Let’s assume that Person A hates baseball, but goes with Person B to a baseball game. Person B is you… a rabid Dodger fan. So, you sit and watch the game with your friend, and it goes into extra innings with the Dodgers winning in 13 innings. Person B (You) is ecstatic while Person A is miserable, even though they have been in the very same place and experienced the very same thing. What’s the difference? Perspective.
Perspective is: “A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.” It shapes how someone interprets experiences, events, or reality based on their beliefs, background, and emotions. It molds how people understand the world, themselves, and others. An optimist sees a setback as a lesson; a pessimist sees it as proof of failure. I bring this up because yesterday, a commenter said this:
“Andrew Friedman is the most overrated gm in baseball history.
This team is a joke.”
Of course, that is pure hyperbole written in a moment of frustration. Fans frequently take leave of their senses when their team is not doing well. However, if we have learned anything, it is this: It’s not how you play in July or August – It’s how you play in September and October. I am also going to remind you of something else: Counting THIS year, the Dodgers will have won at least 90 games for thirteen (count’em 13) straight years. That is assuming they win 25 of their last 49 games (that’s just one game over .500, and yes, I will take that bet). No team in the history of the game has shown that kind of remarkable consistency. The Braves won 14 consecutive Division Titles, but three of those seasons were under 90 wins. The Yankees have not done it. Only the Dodgers have done it, and Andrew Friedman was at the helm for eleven of those seasons. Due to the expansion of the playoffs, it is more complex than ever to win a World Series, and let’s not forget what the Astros did to the Dodgers that cheated them out of what would have been a Third Title!
Some fans suggest that Mookie should be placed on the IL (injured list), sit out a few games, or be moved down in the order. I suggest that Doc, Andrew, and the rest of the Dodgers staff have a handle on what is best. No disrespect, but none of us has a clue! I will defer to the people closest to the issue.
It was great to have Max back, and Glasnow pitched an outstanding game, despite not having his best stuff. Brock Stewart (Forest Gump look-alike) was the recipient of some bad luck. This too shall pass. Watch and learn! There has never been a better time to be a Dodger fan.
Well said.
What you said. Truth
Perspective!!! Here in South Fl everyone is excited. Marlins just about back to .500
Did you make it to Tampa to see em this weekend?
Cool seeing them in that small park, but man it was hot, and Im from NC….
Every team’s fans are unhappy. Read Cubs’ boards this morning, or Mets or Giants or Yankees.
Unhappiness is the human condition and we wallow in it.
BANG. Many people are eager to be miserable.
how many bases did ohtani steal last season? ( a sh-t load). So why after leading off the bottom of the ninth didn’t he try and steal second? Heck , that may have helped mookie place one thru the infield and tie the game! i’m not a manager, but i really believe that the dodgers are not nearly aggressive enough. but! it’s hard to be aggressive with nobody on base! … max had good at bats last night! hopefully it’s contagious! …. Not at all disappointed with Brock last night. nothing but jam job base hits. Almost got out of that first and third no out jam. …. Umpire was terrible last night!(both teams). … finally, steven nelson was much better last night with Hersheiser! no stupid, silly, obnoxious laughter, etc!!!
A. The pitcher was left-handed. B. Ohtani is not stealing as much because he is now pitching, it puts a strain on the lower body which he is using more as a pitcher. Mookie is not going to place one through the infield if he keeps hitting weak pop ups which that ball was. And it took a spectacular effort by Nootbaar to catch it. C. Give a great deal of credit to a very good pitcher, Sonny Gray. He kept the Dodgers off balance the entire game. They had one hit going into the 8th inning. Teo gets a leadoff double, and nobody hits anything hard after him. They got the run, but nothing more. Then Stewart gets beat by three hits that barely make it through the infield. Mookie has totally lost confidence in himself. Something he said to the press makes me think he is trying way to hard and not just going out and trying to have fun playing the game. Ohtani is having, except for the homers, his worst offensive year in three years. His OPS is below 1.000, and it hasn’t been this low since 2022. He has already struck out 138 times. 26 times in the last 12 games. Way too many wasted at bats.
Could not agree more with this post on perspective.
I put the word right next to attitude. It is the ONLY “tool” we all have to deal with what life bring to us all. This Dodgers team will do fine EVEN IF there’s an unlikely falter and they don’t quite win 90 or go to the World Series two times IN A ROW!
ATTITUDE
THE LONGER I LIVE, THE MORE I REALIZE THE IMPACT OF ATTITUDE ON LIFE.
ATTITUDE, TO ME, IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FACTS. IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PAST, THAN EDUCATION, THAN MONEY, THAN CIRCUMSTANCES, THAN FAILURES, THAN SUCCESSES, THAN WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK, SAY OR DO. IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN APPEARANCE, GIFTEDNESS OR SKILL.
IT WILL MAKE OR BREAK A COMPANY… A CHURCH… A HOME.
THE REMARKABLE THING IS WE HAVE A CHOICE EVERY DAY REGARDING THE ATTITUDE WE EMBRACE FOR THAT DAY.
WE CANNOT CHANGE OUR PAST…
WE CANNOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WILL ACT IN A CERTAIN WAY.
WE CANNOT CHANGE THE INEVITABLE.
THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS PLAY THE ONE STRING WE HAVE, AND THAT IS OUR ATTITUDE… I AM CONVINCED THAT LIFE IS 10% WHAT HAPPENS TO ME AND 90% HOW I REACT TO IT. AND SO IT IS WITH YOU…
WE ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR ATTITUDES.
Charles Swindoll
That’s a great way to live.
I always say, “You cannot always control what happens to you. Bad things can happen to good people. However, you can control your attitude to what happens… and you can control your reaction.”
I live by this, and it has served me well:
“When you have come to the edge of all the light that you know and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown…
Faith is knowing that one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid for you to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly!”
I agree but it is HARD sometimes not to allow yourself to slide into cynicism. Something I truly hate. And yet there are times I find myself slipping. Have to kind of “grab myself by the scruff” and shake myself out of it.
As fans , we only have one purpose, support the team, mostly by buying tickets, Dodger Dogs, $160 jerseys, etc.
Us older fans 75) living on the right coast are a little limited to live games within 100 miles of our home
The hard core Dodger fans here start their viewing at 10:10 each home night game.
As a snowbird, I’m a little lucky as I get to see live games with Yanks, Muts, Philly, O’s, Tampa and Miami . Our only other joy is to express our opinions on sites like this one. Hope we all continue to make our voices heard without being call slanderous names.
Mookie is obviously pressing and will keep pressing until he sees some success. He is probably overworking and overthinking. That’s how he’s wired. Will he come out of it this year? no one knows.
It’s still amazing to me that the Dodgers have been in this group slump for several months. With no end in sight. Nick Martinez struck out 7 in 6 innings in the 3rd game of the series with the Reds. He had struck out 86 in 123 innings before that – the lowest K/9 among qualifying SP in the NL. They are not grinding AB. Not walking. Swinging at stuff out of the zone. Basically not looking like the Dodgers that we have seen for several years.
Something has to change.
And who is going to close out games?
And yet, still in 1st place, still top 2-3 in all of MLB.
Its coming….keep the faith….
Tanner Scott is allegedly pain-free for the first time and is long-tossing. I think he will be back in 10-14 days.
i realize the pitcher was left handed. i’m just saying that the dodgers use no aggression in their baserunning. all good reasons why he shouldn’t steal. lots of reasons why he should. At just 32 , mookie is not toast! it’s coming. I believe he needs to concentrate more on pitches and making hard contact and center and right will come eventually. Dave ain’t gonna drop him below #2 in the lineup. … i keep waiting for a 4-5 run explosion in ONE inning! that’s not to much to ask is it? ……. is it possible mookie could be moved to another position? i’m just wondering since i’ve seen some whispers floating around. probably not since teo is locked in right. Freeland ? nah, Doc won’t do that, Will he?
You don’t want to make the first out trying to steal second base. That is caution, not being nonaggressive. Ohtani hasn’t been all that successful this year anyway.
None of us should forget how BADLY Freddie and Mookie were in the 2023 post season. That talked about it coming into 2024, determined to do dramatically better. They did and the Dodgers triumphed in ‘24 in part because of it. Seems they HAD to learn something from that and will apply it to the drive for the end of this year and the post season run. But we must also remember there have been fantastic teams that have not repeated since 2000. It will not be a shame if the Dodgers don’t. But it will be heartbreaking if they don’t finish the regular season strong.
There are pessimists, optimists and realists. Realistically, can the Dodgers win the WS? Of course they can. As bad as the Dodgers seem to be playing they are still in first place with one of the best records in MLB. What that tells me is that every other team also has issues. The Dodgers need to have 2 out of Ohtani, Betts or Hernandez to hit more like they did last year.
WRT Betts; as others have mentioned today, he’s pressing. Instead of working on things before and after the game, he needs to just take a step back.Skip working on things before and after the game. Maybe skip practice completely for a day. As Bear said, he needs to have fun.
There are pessimists, optimists, and realists, but in my experience, most realists are just pessimists in drag! 😉
Negativity bias is a real thing according to those that study how our brains evolved over the eons. Way back in the mists of time it made sense for vulnerable human creatures to be on the look out for bad stuff such as predators, tainted food and/or water, accidents, interlopers etc. that would constitute threats to their existence. In the present day for better or worse, we’re still in possession of some of that same hardware telling us to be on the look out for negative outcomes. Evolution it seems has a mind of its own when it comes to focused fine tuning. So, when looking at the recent trend of the team’s meager offense and at times spotty bullpen performances and injuries, given my over identification with all things Dodgers, I confess to at times thinking that the end of the team’s reign of dominance will soon be at hand. Luckily, when I’m at my best (a sadly rare occurrence) I utilize the more recent brain structure known as the pre-frontal neo cortex that can give context, seek out nuance and complexity and utilizes high level executive functioning rather than engaging in reductive anxiety ridden hand wringing. The battle in my overheated brain pan continues… here’s hoping I can get over myself.
GO DODGERS!!!
Very nice!
A drunken Irish wise man once told me that a pessimist = optimist with experience 😉
10:10 PM ET
Cardinals (57-57)
Dodgers (65-48)
SP Miles Mikolas R
6-8 4.83 ERA
SP Emmet Sheehan R
2-2 3.60 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
3B Max Muncy L
RF T. Hernandez R
LF M. Conforto L
CF Andy Pages R
2B A. Freeland S
C D. Rushing L
77° Wind 10 mph Out
Dodgers’ Kiké Hernandez May Not Return This Season
“The Los Angeles Dodgers have had their share of injuries this season, but utility man Kiké Hernández’s elbow complications could lead to him being sidelined for the remainder of 2025.Measures such as a cortisone shot, non-invasive rehab procedures and rest haven’t seemed to work for getting the 33-year-old back in action. Roberts claimed that there is nothing definitive regarding a return before the season’s end.
“Certainly there is no guarantee, but we’re hopeful that he’ll be back,” Roberts said Monday.
This season, Hernández has been batting .195/.259/.367 with an OPS of .626. He is an above-average defender with a defensive runs saved score of three at second base, ranked No. 19”.
If Freeland keeps performing well, Kike’s recovery could get slower and slower….
YAY!!! Mookie and Teo