Control What You Can Control

Posted By on October 23, 2024

Life as a Los Angeles Dodgers fan can be a rollercoaster of emotions—just like life itself. We feel the weight of every pitch, every swing, and every out, and sometimes it feels like the whole world is holding its breath with us. The wins make our hearts soar, and the losses… well, they sting. But much like the game we love, there are things we can control and things we simply can’t.

Think of it like this: if we spend all our energy stressing over the umpire’s bad call or an unfortunate bounce, we’ll miss the brilliance of the next play. If we obsess over the elements out of our hands—the weather, the injuries, or how our rivals perform—we only spiral further into frustration, like a pitcher who loses command of the strike zone.

But here’s the truth: just as in baseball, in life, we have more control than we think. We control our attitude, our effort, our preparation. A Dodgers team down in the count can still find a way to rally—it’s not about avoiding adversity; it’s about how you respond to it. The same is true for us. Worry is like a trickling stream that, left unchecked, can erode everything else we cherish.

The game might throw curveballs we never saw coming, but we get to decide how we swing at them. We can choose to let worry overtake us, or we can decide to step up to the plate with determination. And with practice, with the confidence of a seasoned veteran, we can learn to shift our focus from what we can’t control—whether it’s a Dodgers loss or life’s daily stresses—to what we can.

So next time you feel that familiar knot in your stomach, whether it’s because of a nerve-wracking ninth inning or life’s everyday challenges, remember this: you control your response. Just like the Dodgers, you can always come back swinging. And that’s where true power lies. Don’tget bogged down with the negative!

The Dodgers starting rotation was a definite strength for them at the beginning of the season, but as the season progressed, starting pitcher-after-starting-pitcher went down. Kershaw, Sheehan, Ryan, Stone, Frasso, Glasnow, and Yamamoto were added to the list that already included May, Buehler, Ohtani, and Gonsolin. At one time, the Dodgers had more than two rotations on the IL. As of right now, the Dodgers have four starting pitchers on their roster: Flaherty, Yamamoto, Buehler, and Knack (a rookie with very little experience).

Three pitchers who are actually starters will start for the Dodgers: Game #1 will be Jack Flaherty (forget about his last start – fans have a short memory). Game #2 will be Yoshi Yamamoto and Game #3 will be Striker Buehler. Game #4 will likely be a bullpen game, which means that Game 2 or Game 3 could be games whereby the starters (or they get bombed) may have to stay in and take it! Hopefully, that won’t happen, but the Dodgers just have to win four games… it doesn’t matter how.

Personally, I believe that in the World Series, the Dodgers Offense will be the King! The Yankees Starters are better, but it is incremental. They are also sucking air. Gerrit Cole was solid this year, but he only pitched 95 innings. His 3.41 ERA was OK, but in the post-season, he pitched 16 innings and allowed 19 hits while striking out just 12. His WHIP was 1.53. He’s not the old Gerrit Cole. Beyond that, Cortes, Rodon, and Schmidt do not strike terror either. The Dodgers’ Offense is much better than the Yankees. If Freddie Freeman and Gavin Lux are close to healthy, then I expect the Dodgers to outscore the Yankees.

X-CITES

https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1848998823055536144

AFL NEWS

  • Jake Gelof, Sean McLain, and Zyhir Hope are all doing well with OPS over .900. I am not sure that the level of pitching is representative of their level of play. In other words, the pitching is not all that!
  • Eriq Swan shows signs of being a high-leverage reliever. I do not believe he has a starter’s repertoire.
  • There’s not a lot to write home about… except that Hope does not need a prayer. See what I did there? 😉 Hope is the real deal.

How About a Little Pete Townsend?

Happy Birthday, Nick -this was taken 38 years ago today!

This article has 30 Comments

  1. I hadn’t seen that video of Fernando and Scully, wow, it was a beautiful moment, at least for me… Thanks Mark for sharing it!

    I feel sad about Fernando’s death, I even cried a few tears, but that’s life.

    1. Yeah, I remember watching that one live….
      Chills.
      A beautiful moment. Two absolute legends.

  2. Offense needs to be relentless. Remember when we scored 3 runs in our final inning in the NLCS clincher? That’s what I’m talking about. Hit ’em with the #1-9 buzzsaw and grind them to a pulp. Never give up. Never surrender.

  3. Mark,
    I’m agreeing with you. This has been a lot of fun this year. Hopefully we can win 4 more games. The players have to come through. Roberts will be a genius or dope, but players will have to come through!!!!

  6. That video of Vin and Fernando was awesome. Thanks for sharing that Mark!

    I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit Fernando’s death took some steam out of my sail.

    Go Dodgers!

  7. knack! i trust honeywell more! Trust Casparius more. like Knack, but don’t believe he’s ready for the post season. love all the experts predictions! dodgers in 7, yankees in6, dodgers in 5! I believe the dodgers will win because of home field advantage. BUT! If the yankees steal a game at Chavez Ravine, it could be trouble for the dodgers. Hopefully Freddie is close to 85-90%. if he is, he’s my pick for the MVP. Heard the commissioner say that the dodgers would pay tribute to Fernando before game 1. it’s a shame Vin isn’t here to do that!

  8. with the 2-3-2 format the yankees are probably more dangerous than the mets. but agree, i like the odds of the dodgers winning this series!

  9. My predictions are as follows:

    1. The team that scores the most runs and gives up the fewest runs will win each game;
    2. The first team who wins four games will win the World Series; and
    3. I am rooting for the Dodgers.

    That’s all I know FOR SURE!

  11. I’m gonna go out on a limb here too. The Dodgers will either sweep or win it in 5,6 or 7 games. Bank on it.
    Book em

  12. Weather we win or lose the series, Roberts has already proven his doubters wrong. Just to get to the series with only three starters (and all three of them with question marks) is proof of his baseball acumen.

  15. Vesia returning would be big.

    Neither team will stop the other. It’s all about damage control.

    And capitalizing on opportunities.

    If Judge & Soto are batting with runners on, we’re in trouble.

  18. “With Game 1 of the Fall Classic set to begin tonight at 7:08 pm CT, the Dodgers officially revealed their World Series roster. While 23 of the 26 players from the NLCS roster are sticking around for the World Series, the team made three substitutions. Right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol, left-handed pitcher Alex Vesia, and infielder Miguel Rojas have been added to the roster, while right-handed pitchers Evan Phillips and Edgardo Henriquez and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier have been left off”.

    1. It’s too bad that Kiermaier couldn’t make the roster and will retire after the the World Series.

  19. While both teams likely share an equal passion for victory I believe Dodgers hold more comradery with their brethren. It’s cool seeing they all fit with one another without any display of selfishness. A whole season went without any appearent disgruntled behavior in the dugout. The most cheerful team I’ve ever seen. And it gets better we’ll soon see. Four more wins is my mental chant. Tomorrow will be three more wins

  20. 8:08 PM ET
    Dodgers Game 1 Lineup vs Yankees Gerrit Cole RP

    1. Ohtani DH L

    2. Betts RF R

    3. Freeman 1B L

    4. T. Hernandez LF R

    5. Muncy 3B L

    6. E. Hernandez CF R

    7. Smith C R

    8. Lux 2B L

    9. Edman SS S

    Jack Flaherty SP R

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