Around September 1, 2025, I said that at some point, the Dodgers would “flip the switch,” to which many fans called BS. Here is what I wrote:
Every year, the Dodgers go through tough stretches, and many fans lose their minds and spew forth vomit about the Dodgers. It happens like this every year. Then I come back and try to explain that baseball is a game of streaks and adjustments to which some dumbasses always reply, “Well, you just love Friedman.” Well, maybe you should, too. The Dodgers have been the best team in baseball over the last 10 years… by a wide margin. They have won two World Series (should have been three, but for the cheating Asstericks).
However, every time the Dodgers go through a losing streak or encounter some problems, many fans jump on the bandwagon and head to Crazytown. They did it last year, and they are doing it this year, and… SECRETLY DOWN DEEP, these morons believe they are smarter than Andrew Friedman. If left alone, they would offer advice to a brain surgeon on how to perform brain surgery.
I also told you that Mookie would stay at SS and be a Gold Glover. Fans were not the only ones who were in panic whack job mode, but Bill Plaschke of the LA Times was in full dumbass mode. Here are a few of his quotes:
“This is not a championship bullpen. This is not even a pennant-winning bullpen. This bullpen has been overworked and outmatched and simply outplayed all season, and when the Dodger front office had a chance to fix it at the trade deadline, they did virtually nothing.”
“This bullpen is going to be the death of them. The slow expiration officially started Monday.”
“When they hit, they can’t pitch, and when they pitch, they can’t hit … the relievers still can’t throw strikes.”
“But any team that has played as inconsistently as they have … is very unlikely to survive in multiple playoff short series.”
Now, TODAY, that Moron Plaschke says that the Dodgers are the best postseason team in baseball history. Is he lying now, or was he lying then? Both scenarios cannot be actual. He is just a shock writer who says what morons want to hear at the time. I have repeatedly told you that this team was great, and when the time came, they would “flip the switch.” They have, and with the NLCS almost over, they still need to win five more games to claim the world championship. I believe they will, but they have to play the games.
I also have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of Tanner Scott this year. This team is bound for glory!
Lowest Postseason Batting Average in MVP Season
(minimum 20 plate appearances)
Joe Gordon, NYY (1942)
.095, 2-21
Orlando Cepeda, STL* (1967)
.103, 3-29
Roger Maris, NYY* (1961)
.105, 2-19
Mickey Mantle, NYY* (1962)
.120, 3-25
Alex Rodriguez, NYY (2005)
.133, 2-15
Aaron Judge, NYY (2022)
.139, 5-36
Miguel Tejada, OAK (2002)
.143, 3-21
So I guess Shohei won’t be making this list…
Mark I read somewhere that Plashke is facing major health issues (Parkinson’s) so you might go easy on him. I do agree with your comments tho.
I would not wish any health issues upon anyone, and I only called him a moron. 😉
Classic Performance Tonight!
Plashke is a tough one to take although Parkinson’s is sad to hear.
Ohtani –
3 Bombs –
6 Shoutout innings –
All Shohei
Discipline across the whole organization is their MO. They didn’t ride ANY pitcher too hard during the season. Their depth kept them afloat, so they didn’t have to. Now they have healthy starter, with plenty of bullets in their arms.
Bullpens are fickle. Trading for Duran didn’t get Phillies to WS. Sometimes it’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t… or in the big case this season, the Devil You Develop with Roki! Pretty incredible turnaround. Credit to him and the coaches/development staff, and the guys who noticed the hip rotation thing.
Mookie Betts is an athletic prodigy on the order of Jim Thorpe. GG RF to possible GG SS when most players are moving down the defensive spectrum? Incredible! I’ll bet he would have been a hell of a pole vaulter. Shohei would be in that realm too if he weren’t such a baseball nut…
The Dodgers are my favorite team for a lot reasons. They create continuous improvement across all dimensions of the baseball realm. Fun time to be a fan!
my 2 cents on this team. a quick rundown on me and my assessment if some of these guys. (1) Wii Smith. i still and did say he’s the best catcher around. he didn’t hit 60 homers, but he didn’t have to. (2) Edman. so valuable this time of year. if healthy, couldn’t ask for any better. (3) Mookie. Amazing! nuff said! (4) Freddie. Dumbass Braves! Glue!! (5). Max. Dumbass me and several hundred of my closest friends! (6). Kike. invaluable this time of year! How do they let him walk? (7) Pages. a work still in progress. Talent is there, DISCIPLINE is the key! (8) Teo. As long as he keeps steady defensively, he’ll come up big for the dodgers! (9,10,11) Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow. Find me 3 better at the top of a rotation! (12) ohtani. his presence is invaluable. he can really become a dodger legend with a big time performance tonight. (13). Sasaki. i don’t believe we’ve seen even close to how good he can become! Starter /closer next season? what a wonderful problem to have! (14). Emmit. great stuff! if sasaki starts next year? (15). Tanner Scott. is he a dodger bust or is thrre something special still left in him? (16). Vesia. starting to feel like he’s getting his mojo back! (17). Banda. one of AF’s more underrated acquisitions. (18). Trienan. i don’t how the rest of the playoffs turn out, but he looked good last night. i won’t mind eating crow if he continues to perform like last night. (19) Clayton. Hope he pitches somewhere in these games, but if he doesn’t, doesn’t matter to me. He’s the greatest Dodger of all time. Now i’m not saying he’s better than Koufax, just saying after 18 years, he is THE DODGER! (20) Not played a single inning, but again, he’s probably, no, is the Team MVP. Dave Roberts. i’ve criticized in the past. i’ve saluted him along with others. Last night cemented his legacy with the Dodgers as far ss i’m concerned. He never blinked in his decisions with his pitching. He has total control over this, no his team ! Too bad they don’t wait till after the playoffs to award manager of the year. he won’t win it, but the result so far says he deserves it!
Ohtani for 5; Wrobleski for 4.
Ohtani for 6. Kershaw for 3.
I chose door #2
Ohtani for 7, Sheehan for 2.
All of these work
Ohtani for 8; Sasaki for 1
Dodgers’ relievers still worry me when they come in but their rotation is fantastic and all healthy at the right time! This group is relentless and knows how to win big games. Brewers are fun to watch and play fundamentally sound baseball, but the Dodgers have a huge advantage – talent.
Not just a crapshoot. Talent still counts.
JOBS
NOT
DONE
Win one for the Gipper and close this puppy out.
If Scott comes back who would you take off the team? I’m confident that Scott Will bounce back next year but for now I’d rather have Wrobleski or Capsarius
NO SCOTT
100% agree!!!!!
Really is a big deal that Trienen finally got that ball moving like it’s supposed to for his stuff to work. Couldn’t be happier for him.
Solid Dude, man of faith family and baseball!!
8:38 PM ET
Brewers (97-65)
Dodgers (93-69)
SP Jose Quintana L
11-7 3.96 ERA
SP Shohei Ohtani R
1-1 2.87 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
C Will Smith R
1B F. Freeman L
2B Tommy Edman S
RF T. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
LF E. Hernandez R
CF Andy Pages R
73° Wind 8 mph Out
Winning is simply the byproduct of what the Dodgers built and are still building. The players bought into what it’s really about and know they’ve landed into something undiscovered until now. That they are a part of something apart from all the rest. That their life choices turned out and the rewards are in their grasps. Kershaw will pitch if and when he wants to. He built this team more that anybody and showed what it’s really about. This is how I read it and how he reaps it. My intentions were to not be distracted by baseball and to take care of more personal matters than the dreams of others. Well I’m still standing after doctors said I wouldn’t be. Maybe I’ll reopen my dreambook and pilot some more future as I’m not so good at dying, Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Looking forward for a threepeat!
Long time, Quas.
I am glad you are still kicking!
I’ve been reading here every day but all’s I am is a cheer leader and not knowedgeful enough for content. Pennys are history so my 2 cents mean not. You are a giving friend. Thank you Mark.
How old are you now, Quas?
I’ll be 72 in Feb. Not so old but lived too careless. Made it beyond deserves. Same age as you Mark, brothers couldn’t have as little a time gap between.
told ya ohtani would make history tonight!
Brewers are looking like they wish they didn’t make it into the post season. Weed pulling sand bagging Dodgers musta stopped at the crossroads and made,some sort of a deal. Bad moon on the rise, or so they think.
My 1st ‘rock” 45. Flip side was LODI.
Brewers are stuck in Lodi again.
Babe who?
Babe never did this.
History tonight! How sweet!
))))Ohtani does not need a jump start. What he needs is better pitch recognition and a much more disciplined approach at the plate.((((((
Some comments age better than others 🙂
Ahhh…
Now that’s what I mean by “The Full Ohtani.”
Hey, didn’t some people around here suggest that Shohei shouldn’t pitch because he was too valuable as a DH?
And weren’t these some of these folks part of the “Nohtani” camp who thought he’d be a poor investment?
The World Series should be fun.
I was listening to MLB. I heard on the radio a few days ago that this season, Ohtani had 40-some ABs the day after pitching, and his batting average was .140. The inference was that he was tired. Obviously, he is one of the best pitchers and also one of the Top 2 hitters in baseball. It will be interesting to see how the Dodgers balance his hitting and pitching next year.
Hoping for the Mariners to beat Toronto so we get home field advantage in the World Series with Games 1 and 2 in LA next Friday and Saturday.