I would like to think that one thing I have is perspective, which is the ability to think about a situation or problem in a wise and reasonable way. I am able to keep things in perspective – usually, the overall situation isn’t really that bad. I think that is the root of why I drove the morons away. They lack perspective. The fact of the matter is that they are a bunch of grumpy old men who probably sit around all day and yell from their front porch, “Get off my lawn!” I have a balanced perspective and don’t immediately run around like my hair is on fire when something bad happens… and believe me, stuff happens all the time in baseball, but I don’t want to jump out of a tall building!
Life is for the living, and baseball is meant to be enjoyed – the word “joy” is an important aspect of what baseball is all about. I am sorry that the morons don’t get to experience that. They are slaves to their lack of perspective. It’s like looking in your passenger-side rear-view mirror and seeing objects that look much further away than they really are. They see the Dodgers that way… through a tainted lens. The fact of the matter and with perspective, you will realize that right now is the best time EVER to be a Dodger fan. But, they are miserable because they choose to live that way. Maybe it makes them feel superior to criticize Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman ad nauseum, but to me, it is moronic and sickening.
What prompted me to write this is what Dodgfan commented yesterday (and I thank him for it):
“The quality of the content is key Mark. Just because folks like me don’t post it doesn’t mean we do not value good content. When you allow “morons” to control the narrative, it brings down the value of the site as a whole. By banning trolls from the site, you have created a win-win on multiple fronts:
–Dodgfan
1. You seem more at peace with yourself;
2. You removed the “morons” from your life;
3. The content value is as good as ever;
4. People like me come to read quality Dodger content without shuffling through an emotional roller coaster of insanity; and
5. When we don’t agree with something, we agree to disagree and move on to the next big topic.
Thank you for keeping this place sane.“
I realize that Dodger fans are really fanatics, but that doesn’t mean they should take leave of their senses and become lunatics! Yet, that is exactly what they do. For example, most Dodger fans have been down on Walker Buehler. They believe and openly predict that he is toast. I realize that he could be, but I have repeatedly said that I have no opinion of him or Bobby Miller. What will be will be! Before last night’s game, this is what they were saying:
If it’s Buehler and Miller starting the next 2 days it could turn out to be a disaster.
Once again we end the year short on pitching. Buehler, Miller, Kershaw take your pick none playoff worthy.
Buehler won’t be on the playoff roster.
Walker will not return.
I could provide ten times the quotes, but you get my drift. Every aspect of their being is from the perspective of “the glass is half empty!” Hopefully, Walker shut some of them up (the real professional morons will not be swayed, however). They will continue to moan and groan and bitch and complain… that’s what they do, but they no longer do it here.
Look, it’s a free country, and people can say what they want. It’s just that I don’t want it here. You can have your own opinions and also share them – just don’t do it from a lack of perspective. If you just love to bitch and complain and every day you have a critique as to how you would have done something different because “hindsight is 20-20,” then go elsewhere. I can direct you as to where.
Last night’s win was not without its ugliness. Walker Buehler pitched well and was at 96 MPH in his last inning, but the Dodgers defense and brain farts let him down. It happens… move on. The Dodgers fought back, and the bullpen was stellar. The Dodgers pitching is actually in pretty good shape. Yamamoto and Glasnow are being slowly brought around. Do not jump to conclusions. I think the Dodgers’ pitching is in very good shape. Every team has its issues. Even Corbin Burnes is gassed. It is very late in the season – no one is 100% healthy, except maybe Kershaw, Miller, and Buehler.
The Dodgers are three games up on the D-Bags and four games up on the Friars. They have the best record in the NL and are odd-on-favorites to win the World Series in Vegas. It’s a great time to be a Dodger fan… only a moron would think otherwise. The Dodgers are 4th in runs scored and 5th in team ERA. They are just .02 ERA points away from being 3rd in team ERA. Get a little perspective.
The Athletic just ranked their Top 100 Pitchers, and while the Dodgers do not have any in the Top 20, they have 5 in the Top 50 and that does not include Miller or Buehler. Remember, it’s not what you have in April, or August. It’s what you have in October that counts, and I guarantee that objects are closer than they look in the rear-view mirror!
Well said.
Great win
Great time to be a Dodger fan
Lets enjoy these next 2.5 months….
Anyone get the Gold Ohtani Bobblehead????
Walker had confidence in his pitches last night, unlike previous starts. Without Max and Will. going brain dead, he should have gone 5-6 scoreless innings. …. Ohtani is so damn strong! Mookie is so damn good! Teo is so damn infectious!! (and important)! Freddie is so damn missed when he’s not in the lineup! Edman WILL be a factor down the stretch! Gavin should be comeback player of the year! Stone should get more attention for what he’s done! Rojas should garner more attention for dodgers mvp! Miller will be good tonight! …. now the “not so good “ category. Will? spiraling downward quickly. Max. one bad throw doesn’t make him a bad 3rd baseman. But he couldn’t have picked a worse time to do it than last night with Buehler on the mound. Joe Kelly? love Joe, but he could be a “roster casualty “. Flaherty? home run ball a concern? maybe! Taylor? valuable but not valuable! too much swing and miss. (bad) Defense? very good. …. Kevin K? great defense. looked bad against Burnes last night. …. September call ups. Pages, knack, Rushing? love it! Next 5 games could determine the nl west. Would rather have seen Clayton tonight than in Arizona. Miller will get the job done tonight! … In closing, Mark it’s nice to see good baseball posts, not negative crap about absolutely everything. Sitting beachfront at Myrtle beach. Beautiful day! Happy to be alive! Dodger baseball just the icing on the cake!
I was just in Ocean Isle last week. Enjoy!
We have probably vacationed in North Myrtle Beach at least a dozen times. We loved it!
I believe that Andrew’s plan is coming together nicely. We should be at full strength by the middle of September. The team will play well in September and be ready for the playoffs.
I’m beginning to think 50/50 may be possible.
42nd homerun and two stolen bases giving him 42. Shohei Ohtani is something else. What an incredibly exciting time to be a Dodger fan. Mookie, Freddie, Teoscar. There is a song in there somewhere.
All the success the Dodgers have had over the last decade or so, hard to imagine people not being excited.
Yes, it has been a struggle at times because of all the injuries this year. But the fact the Dodgers are still standing is cause for celebration.
As for Teoscar, I would bring him back on a new deal. Will Smith may need an off-season to get right. Don’t be surprised if you find out he’s been dealing with a nagging injury or two which has hurt his swing and hitting.
If Shohei keeps it up, he will make it.
Mookie and Freddie will have to get hot.
I think the Dodgers would give Teoscar a 3 Year/$75 Million deal. I don’t think he will take it. It will take at least 4 Years/$100 Million and someone will offer 5 Year/$125 Million. Will he walk away from $25 Million…. Maybe… maybe not!
Yes, 50-50 is certainly possible. Maybe next season, he could add 200 Ks to his ledger. (I’d like to say 20 wins, but that would be tough with a six-man rotation.)
I always thought 50 HRs was a reasonable target, especially in the Dodgers’ lineup.
But I did not expect him to get such freedom on the basepaths. He never had that with the Angels, and the Dodgers have not really been a running team, preferring the long ball.
Shohei’s base-stealing ability is one reason why he’s proven to be such a good leadoff hitter. With him, a walk isn’t just as good as a hit; it’s practically a double…
Interesting lineup today, using that optionality with four UT guys playing. Facing a lefty, Roberts has dropped Lux to the 8th spot, with Edman batting cleanup. Max is sitting, with Taylor getting the start at 3B and batting 7th. Barnes is back and give Will and much-needed break.
The big question with me is whether Bobby Miller will take another step forward.
^^^ Agreed.
The Dodgers will offer him a lucrative contract but another team(s) will offer more. It will come down to how much he has enjoyed playing with the Dodgers, living in L.A. and how much it means to him to be in the thick of contention EVERY year.
GO DODGERS!
Mark,
I agree. This is another exciting year. Whose injured, whose back, whose slumping, whose hot. Can’t wait for the next game!!!
I’m enjoying the one handed home runs.
Imagine what he could do with 2 hands and a dog.
Ok. If you want to be miserable and bring everybody down to your level. Go ahead. Just not here. Good job Mark. I am done with all of it….except your blog. Sorry I don’t visit any other Dodger blog any more. Don’t need it.
Now on to business. The one thing I notice about all the Dodger faithful here, is their unrequited love for the team. I have never questioned O’Malley down to Doc. I just love my Dodgers. I root for them till the end. And if at the end its. 500 crap, I am not happy. If they make the playoffs I’m pumped. If they go to the Series I’m ecstatic. If they take home the trophy, I’m complete! In the end I have never questioned anyone’s decisions from any Dodger front office ,manager, coach, or.player. I have loved them all for 60 years . No matter who they are I root for them all till the last out every year. Oh, I do whine and complain to incompetent umps.
Book em
I enjoy this so much more than when we had 200 comments a day from the whiners and bitchers.
Mark,
i enjoy your blog. I agree this is the best time ever to be a Dodger fan. It would pretty damn awesome if Othani reaches 50/50.
I watched Yamamoto’s outing yesterday (well except for the first 2 hitters who made outs).
The first guy I saw got a fastball down the middle and hit it about 450′.
After that? Yamamoto had his pitches working, had good movement, and good velocity. I’d love to know how he feels today and then tomorrow. If all is well, push him to 4ip/60 pitches next time!
I am very curious how Buehler will pitch his next time out. I didn’t see the game but it sounds like he pitched well and the defense let him down. I want to see if his increased confidence helps with his command. I go back to 2017 where I think part of Darvish’s issue in game 7 was that after pitching in Houston he had no confidence in his pitches.
The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Austin Barnes from the 10-day injured list and optioned Hunter Feduccia to Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Thursday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles.
“The Dodgers felt strongly enough that Barnes was on the right path toward returning to the Major League roster with manager Dave Roberts hinting that the 34-year-old will be in the starting lineup on Thursday”.
Padres and Snakes both lose afternoon games today. A win tonight picks us up a full game on both going into the desert tomorrow night.
10:10 PM ET
Orioles (77-57)
Dodgers (79-54)
SP Cade Povich L
1-6 6.10 ERA
SP Bobby Miller R
1-3 7.49 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Mookie Betts R
LF T. Hernandez R
CF Tommy Edman S
SS Miguel Rojas R
1B E. Hernandez R
3B Chris Taylor R
2B Gavin Lux L
C A. Barnes R
71° Wind 10 mph Out
Dominican Summer League
Most Valuable Player: Emil Morales, DSL LAD Mega (LAD)
“The No. 14 ranked prospect on the Top 50 International Prospects list in 2024, Morales caught scouts’ eyes with his makeup, high baseball IQ and leadership abilities. The 6-foot-3 shortstop – the Dodgers’ No. 8 prospect — has the potential to develop into a plus power bat, while also having the athleticism to stick at shortstop. In 46 games, Morales slugged 14 homers and posted a 1.168 OPS – marks that led all Rookie-level leagues in 2024”.
I have seen a few highlights of Morales, but have not seen him personally. I am looking forward to seeing him with my own eyeballs.
BTW, tomorrow I will feature Josue DePaula, whose most apt comparison is Yordan Alvarez!
sure could use some of that thump in tonight’s lineup! lol. Padres have cooled off a bit. A split with the snakes would be nice. 3 out 4? SUGAR!!
There is no way to polish this apple that doesn’t reveal the worm. The quality of Dodgers’ starting pitching will be crucial in the playoffs. At this point, nearly all of the starters (Glasnow, Yamamoto, Miller, Buehler, Kershaw) are giant questions. Flaherty is so-so-; he has a diminished fastball and his breaking stuff, while very good, makes him homer prone. That leaves Gavin Stone and ???
If any of the Ailing 5 can make a creditable comeback and flash post-season stuff, then the Dodgers chances are as good or better than any. If not…
As usual, the playoffs are a crapshoot, and it only takes a couple of starters to change everything. I think we have a better-than-average chance, and so does Vegas. But it’s still a crapshoot.
Heyward. Good start for Cheetos tonite
He ran into a double. Good for him…