robert’s needs to go manage like in Pittsburgh or Minnesota but not here in LA.
Baker retired. He is my age, 76 and doesn’t want to manage any more. But they are giving away a DB bobblehead the next homestand.
Hey Bradley, I think Rosario was a nice get. You can come on over to Dodger Chronicles and pick on me some more there.
Okay I will look it up love our conversations. Me and Mark kimd if thought they should have done more at trade deadline and have these new guys even played yet for the Dodgers. Shoot Arozarana and Justin Turner were playing for the mariners the next day those two would have been a Great pickup for the Dodgers fans would have loved that more those two and Flarethy. But no Gordon kiermeier and Rosario Flarethy and Kopeach surr hope someone can play thirdbase.
I have to disagree on JT. He really would have no position in LA. He no longer plays third, only first and DH. He would not supplant Freddie at first or Shohei as the DH. He would have been a nice pinch-hitting option, but other than that, he would sit most of the time. Not good for a player his age.
This was the best Dodger blog/site/forum out there no doubt about it.
Sorry to see you go Mark, but I understand.
My gosh we are 4.5 games in first place with a shell of the team we should have….and may have come October….its all good!!!
They told me the regular season doesn’t matter its all about October right???
Wish ya well Mark.
This may be the perfect storm.
It may make them or break them.
I love it.
God Bless you Matt!
Mark I totally get where you’re coming from and have really appreciated this site,will miss it. I am 63 and was let go from my job recently and am at peace with it. I am retired and really excited for the next phase of life as I am sure you are. Family first, sports are nice distraction but not end all, be all. Godspeed thank you again
Thanks, Jimmy Wynn.
Godspeed to you and Bloom where you are planted!
Come on Ram. You’re comparing a website to a person’s home. Seriously? I lied. This is my last post.
Book em
P.S. email me if you want to meet up at a Loons game in the future.
Bye Mark
Hey Dano, on the web isn´t it called a HOMEpage for nothing ?
🙂
Take care!
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for a great blog.
Good luck.
Thank you, Dave, and nothing but good to you as well.
Sorry to see you leave Mark, and shutting down LADT it was a great sports page for me, It’s like losing your best friend enjoy life to It’s fullest.
Godspeed to you and Thank You!
I truly hate that the end has come for ladt.I have missed very few days the last 5 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed this blog, Mark.Thank you.
Will they just bring Dusty Baker in to manage this team. Dave Robert’s has lost this team. They need a drill Sargent hello Dusty Baker and a exdodger. And oh yes won a world series. Fans would love that to bring in Dusty now. Dave Robert’s needs to go manage like in Pittsburgh or Minnesota but not here in LA.
Drill Seargent managers are a thing of the past. Just look how the Giants turned off with Kapler as the manager. Baker’s players won the series. It had little to do with Dusty. And he has retired from all baseball jobs .
Thanks and Cheers!
Thanks OC… Good on You.
Well looks like I’ll just have to settle for my wife calling me a moron from here on out. After 43 years it just doesn’t have the same zing to it tho. Thanks Mark for all your dedication and hard work for keeping LADT alive for all these many years. Maybe one more celebration article when the Dodgers win it all this year. Fitting finale! Enjoy your retirement and your beautiful family.
Thank you Cassidy and Good Luck!
Sorry to lose my daily connection with all things Blue. I mostly listened, and this fan of 77 years is deeply appreciative of all the knowledge and insight presented on the blog. I am amazed at the effort that Mark put into this wonderful forum, and thank him for his dedication. Looking for a new chat room!
Sad to see this come to an end, but there are more important things in life that we have to learn to appreciate.
Best of luck in your future endevours Mark!
Godspeed to you, Dodgefan.
Bradley. i always enjoy your posts , almost as much as the real stuff! lol! Dave Roberts may not be the right guy for this job. But who is? DOC. , nor anyone else can lite a fire under the current lineup they HAVE to run out there currently!!! last nights lineup included THREE, count em, Three players who were starters coming out of spring training!! the other 5 couldn’t make other playoff team’s roster! So this will be the last time i get to post this, Doc gets his full complement of players and pitchers back and they wither away in the playoffs, yeah, he might get the axe. That does not include zDusty! it would be another “DOC “ like manager. AF doesn’t want an old school manager!! PERIOD! So Bradley, i really have enjoyed your posts!! As crazy as some are, there were some that made sense! Your love for the dodgers is obvious. … Bear, will miss you too! Admire and respect your knowledge of the game. APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE!!!! Hopefully you live a long and healthy life!! AND, Bichette will be a DODGER in the off season!!!! lol! Closing , i say to all you dodger fans, quoting the great Christine McVey, DONT STOP BELIEVING!!
Gonna miss you Mark, ive always had your back, we are both old school true blue fans, good times or bad. I get it, the new age Dodger fan has zero patience when the team is struggling and always defaults to Fire Roberts, which automatically tells me they have zero clue on how a team works. I see it more and more, just negativity and hate on the team they root for, I can see how exuasting that must be for you, so ride off into the sunset my friend. You had a great ride.
Thanks Roger. God Bless!
Mark: I will miss you and your perspective on the baseball team we love. I absolutely agree with your decision. I have owned businesses with over a thousand employees and unfortunately those experiences have taught me that some people just get off on being unhappy.
As I’ve previously said, I have been a Dodgers fan since my Grandfather used to take me to Ebbets field as a young boy. This is absolutely the “golden era” of Dodgers baseball. For some people to not understand that just blows my mind and fully supports that some people just get off on being unhappy.
A blog should be a great place to express opinions on things that can be done to improve results and just have a general discussion. However when it deteriorates to a place to just bitch about moves that are made and the people that made them, that’s when fun leaves the equation. And it amazes me that some people just have to get the last word in (ie dodgerram’s last post).
Leave LADT fully knowing what a great thing you have done and have incredible pride in having done that. I live in Phoenix during the spring and if you are ever in town I would love to take in a ballgame with you. Thank you and be well.
Thank you Jay.
I appreciate you more than you know.
Godspeed!
I’m sorry to see you ending the site, but I completely understand why you are doing it. We should all be doing that’s that we enjoy and when the enjoyment ends we need to stop. I’ve followed the site for many years but don’t post a lot and I’m going to miss the articles and constructive comments and opinions. Thank you and good luck.
Thank you Jimbo.
Your support is appreciated.
Godspeed!
Mark, thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it. And I also want to thank you for allowing me to write for this site for a little over two years. I got to try my hand at something I had never done before and came to enjoy it very much. Despite getting roasted for some of my opinions, I still enjoy doing it over on Jeff’s site. He is in the hospital having surgery and I am carrying the ball by myself, so I know how difficult that doing can be. I have met you, and some of those who have been posting here. Me, B&P, Watford and one other poster met a couple of years ago at a sports bar and watched the Dodgers play against the Cubs. It was one of the best two hours I have spent with people in years. I also enjoyed the two times we were able to meet up. The time at the Quakes game was special. I wish nothing but the best and enjoy life. You deserve that. You have my number and email. If you ever feel like just talking baseball and the Dodgers, I am here. By the way, I also appreciate the bobblehead, and the Dodger media guides you sent. All the best my friend.
Bear,
You know how to find me.
Maybe we can get you to visit here soon.
Would love that. I have some friends there as I told you who pick around Columbus a lot. Which is south of you I think.
Vaya con dios, Mark.
Without you, there would have been no drama!
Here’s hoping that Miguel Vargas finds success in Chicago while our beloved Dodgers get well and storm to the championship.
PS–I hope you drop in on Jeff’s site from time to time with some quick takes.
Some years ago I used to frequent an entertaining and informative Silicon Valley blog authored by tech wizard Marc Andreesen.
His tagline was something like: “Often wrong. Never in doubt.”
Well, I am also frequently wrong, and I have no problem changing my mind.
Godspeed!
I think Vargas will be a good player, and I wish him well, but he is no longer a Dodgers, and I root for Dodgers.
Nothing good lasts forever… but nothing bad lasts forever too. Unless you go to hell. I’ve enjoyed this immensely Mark. I understand 100% where you’re coming from. My wife served as a legislator in Lansing for several years… and the grief and hatred she endured was painful for me. People with mean hearts are always going to be around. The hardest part was hearing comments from folks on our conservative side that were taking shots at her. Through it all she still enjoyed serving ‘the people’. And might still be in Lansing if I hadn’t persuaded her to retire from politics. That being said, I know part of your heart will be tugging at you to post your Dodger thoughts. Have you considered posting just weekly ? At any rate, let’s talk baseball. I give AF and BG lots of credit for picking up reinforcements for the stretch run, without depleting our farm. Flaherty should be another Doyle Alexander. Tommy Edman could be the real steal. Kopech might finally unleash his amazing potential. Rosario gives us more versatility. Not sure Kiermaier will contribute a whole lot though. These late inning losses are very troubling. But, considering out pitching depth, we released 2 pretty fair pitchers in Paxton and Yarbrough.. The injury bug is biting hard in all of MLB.. seems especially hard on us. What to do when they finally all come back ? It seems that Mookie might be better suited to go back to the outfield. Some combination of Edman, Lux, Rojas and Rosario around 2nd base should be good. I’m comfortable with Kiermaier and Pages in Center, Teo in left, Mookie in right. Max and Freddie at the corners..Will and Austin behind the plate… and obviously Shohei at DH. That means goodbye, Kike, CT3, Cavan, James and Nick. _ When we get back just a couple of our SP’s and RP’s… we’ll be good. So Mark, how do you walk away ? But, I’m being selfish cause I’ve gained much knowledge from your opinions. And would enjoy learning more… Take care my friend . Godspeed to you
All of that makes sense.
Some people who suggest that Mookie should move back to RF are taken aback by the idea that maybe Mookie should play CF.
Why not? He’s a gold glove outfielder who has played CF before, and played it well–better than he plays SS. Putting him in CF pushes Pages into a platoon in RF with Heyward.
Yes, Keiermaier is now in the mix. With the active roster, perhaps the choice is whether to Kiermaier in CF or Ahmed at SS. (I’d go. with Ahmed.)
Hey Mark, just look at the brilliant insight you’ll be missing!
Maybe we will meet in person. I am easy to find on Facebook and Linkedin.
Godspeed to you.
Take care Mark. I hope you get bored and come back soon!!
Thanks, but I doubt it.
There won’t be any comebacks, but there may be something else.
Please keep me posted with your future activities.
As I’ve mentioned a few times the last two years, thank you MT for your efforts on YOUR site. I’ve learned a great deal about the Dodgers on this site from you and several of the frequent posters. Selfishly, I’m very sorry to see you go but it’s totally understandable! You’re a fighter and not gonna tolerate anything you perceive as disrespectful is your damn prerogative because it’s your site! Don’t like it, take a hike! I thought you punched down a few times but that’s for you to decide not me or anyone else.
No matter how wealthy or rich one is, there is something in life that no one can buy……..TIME! So as was mentioned above, enjoy the critical 7th, 8th and 9th innings and I pray that it goes into extras for you and everyone else on the site especially Bear! You two are both solid dudes so Godspeed to both of you and thanks again for creating this site. Be well, brother!
I plan to live into my 100’s because only the good die young, but if I don’t I am ready to meet my Maker.
Some of it is magic and some of it is tragic… but I have had a great life all the way!
Godspeed!
Hey Mark. Running a blog must be a pain sometimes. Coming up with something to say or something to talk about that hasn’t been beaten to death already.
I am critical of the Dodgers sometimes. We can do that as fans. That doesn’t mean that we don’t live and die with the team. When my wife died 2 years ago, I subscribed to the MLB games package so that I would have something to do other than miss her all of the time and pout. The Dodgers helped to get me through a horrible time.
I sometimes didn’t like the tenor of your response to people that you didn’t agree with. The tone of many commenters was frankly obnoxious. But I checked out your site several times per day to see what people were saying even if I reduced the number of times that I commented myself.
I hope you enjoy yourself. Thanks for giving we fans a place to get it off our chests. It would be nice to be able to stay in contact, but that seems unlikely. So for now, Goodbye and God bless.
Rick,
You can find me easily.
I’d love to talk. Anytime.
God Bless You!
Thanks for all the time you devoted to this blog for us Mark! I didn’t post very often but I read everyday.
Enjoy your time with your family and friends. We all share a common bond that is the Dodgers and whenever they next win a WS I will be thinking of you and others that posted here.
Thank you John!
Godspeed to you as well!
I’m gonna miss your moronic opinions mark. Take care. Stay happy
For those who are interested Buehler pitches for Oklahoma City Tonight. God bless and good health to all the posters!
Thanks for that heads up Vincent. I will watch that game on MLB.TV streaming.
AVF:
Thanks for all the daily lineups you have posted the last few years. If you haven’t try out Jeff’s site. Some of the same people that post here are over there so you would be familiar with the interaction. I don’t post a lot over there myself but I do occasionally. If not take care it was good interacting with you and your posts.
I have really enjoyed this Dodger site. Thank you, Mark, for the time and effort you put in to inform, educate, and interact with Dodger fans. This site was a great forum to read posts, exchange ideas, and yes, even disagree. I will miss it.
Like you, I have always looked at a baseball season as a 6 or 7 month soap opera with a different plot each year. It has always been entertaining and even more so these last ten years when every year the Dodgers had a legitimate chance to win a championship.
As you start this new and exciting phase in your life, I wish you and your family the best. Thanks again!
Thank you and Godspeed!
where are you going to post your thoughts? Have you selected a site to participate in?
I will figure it out and let everyone know IF or WHEN I do that!
Man bro I’m sad. I was always on this website. I rarely ever posted but read most things even the comments. Yea some of them are weird and annoying but I mostly just found it entertaining. I know you’ve turned the website off before and those times sucked. Thanks for trying though buddy. If you really quit it’ll hurt like when Beltre left lol. Either way go dodgers. Wish you the best bud
Thanks and I wish it right back to you.
Good luck, Mark.
This has been a great site for commentary. Missed reading all the comments during the trade deadline.
I get it, it’s tough to do a site like this. An incredible amount of work. Not easy to keep all this relevant.
Sorry to see you go.
Thank you. I am sorry to go…
Godspeed to you.
Thanks so much Mark for keeping this site alive for so long. I’m not much of a poster, but I sure did learn a lot about baseball and the Dodgers reading the comments from you and many of your posters. I’m 79 years old now and have been a Dodgers fan since I was 7.
I live in Jersey and when the Dodgers moved west I lived through what one poster referred to as “The dark years”. Since the internet came about it became easier to follow the team closely again. Between MLB.com. and LADT I got most of my Dodger info.
Enjoy your new home and may God bless you and your family.
Go Dodgers!
Thank you, Gil!
Godspeed!
Well said Mark! I appreciate and have enjoyed all you have put into this blog. For many years, this was a my daily morning read. I also want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to write for the blog. It was something I truly enjoyed. I also enjoyed getting to meet you in person. Most people dwell on your gruff demeanor, but the Mark I met is much deeper than that: he is a wonderful family man, an astute business man, and while he’s a big man, who could easily whip my rear, he is also a teddy bear.
It was said that I quit writing because I didn’t like conflict. Actually, I stopped being involved in writing and commenting on the blogs, for the same reasons that Mark is shutting down LA Dodger Talk now. I’m in my seventies, I still work full-time as a litigation attorney. I deal with conflict every single day. I thrive on it. However, when it comes to the Dodgers, I have absolutely no interest in reading people whine on about Dave Roberts, etc., etc. and arguing with people I don’t know over nonsensical stuff. This is baseball folks, it’s not real life. For me, being a Dodgers fan is fun, light hearted enjoyment. I will be a fan until the day I take my last breath. If they lose, oh well, the sun will come up again tomorrow, and they’ll play another game.
Mark, I wish you and your loved ones nothing but the best going forward. If your ever in the Temecula area, give me a call, dinner is on me!
Amen! Thank you for the kind words. I wish you nothing but the best.
God Bless!
Hey buddy, good to see you are alive and well. Really miss your posts. Drop in and see us at Dodger chronicles. Love to see your opines on all things Dodger. #2 Remember Don Demeter!
Reading your website was one of the first things I would do every day. Always interesting commentary and the responses were very informative.
Wishing you and your family the very best. May you always have fair winds and following seas.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Godspeed!
Mark, I have visited your site nearly every day for the past couple of years.
As a long time Dodger fan in KY, I’ve so appreciated LADT!
Wishing you and yours well.
Blessings…
Mark – finding this place 13 years ago made following the Dodgers so much more enjoyable and I’ve learned so so much.
Totally understand where you’re at, enjoy yourself.
I’d be disappointed if you didn’t hit me up if you’re ever over here in the UK.
All the best mate
Michael – that day with you, B&P and Patch I will remember with fondness for ever.
Does anyone know of a good dodger message board?
Have fun through your journey. My biggest regret with your decision is I didn’t find this blog earlier. Good luck Mark, you’re a talented human. BTW Try coaching and then get into politics, thee stories I could tell.
Hey John, drop in to Dodger chronicles. Love to see ya there.
I do now and then. I’ll be more frequent. Thanks for the invite
What makes you think I am human?
😉
You are either a human or that is one hell of a disguise.
Mark, thanks for running and managing LADT for so many years. It was great to read your daily commentary and the reader comments were also enjoyable. It surely took a lot of your time, effort and money, and I greatly appreciate it. I wish you all the best in your other endeavors. Thanks for bringing great Dodger content to so many people!
Thanks!
God Bless!
Same here. It was a blast, when I finally found the place. I looked for over an hour. B&P was surprised I could talk to the ladies so easily. LOL> I am carrying the ball for Jeff while he is recuperating over on his site.
Sorry to hear you’re walking away, Mark. I haven’t been posting lately for some of the reasons you stated. I haven’t even been reading the comments much. But I always enjoyed your writing and insight.
Life is too short to argue with people.
All the best.
And let me know when you’re back in SoCal.
Thanks, JC, I will.
Godspeed to you!
Hey JC, hope you are well my friend. Cmon over to LADC if you get a notion. Love to see you there.
You brought a lot of people a great deal of daily enjoyment for many, many years at a significant cost in time and money while expecting nearly nothing in return. Extraordinary.
Thanks Mark.
.. stay tuned.
I am not going to continue on as I was… but maybe, this will become a message board with a post once a week.
I am thinking about that!
Better than nothing!
Have been afraid this day would come. There will be many of us who will greatly miss this blog. It was the starting point every time I visited LAD blogs. I have been a Dodger fan since 1952, but I don’t live and die by the box scores. Wishing you the best Mark.
Good luck going forward. But with all the recent deadline activity, I was thinking of the song, ‘You picked a fine time to leave us Mark”
Thank you Mark. In more ways than one. You have always been good to me and I learned a lot about the Dodger organization and the workings within from you. We’ll keep in touch. Perhaps a pilgrimage to the Hsll of Fame induction ceremony of Kershaw a few years from now would be a goal we all set. An LADT reunion in Cooperstown where all us morons can hash it out!
“A certain judge was constantly annoyed by the sneering remarks and abusive language of an attorney. Instead of cracking down on the lawyer and silencing him, the judge would only smile and chew on his pencil. People wondered how he could be so patient.
At a dinner party someone asked him, ‘Why don’t you do something about that wise-guy lawyer?’ The judge laid down his fork, and resting his chin on his hands said, ‘Up in our town there lives a widow who has a dog. Whenever there is a full moon, that dog barks and barks all night.’
Then the judge quietly resumed his eating. One person asked, ‘But Judge, what about the dog and the moon?’
He replied, ‘Well, the moon just keeps right on shining!’”
Mark, it saddens me that this blog which so many of us have come to rely on for a small measure of joy no longer affords you the same. I lack the eloquence to properly express my appreciation to you for constructing this extraordinary website and for fostering this wonderful community, even while suffering (at times) the “slings and arrows” of some outrageous discourse. Quite simply, they have been a gift. Thank you!
As a fellow Hoosier perhaps you can relate to my feeling of serendipity when I found this enclave of like-minded people who were so passionate about the fortunes of the Los Angeles Dodgers so as to argue over lineups and pitching changes and roster moves that they couldn’t control – with people they had never met. The greater discovery by far was the wealth of observations and opinions and information gleaned by you and a few others from years of watching baseball and, in particular, following the Dodgers and all their affiliates.
Persistent discord arising from a few ill-tempered guests on your site is regrettable, given that we all share the same enthusiasm for the Dodgers, but it has never held much fascination for me. Having weathered the McCourt years and residing in a state where most baseball fans are condemned by misfortune of geography to a lifetime of pulling for the Cubbies or the Redlegs, I count it a privilege to be a fan of Dem Bums. And I count it a privilege to be able to come here and parse the musings of others who bleed Blue.
Mark, how I wish you would just keep right on shining; but I understand if you cannot. I pray that in whatever lies ahead you will rediscover the joy you once found in sharing your insights with those of us who were fortunate enough to stumble onto your site – hoping only to learn what the Dodgers might expect from Tommy Kahnle. As much as you are able, pray for your antagonists. It may be a grievous wound that moves a person to vex a thing they should have cause to value.
Blessings to you my friend, and many thanks!
Thank you so much!
Buehler (hip) threw 3.1 innings while allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six during a rehab outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
“Buehler needed 86 pitches to record 10 outs, as he continued to struggle with his control. Positively, he did manage to strike out six, a significant increase from his first rehab appearance Friday. It’s possible that the Dodgers activate him for his next turn through the rotation, though they could also opt to give him another start in the minors in hopes of him throwing strikes more consistently”.
Mark, great idea! Leave the site. open as a message board like Reddit so the true Dodger fans can discuss and debate their thoughts and ideas. I will continue to post daily lineups and other information and quotes I read and find from other sources. You will make a lot of people happy.
From Chelsea Freeman:
“Last Friday, Max rapidly declined and went into full body paralysis,” she wrote. “We are very fortunate to have gotten him to the hospital in time so they could reinforce his lungs.
“Freddie was in Houston at the time and rushed to the first flight back home. After many tests, Max is battling a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. A rare neurological condition that is especially rare in children. These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives. Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed.
“We have been blown away by his improvements in the last 48 hours. Maximus was excavated from his breathing tube and taken off of the ventilator yesterday, which is a huge win for us. We believe in the power of prayer and we have been witnessing a miracle in his recovery. Please continue to cover Maximus and our family in your prayers. We really appreciate and have felt all of your support.”
Friday schedule
4:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Maddux Bruns) at Cedar Rapids (Ricky Castro)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Carlos Duran) vs. Springfield (Tink Hence)
5:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Bobby Miller) at El Paso (Jared Kollar)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (TBA) vs. San Jose (Shane Rademacher)
Maddux Bruns off the IL or the Development List and Bobby Miller both pitching tonight
08/01/24 Los Angeles Dodgers activated CF Kevin Kiermaier.
08/01/24 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned C Hunter Feduccia to Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
“Great Lakes left-hander Jackson Ferris , part of the Busch trade with the Cubs had the longest start of the season in the Dodgers minors with eight scoreless and hitless innings in a win over Cedar Rapids. He walked four and hit a batter, but also struck out six on the night”.
98 Pitches.
Oh, bye Mark
Thank you Mark for LADT. As a baseball and Dodger fan your site has been a great source of joy for me. The first time I ever commented, 5 or 6 years ago, your comment was “ winner winner chicken dinner “.
You made me fell welcomed . Thanks.
I have especially enjoyed getting to know several of the contributors, only by their comments, that has been a joy also. Sometimes a painful joy.
And Mark, it has been a pleasure to get your thoughts and insights and yes opinions.
I wish for you and all the LADT family peace and happiness going forward.
Mark I would love to have access to your book when it is published. Your story sounds interesting.
Kind regards to all.
Hi Mark – thanks a tonne of red skinned yellow flesh Mozart potatoes for opening up your site one more time so we can say our thanks to you. As we golfers say, it has been a slice – I have greatly appreciated the huge amount of time you spent and have learned more about Dodger baseball in the last few years than I thought possible and my favourites were always your forecasting of the prospects coming up. I will miss that.
Enjoy your Phenomenal Phamily –
Cheers from Southern Alberta – Gerry
Sorry to say goodbye Mark. I almost never write posts but read you everyday and will certainly miss this blog. Take care.
Thanks, Carlos. Good Luck, and check back – I will not be publishing daily, but I am considering writing once a week. Maybe….
That would be fantastic Mark.
Thank You!
Godspeed.
08/02/24 Chicago White Sox claimed RHP Gus Varland off waivers from Los Angeles Dodgers.
I really hope you can find a way to keep LADT alive. I really enjoy your perspective on all things Dodgers. It’s a shame that a few people can ruin such a good thing for so many. You will be missed.
Damn it Mark!! don’t do it!!! don’t shut it down!!!! what will happen to all of us?? i don’t want to go to another site!! i’ll never get to read Bradley again! i’m. going to hold my breath until you say ok!! Seriously, don’t do it!! ……. and on another note, Mookie, hurry up and get better! Max, please hurry!!! AND most of all, Freddie. We’re all praying for your son, and all you guys!!
9:40 PM ET
Dodgers (63-46)
Athletics (45-65)
SP Gavin Stone R
9-4 3.34 ERA
SP Joey Estes R
4-4 4.92 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
C Will Smith R
2B Gavin Lux L
LF T. Hernandez R
RF J. Heyward L
1B Cavan Biggio L
3B E. Hernandez R
CF K. Kiermaier L
SS Nick Ahmed R
73° Wind 7 mph Out
Hate to see you go. Now what will I do first thing in the morning without your post. Life goes on and I hope yours is just the way you want it to be. Thanks for all the information and opinions over the years!!!!! You’ll be missed by alot of readers.