It’ a Great Day to be a Dodger Fan

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1. Just can’t say enough about our bullpen and Yamamoto’s start. The pitching is terrific even with Snell, Glasnow and Diaz out.
   I had to chuckle when Joe and Orel were reporting about Doc discounting the criticism about hits that aren’t hard hit. Contact is good and hits don’t have to be all barreled up.
   Joe and Orel are some of the biggest offenders of discounting hits that aren’t “hit hard”. That’s especially true during the first loss to the Brewers. Oredl whined has ass off about the bloopers and flairs and seeing-eye ground balls. It’s like it shouldn’t count if it isn’t 95 mph.
   Doc’s comment seemed shut em up on that, at least for awhile.
   I’d still like to see Mookie dropped in the order.
   I missed seeing Amy Williams on the front row of the game today. She’s always there and makes such a nice couple.

   1. I’ve really soured on listening to Joe and Orel on broadcasts. They are both over the top when analyzing almost every play in favor of the Dodgers. Orel just babbles on about NOTHING and I’m tired of Davis telling us about a meaningless player’s background. I have to figure way to watch the game without the two of them ,mute the voice as I do with Nelson and Mendoza or listen to the other team’s broadcast of the game.

      1. We were spoiled with Vinnie who knew when to shut up.

         1. But I found Vinnie annoying as well when he would do the same and tell us some guys high school nickname etc

            1. You are definitely in the minority. Remember this, Vin worked ALONE. No color analyst, no stats guy handing him notes. Scully did his own research and most of his stories were from memory. If Vin annoyed you, well, the problem was you, because millions of fans listened and were entertained and informed.

2. The lineup I would try.

   Ohtani
   Pages
   Tucker
   Teo
   Muncy
   Will
   Freddie
   Mookie
   Kim/Rojas

   I would send Kim down though and use Espinal and Kike and Rojas for 2nd and 3rd while Max is out. Mookie probably needs to sit one game per series until he looks right again.

   1. We all want to fiddle with the lineup….
      My priority would be to put high OBP guys near the top of the lineup, so let’s make sure Shohei-Tucker-Freddie get up to bat in the 1st inning.
      Next up could be Teo-Max-Pages… because Teo has been hotter than Pages lately.
      Like Mookie, both Smith and Rushing are now scuffling… For now let’s go with Mookie batting 7th and Smith/Rushing 8th….
      Finally, batting 9th, or “second leadoff,” we could have Kim or Kike or Espinal or Miggy. batting 9th….. until Tommy Edman is back. (The depth of this team is ridiculous.)

      Mookie is struggling mostly because he’s been unable to play, missing more than half of the games so far due to injury. He needs to play to improve–and his internal stats, like the barrel rate, suggest he’s been a bit unlucky.
      Is age a factor? Probably. He’s not nearly as fast as he used to be, but I don’t see a decline in the defense. At some point, he is likely to shift to 2B. If that’s sooner rather than later–which I doubt– Kim might have the SS job, because the Dodgers prefered him there instead of Freeland while Mookie was out.
      To make room for Kike, my guess is that the Dodgers will option Kim to OKC and keep Espinal around rather than DFA him. Could be wrong, of course…but isn’t hoarding talent is the Dodger Way! When Edman returns, it will be Espinal’s time to leave… unless an injury or two enables him to stay. (Maybe Miggy’s oblique will start aching.)

      Miguelito might play his way to the all-star game! But his teammate Murakami might get the nod instead.

      1. Vargas should learn to wear sunglasses as he misjudged two easy fly balls against the Giants this weekend at third base that led to the Giants big inning and win. One almost hit him the head. Still is NOT very good defemsively.

         1. … and he never will be. He needs to DH or play 1B.

      2. Hi Duke,

         Could you explain how the #9 hitter is second leadoff.

         I had never heard this term, and when i googled it, what was returned to me was info about a secondary lead off a base.

         So, I was even more confused than i usually am.

         The only other thing i found was a BP article that said what 6th in the order used to be:
         The sixth place hitter is something like a second leadoff hitter. If the team has a second player with leadoff-type skills, he’ll often bat 6th.

         I’m really curious, because pitchers used to hit!

         1. You didn’t ask me but I’ll give you my take on it.

            For every inning except the first he’s the guy that’s coming up before your 4 best hitters. It would be most helpful if he could get on about 35% of the time.

            1. So interesting!

               Much thanks.

               I just remember the 8th spot being weak hitters who the opposing pitcher would pitch around to get to the other pitcher.

               But makes 100% sense for the DH era.

   2. Mookie will get days off, that is a given, but he won’t be sat down long as long as he is healthy. He should be dropped in the order.

3. Tucker needs to hit in the 1st?
   We need to hide Mookie?
   Dodgers are hit and miss?
   Davis, Nelson & Orel sucks?
   I’ll give you the latter. But the first three, no.
   I thought Kyle was meh.
   I though Betts should hit lead off?
   As for the last, any starter in MLB can beat the best team if they have a game plan and hit the corners. The Dodger hitters don’t take days off…they just get stymied by a journeyman from time to time. Everyone wants a piece of the champs. And in the end the cream will rise. Especially if you’re a 5 star Michelin Chef…
   which the Dodgers are.
   Good day gentlemen.
   Book em

   1. Tucker is coming around. Over the past 15 days, his OPS is .883. I’ve been down on the guy and his obese contract, but now I’m encouraged.
      Still hotter are Teo, Shohei and Freddie, each above .900.
      Pages, despite hitting two HRs, has an OPS of only .512 with a .135 BA over those 15 days. Mookie, Miggy, Smith also in the 500s, and Kim and Rushing are way down below that.
      Small sample, of course…. but it’s not a bad snapshot of who’s hot and who’s not.

4. Chris Taylor
   Retire–Unretire–Retired( he announced it)
   Kike-to probably start at 3b–according to Doc

5. In an mlb.com article about Yamamoto’s latest start, I came across this passage:
   ‘It was also a promising sign that Yamamoto kept the ball in the yard against the Brewers. He entered the finale with nine long balls allowed in just 57 innings despite giving up only 14 across 173 2/3 frames in 2025.”

   Those HRs he was giving up were certainly troubling to me.
   But it alos occurred to me that Yoshi actually threw a lot more than 173 innings in ’25.
   That was the regular season total. During his epic postseason, he added on another 37 1/3 innings (during which he gave up 2 HRs.)
   Anyway, that’s 211 innings in all, with 16 HRs allowed. (Not apples-to-apples, of course, but only three pitchers threw more than 200 innings in the regular season: Crochet, Logan Webb, and Christopher Sanchez.)
   Yamamoto earned the World Series MVP, of course. He was also exceptional in the NL playoffs too. Overall, his postseason record was 5-1, with a 1.45 ERA, a 0.78 WHIP and .174 BAA.

   Yamamoto has been more good than great so far in ’26. His record is 4-4 with a 3.09 ERA, with a 0.98 WHIP and .216 BAA. Those HRs allowed is the biggest negative, now 9 in 64 IP.
   The HR problem is shared by Sasaki and Sheehan. Remarkably, both have allowed 9 HRs in 45 IP. Their ERA is also identical: 4.93….. Strange.
   Sasaki and Sheehan are rivals within the rotation: two young, righty power pitchers. Wrobleski is also a peer, but a different flavor as a lefty swingman.
   It will be fun to follow the internecine competition.
   With every Detroit loss, the chances of Skubal being dealt increase.

6. The only problem I see with Yamamoto is by today’s standards he may be overworked.

   Internecine. Interesting word. They are teammates working toward a common goal. Yamamoto is a front of rotation pitcher, Sheehan is a back of rotation pitcher.

   Espinal or Kim. Neither? Espinal’s Spring performance didn’t fool me. His career .660 OPS spoke loudly. Now, after a .535 OPS month of May, Kim matches that. So, who is more valuable? According to Savant it’s Kim. According to the Dodgers? Who knows. Won’t matter when the .656 OPS Edman returns. Maybe after surgery that OPS will return to his career .717 mark. Maybe not. Won’t matter. He and Kiké are the two utility veterans the team wants for the push to the finish. Adios Santiago. Annyeonghi gyeseyo Hyeseong.

   Sheehan tonight. He should get 6 with 3 earned against the Rockies. Will he? I’ll say yes. Dodgers -154. O/U 9. I say Dodgers with the Over 7-3.

7. Sheehan 7 innings, 1 earned run tonight. Just keep that fastball out of the middle!

8. Liking or disliking announcers depends on what kind of broadcast a person prefers. I find Nomar more informative and a better color analyst than Orel, who I find extremely annoying. He does prattle on a lot about nothing. I prefer Neverett over Nelson simply because he calls a better game. LA has too many analysts. Mendoza is the most annoying of the bunch. Orel is there because he is a Dodger icon. Just think how bad the telecasts would be if Hairston was in the booth. As for Joe Davis, he had maybe the toughest job in sportscasting, replacing Vin Scully. The problem is no one could replace Vin. Davis has his own style, and style is what attracts most listeners. For instance, tonight I have to watch the game on the Rockies channel. Believe me, the sound will be turned off. Their lead announcer, Drew Goodman, is by far the WORST. Not very knowledgeable, irritating voice, states the obvious most of the time and gets his facts wrong all of the time.

   1. He’d be perfect in here!

      1. I wish I thought of that. Hilarious Watford! I feel insulted. That description hits too close to home.

         1. Wait, you guys didn’t know I was the Rockies announcer?

      2. I cannot stand the sound of his voice. When watching on the Rockies network, I don’t turn it to the station until the game starts. Sometimes I turn my computer on and use the radio feed from it.

   2. We all listen to the announcers so much it’s easy to get sick them. Obviously some more than others. Joe Davis has the “Gene Bartow” cloud to overcome. But he’s become a national guy with Fox which increases his exposure. My main issue with Davis is him filling air time with useless stats nobody cares about. ” Joe Shitz has hit less than .200 the last 10 games in the 8 spot against the slider” Who cares?
      But Joe has the task of preparing for FOX games and is more challenged when he broadcasts the Dodgers on FOX when he has to be up on the opponent and not show favoritism. He’s been accused for being a Dodger homer and I think he works to not do that.
      Joe’s biggest problem for me is being paired with John Smoltz. There is not enough space here for me to list all of my complaints with “the Hall of Famer, John Smoltz”. Between the 2, quiet is good. Let the game breathe.
      When Hairston come on the pre and post game from centerfield, I sprain a finger getting to the fast-forward on the remote. I’d love to see Nomar a lot more. His doesn’t stat me to death or overanalyze every pitch.
      By the way Kirsten Watson has gotten so much better, it’s remarkable.

      Why to many fans look at a drop in the batting order as headline news. It seems that moving Mookie down in the order would be viewed as a demotion instead of a move to take some pressure of him. He’s been unproductive mostly and it’s wise to put somebody hot in that spot of awhile. Lineups are daily events and fluid. They aren’t chiseled in granite. Way to much fuss and attention to such moves.

      1. All announcers are HOF caliber compared to Dontrelle Willis. He annoys me to death.

9. Just my two cents, maybe a quarter with inflation. I grew up listening to Vin and Chick Hearn and also Dick Enberg, who did the Rams and the Angels. All legends in their own right. Vin and Chick called games almost right up until they passed. Pretty hard to follow any of them. I think what set Vin and Chick apart was their appreciation of talented players even on other teams. I moved away from CA. years ago to Portland (I now live near Indy, Mark territory). Those Blazer sportscasters were terrible. I truly appreciate Vin and Chick even more now! I can still hear Chick…”And the pass goes to Mel Counts under the basket, and he drops it out of bounds!”

   1. The eggs are in the refrigerator!

   2. DOG (DodgerOld Guy),

      I live in Mooresville now. Where do you live?

      Mel Counts… I remember.

      1. We live in the country between Lebanon and Kirklin, IN. We’ve been to Mooresville more than few times!

      2. Mark: Not sure my 1st answer posted, I dont see my earlier answer to your question. We live between Lebanon and Kirklin. Not too far from Mooresville! Bear, don’t forget “The jellos jiggling.” Those of us that remember were spoiled with hearing the best!

         1. 25 years ago, I lived in Atlanta, Indiana. 276th St. to be exact. I know your area well.

            We just moved to Mooresville about 2-1/2 years ago. Less traffic and more land.

            1. I’ve seen the pics you’ve posted, nice place. Let me know if your hiring a lifeguard! 🙂

            2. I drove through Kirklin a few weeks ago. The Downtown looked revitalized.

               Used to go to Miller’s in Colfax to get catfish.

               Tomorrow at 4:00, I am meeting an old friend north of Whitestown. That area has really changed.

   3. The game’s in the refrigerator…the door’s closed, the light’s out, the eggs are cooling, the butter’s gettin’ hard and the Jello’s jigglin’!

      For puck fans, don’t forget Bob Miller for the Kings….

      LA really was spoiled…Scully, Hearn, Miller, Enberg…HOFers all!

      I watch 3 to 4 games of varying sports at a time ….rarely do I have the sound on….Mets broadcasts are good, Stan Van Gundy for NBA, Breen okay for roundball too (also the Knicks voice), Al Michaels for select NFL games…

      I turn the volume on for blowouts, that’s when the good storytelling occurs. I don’t like people talking during the game; I know what I see, don’t need explanations. I’d pay a fee if the leagues offered a channel that has NO announcers and just crowd noise…they can run the scroll or chyron at the bottom of the screen with stats and other pertinent facts…I’m probably in the minority

      1. And Whoa Nelly Dick Lane doing wrestling on Wednesday night from the Olympic Auditorium. Freddie Blassie, the Destroyer, Mr. Moto, Don Leo Jonathan, Gorgeous George, the original anyway, and Rickey Starr, who was a ballet dancer before wrestling.

10. It’s hard to believe it will soon be 10 years:
    

11. … and it wouldn’t be complete without this:

    1. Well done Mark. Thank you.

    2. Thank you Mark

    3. Awesome Mark. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since Vin called his last game.
       Being born and raised in the LA area, how fortunate I was to have such incredible play by play people in almost every sport. It definitely brought some tears.

       This afternoon I watched a documentary about Jerry West on Prime. A really tortured soul. What an amazing basketball player, talent evaluator, and executive. Another emotional moment. The “logo”!
       Highly recommend it if you’re a Laker fan or basketball fan.

12. Let’s face it. You don’t have to be good to get a job broadcasting anymore. I like Orel, although he does ramble sometimes. But dear lord, he’s 3 levels above Jolly Jess! I’ve said it for a couple of years now, Neverett is my choice for the job! Vin never sounded rehearsed. Joe Davis does. Nelson? He’s better, but still not my choice. Especially when paired with Jolly Jess! Bottom line? Talent isn’t a requirement anymore.
    Please don’t give up on Mookie! This will pass. Besides, Doc will never consider dropping him out of the top 3 in the lineup. Too much loyalty where Doc and Mookie are concerned! And Will will get hot too! Better second half than first half as he normally does! Tucker is breaking loose! Kim? I would not be surprised if Espinal stays and Kim goes down. Way too much swing and miss from Kim. With Max down, kike and espinal will manage 3rd. Kim is excellent defensively, but his offense is fading.
    Skip Yamamoto his next start. Give him a break . Guy is money! Don’t wear him completely out!

    Bullpen is extraordinary! Lauer could be a Godsend ! Someone said they don’t think the Dodgers will win it again this year. I understand the thinking, but I would not bet against them. 3rd best record in baseball. The team is not healthy or clicking. The braves are a formidable opponent. The Cubs, brewers, and Phillies are all capable. But if the Dodgers offense is better than last year’s playoff offense, I like their chances. They seem to beat the better teams and lose games to teams that they should pound. The better teams are in the playoffs. The lesser teams are not!

    1. Anybody have a chance to listen to Kruk and Kuip? Best in the business if you ask me

       Orel can on occasion be interesting. Most of the time I find him irritating. Davis is good. I don’t mind the detailed information. Feels like they’ve all been instructed to never have dead air.

       1. I would prefer a single man booth with just Joe Davis.

          1. I would like to sample that for awhile.

             While Vin was the solo voice on the air, he had people slipping him notes all the time and opposing teams PR people knew he liked personal stories about players so they would prepare stories for Vin that they did not do for other broadcasters.

             I like Joe’s and Orel’s friendship and the ease that they have with each other in the booth. That is why I like Orel more than the other options. That said, it really gets old when the sidekick guesses what pitch should be thrown next or when the color guy thinks they are more than Ed McMahon.

             I’m not a fan of Kim or Rushing. I like Freeland but he worries me. I like Betts but his body might make him move to second base and then we are back to searching for a shortstop.

          2. He would be even worse alone.

       2. I really like listening to the Mets games with Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez, just my 2 cents.

          1. All three are entertaining,not boring and very knowledgeable about the game.

13. DodgerDad – your comment speaks to my point “Please don’t give up on Mookie! This will pass. Besides, Doc will never consider dropping him out of the top 3 in the lineup. Too much loyalty where Doc and Mookie are concerned!”

    I don’t think moving down in the order is “giving up” on Mookie. It doesn’t have to be permanent. Loyalty has nothing to do with it. Or shouldn’t.
    A line up should be fluid, based on current performance, match ups, rest; lots of factors.
    It’s not a demotion or indictment. It’s a daily line up.
    The bottom line is what’s best for the team at the current time. I know we win anyway but this whole mindset about moving players in a line up is much ado about nothing as far as I’m concerned.

    1. Mookie needs to be dropped in the order now until he gets back to some semblance of his old self. That is what is best for the Dodger team right NOW. One important reason is he is NOT protecting Ohtani in the present batting order.

       1. I agree with both of you. Just move him down a few spots to change the juju. It could be short term.

          But, not today. He’s hitting second. Looks like Kiké at third, depending on where you look. And where I looked said Espinal was designated.

14. Remember, Ohtani wasn’t protecting anyone in front of him either. The bottom of the lineup was carrying the team for quite a while. Wait till some manager intentionally walks Ohtani to get to Mookie. All hell will break loose! A little pissed off would help the lineup every once in a while! Even if they move him down in the lineup, if he still struggles, what then? I am a big believer in Mookie! It’s going to happen!

    One man booth? Maybe if was Vin! Everett could probably pull it off. Joe likes to smile to much! Gotta be someone in with him to see that smile! lol. Nelson ? I get too much of him with 2 in the booth! Hey Bear, trade Mendoza to the Rockies! Your dream team broadcast crew! You get a new truck Bear?

    1. Waiting on the insurance settlement. I have to Fed-Ex them the title, doing that tomorrow. Neverett would be my choice over Davis. Davis is too much like Joe Buck, and I could not stand him either. Kike has not been activated yet.

       1. Sorry I said Everett, that was my dad’s name! Also my little grandson’s middle name!
          Yeah I’m going truck shopping too. Bought a Tacoma new in 2011. Still driving it. But I want a f150. Great looking trucks. Neverett sounds like he is calling a game. Not reading a script! I believe there are 3 teams that have ladies calling games now. Good for those young women. I’ve heard some of their work. Not any worse than some of the guys calling games. Just not what I like to listen to. But again, happy that they got the opportunity. I have 4 granddaughters . Maybe they get a chance someday. But only if they are good enough to be considered for the job.
          Watched second half of the thunder/ spurs game last night. In my opinion, not good basketball. First professional basketball I have watched in a while. Probably won’t watch anymore for a while.

          1. The gal calling games for the A’s used to work for the Rockies in about the same capacity as Alana Rizzo did. I am looking at a couple of F-150’s close to my place. They are older, but in great condition. I do not want a standard cap, at least have the drop-down seats in back. My truck was 17 years old and only had 136,000 miles on it. It still drove after the accident but looked like hell in the front. Hood was all buckled and the grill and bumper were trashed.

15. Not just a day, but it’s been a great decade to be a Dodger fan.

16. Kike reinstated, Espinal designated for assignment

    1. As we suspected.

    2. Saw that coming a mile away. Espinal just holding Kike’s spot on the bench. He is starting at 3rd tonight and batting 9th against Gordon, who has no record but a plus 5 era.

       1. Kim goes to Oklahoma City when Edman is activated.

          1. “Hyesong Kim has seen his production fall off in May, hitting .214 with 17 strikeouts and a .535 OPS. His Statcast profile explains why: Kim’s average exit velocity is at 85 mph and a 21 percent hard-hit rate, among the lowest in the league. The speed and the glove are still there, but he’s not squaring the ball up”.

17. 9:10 PM ET

    Rockies (20-34)
    Dodgers (33-20)

    SP Tanner Gordon R
    0-0 6.59 ERA
    SP Emmet Sheehan R
    3-1 4.93 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    DH S. Ohtani L
    SS Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    CF Andy Pages R
    RF Kyle Tucker L
    LF T. Hernandez R
    C Will Smith R
    2B Hyeseong Kim L
    3B E. Hernandez R

    68° Wind 10 mph Out

18. The Blue Jays are placing right-hander Dylan Cease on the 15-day injured list, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet was among those to report. Cease is dealing with a mild left hamstring strain, manager John Schneider announced.

19. “Tommy Edman is scheduled to begin his minor-league rehab assignment tomorrow, May 26, 2026, with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club.He has spent the first two months of the season sidelined after offseason surgery on his right ankle. Recent progress, including running at “full strength” and facing live batting practice in Arizona, cleared the way for this final step before his return to the Dodgers’ active roster.
    Rehab ExpectationsDuration: His assignment is expected to be lengthy. Position players have up to 20 days to complete a rehab stint, and the team intends to use much of that time to ensure his ankle can handle the demands of both second base and center field.
    Role: During his time in Triple-A, he is expected to see action primarily at second base but will also get reps in center field”.

    1. Sounds like Kim has 20 days left to prove he belongs. I wonder what will happen to him if he does? A potential 3 WAR player, being paid $4+ mil a year to play in the minors? Will the Dodgers hang on to him in case the oft injured Hernandez and Edman can’t finish? Yep. That’s it.

20. “Tyler Glasnow (back) resumed playing catch on Monday, May 25, 2026, after a recent flare-up had briefly halted his recovery. He is currently on the 15-day Injured List following lower back spasms that occurred during a May 6 start against Houston.While his return timeline remains uncertain, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes noted there is “no concern long term,” even though the recovery has been slightly slower than the team originally expected”.

21. The Dodgers will be slow walking Snell and Glasnow during the 162 game schedule so both are well rested and healthy for the October tournament. Hopefully they will find some time to rest Yamamota who has carried a heavy inning load since last year.

22. You know the Dodgers are doing great when all there is to complain about are the announcers. No other team has it so good.

    1. All good injury news too.

       Thinking this is our lift-off moment.

    2. You will have to go ask your coworker how his Cubs are doing. Couple weeks ago he was giving you the business. They have lost 9 in a row. Since I live in Illinois most people are Cubs fans so I love it as they were sure chirping just a week or so ago.

       1. Oh, I have! 😉

          We have him on suicide watch!

23. I am way past concerned about Mookie.

24. welcome back Kike

25. I don’t love Joe Davis. I don’t dislike him either but I can’t stand the Smoltz broadcasts nor do I like Davis’ screaming voice. Vin knew how to let the game breathe. Honestly, I used to like it when Monday did the play by play on radio with Kevin Kennedy as the analyst.

    Living in Iowa, nothing gives me more pleasure than the Cubs losing.

26. My goodness. Somebody take the sand wedge out of Mookie’s hands!

27. Badger, this site is made for you: https://parade.com/1195613/marynliles/funny-words/

    1. I found that not floccinaucinihilipilificationous so I bookmarked it. Thanks.

       By the way. Shifting Gears. Good read. Palms up brother.

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