Understanding “Depth”

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1. Tsutsugo walked twice in 4 at bats. OBP of .500. That’s better than Muncy.

2. Winning is easy

3. Mark, I have questioned your belief that Urias was going to be an ace. I thought he would be a 3 at best. He was maddening to watch because he would continually nibble at the edges. This drove up his pitch count and as a result had trouble going more than four innings with 89-90 pitches. He wouldn’t challenge hitters. Now, he just pounds the strike zone. He has walked only 7 batters so far with 60 K’s. With better control he is averaging 6.3 innings per start. If continues on this path and stays healthy he definitely can become a strong #2 and possibly our #1. Either way he will be a solid pitcher for the Dodgers in the future. So, as a Dodger fan, I’m happy to admit my original evaluation was incorrect and you, sir, were right. Let’s hope he can stay healthy and continue his success for many years.

   Yesterday I posted later in the day about Mark considering philjones for some lead articles and observations on a regular basis. Of course, that’s if he has the time and desire to do so. Someone else had suggested it the previous day as well. With his playing and coaching experience he has a lot of insight on things that most of us here on the blog do not have. The takes on Buehler’s landing affecting his location and DJ’s frame by frame analysis of his hitting approach is interesting and adds to the enjoyment of the game. I think it would be a good addition and give Mark some relief.

   1. I welcome all the help I can get. Bear is on vacation (I assume he will come back, but maybe he will stay). Rob is crazy busy. Jeff is on sabbatical, and Harold is retired (there is an occasional sighting). So, any help is welcomed.

      The Minor League Report takes the most time.

      1. Get Badger to start writing. We need a different point of view on this board. Listening to you constantly repeat yourself is wearing thin, Mark. Fans come in different shapes and sizes, plus he needs something to do plus he’s very knowledgeable about baseball having played it for many years. He’s also funny and can be humble. But maybe he’s bailed and become a Giants fan now that Zaidi is running things and making AF’s castaways, stars, ala Jake McGee. How could we let that guy slip away?! Even Yimi has got 7 saves this year. tsk, tsk.

         1. Jeff,

            Badger is welcome to write. I guess I should take your advice, as our readership is growing rapidly (sarcasm). If you don’t like it, go away!

            You are talking about Jake McGee with the 4.82 ERA? He could pitch at AAA, I guess. Yimi has been gone for a while… most here got weary waiting for him.

            You are still an AF hater – you can’t help it! Sorry I disagree with your narrative. I have an idea: Start Your Own Blog since you are so superior!

            1. Jake McGee has 11 saves, Mark. His ERA is not pretty but he has certainly risen to the occasion of Closer. And, at what price? Less than $3M. Yimi, $1.9M. Jansen? $20M. Most here have gotten weary of Jansen waiting for the return of confidence.

               I am not an AF hater as you seem to think. Not at all. I’m just not rah rah as you seem to be and selling it like your water product to Dodger fans. Your response shows where you are coming from, ‘my way or the highway.’ No room for diversity here?

         2. Ouch Jeff. That was rude. I for one very much appreciate Mark keeping the site up and running practically by himself!

            1. Rude? Hardly.

         3. Well Jeff, at least you have your self-importance.

            1. I’m still trying to figure out what you have, Bluto? It escapes me but I really don’t want to think about it or care.

   2. Good suggestion on PhilJones. He delivers concise statements in regards to what I’m seeing on the field. Nothing out of left field with him.

      Mark, you are a monster, delivering something good to read every day.

      1. I fully agree! Mark, keep it up, it’s a pleasure to read. And a hell of a lot of work, no doubt. And Phil Jones, Badger, and others are excellent suggestions.

4. Well, Tsutsugo and Pujols are showing little magic, they both delivered professional ABs. Albert isn’t hurting us at first base. I love a big target over there and the glove still plays.

   We’re starting to see the real Gavin Lux. Don’t give up on guys too early. He’s a bona-fide blue chip prospect and is beginning to look that way. I love his athleticism, but he isn’t going to “Pip” the NLCS and World Series MVP. In the middle of Summer we’ll see Seags step up again.

   The team is getting it done with Pollock, Belli and Seager on the DL. Show me another team that wins 6 of 7 with their No 2, 4 and 5 hitters on the DL.

   I remember when everyone on this site wanted Urias in the pen. We’re seeing why he’s a starter. I absolutely love Julio. It seems like I’ve been watching him grow up in the organization from a teenager to a grown man.

   It was a welcome site seeing Price come in and shut them down last night. A nice soft landing for him coming off the IL. I expected to see him for another inning, but Doc used Vesia in a mop up role which is great for an up and coming reliever.

   I hope KC brings his A game tonight to secure the series win. The bullpen is well rested, so it’s going to be a tough night if they don’t put up some numbers against Kershaw.

   The bullpen is going to keep getting better. This happens when your starters routinely pitch into the 7th. Sadly, another bullpen game seems to be on the horizon for Friday. I hope Uceta is up for the task. Let him start and go as deep as he can.

   My son’s wedding is this weekend. My wife has a couple of friends from Napa staying with yes. They are of course, Giants fans perfectly coinciding with the upcoming series. Hopefully, the baseball Gods will smile down on me by lifting the Dodgers into first place by the time they leave.

   I’m hosting the rehearsal dinner on Friday, the game will be on. On Saturday, the game will conflict with the 5PM wedding. What to do?

   1. Congrats on your son’s wedding.

      Solution to your problem – bluetooth connected discrete earbud to game streaming on your phone that you have hidden in your tuxedo jacket.

      1. Thank you, I’m very proud of that one.

         iHeart Radio streams the Radio broadcast. I’ll be listening and checking gameday. If the game is interesting, I’ll watch it as a Double-Header on Sunday.

   2. MLB TV on Smartphone with wireless earbud! 😉

      1. Yep, I spend the $$ every year so I can stream when I travel and watch the end of games that I fall asleep to. 😉

         As far as the radio broadcast goes, I prefer to use iHeart Radio. The app works better and the volume is louder on my phone for some reason.

         1. You cannot beat the price of streaming mlb. $129 for the potential of thousands of games cannot be beat. Being in MST it is also great to pick up the ends of games on the west coast the next morning when they go late.

   3. Mazel tov.

5. >>There’s “depth” and there is “understanding depth” and finally there is “depth of understanding.” <<
   DUDE, that is deep. 🙂

6. They went out and got pujois and the other guy because they were available and because the people we have like raley, peters, etc are not ready.

   I think those were very good moves. If we would have have had a guy like T we would have won a few more games. If a guy would have just walked staying in the strike zone we would have won a couple of games against the pads.

   U need somebody who can have a professional at bat until we get our regulars back. If they can stay healthy they might be what we need off the bench

   1. There’s four really good position players on the IL. It will be interesting to see who doesn’t have a chair when the music stops. Raley, Peters and Nuese are easy decisions right now, but the last spot might come down to ZMack – Beaty – Tsutsugo. I think Albert has the clout and RH Stick to Stick.

7. Well, depth can be a deep or shallow subject. At this point, it’s obvious the Dodgers with all the injuries, it has become quite shallow, not much at the Triple A level. Players like Raley, Peters are strikeout machines, which would be great if they were pitchers, only they’re not.

   Thus the signings of Pujols and the flyer on Yosi. But with the return of Price, and the expected return of Bellinger, Gonsolin and McKinstry, the depth issue figures to improve.

   Urias has always been a talent. Definitely a top tier starter. Lux always had the talent, just needed to be allowed to relax and play. Expect Dodger power to increase as the weather warms.

   Big discussion on MLB TV about all the injuries. Some thinking it’s tied to training methods. But both Seager and Bellinger’s injuries were of the freak variety. Still lots of strains and pulls causing too many players to miss time. I’m guessing the Dodgers are trying to figure it out. But when you look at today’s players versus players of years ago, the size is absolutely startling.

8. Fresh news is that the Dodgers might save Bauer for the Giants series. A win today makes that decision a lot easier. Bullpen game tomorrow against the D-Bags and a normal rotation of Bauer, Bueller and Urias for the Giants series makes a lot of sense.

9. Looks like the plane has finally landed on Lux’s runway!

10. Word has it that hbp is up almost 30% this year. Could the new “soft ball” that seems to give pitchers more movement have anything to do with that?

    1. Another no hitter last night. The pitchers own the hitters right now. Batters are striking out more than ever. They are also walking a lot and being hit more than usual. Seager and Pillar out because bones broken by errant pitches and a lot of close calls. Umps K zones are more inconsistent than ever. The ump last night consistently missed pitches on the outside of the plate to lefty’s. Never fear Mark, I shall return. I am heading home to Colorado next Thursday. Taking my brother with me for a short visit then he is taking the train back to LA. Once I am back on my home computer the ability to research new stories will be better.

       1. What part of CO? I am in the far west hiding out.
          Saw someone got hit in the face last night too.
          And yes, balls/strikes calling the worst I remember seeing. If pitchers & batters both cannot easily determine the strike zone that night, I say advantage pitchers & it is being born out. Much harder for batters to adjust in game than pitchers IMO.
          Cheers

          1. I live in Canon City. Right on the 50. West of Pueblo

    2. Or are the pitchers not using “sticky stuff” that helps them get better control of the ball. They have been warned not to use it, so maybe the result is more HBP.

       1. True

       2. Word is that the ball is softer & seams more prominent. Many pitchers saying easier to grip & better spin.

11. I will be in Denver for this in September:

    https://www.craftbrewersconference.com/

    It has been two years and we are ready for some shows. Here’s the last one in Denver:
    
    Cheers!

    1. Are you a brewer …. not Milwaukee type? Home or do you have a label?
       Baseball > beer, but not by much.
       cheers

       1. We supply the #1 ingredient in beer!

          1. OH, so you ARE US Water? Very cool. I am 4+hrs west of Denver on the “good side” of the state. TONS of breweries even over here, wineries, distilleries.
             That is the “good” of CO, well along with the skiing and general outdoor activities.
             THE WORST are the Rockies broadcasters I have to listen to whenever we play them since those are blacked out on MLBTV.
             cheers
             pb+

12. Lineup:

    1. Betts CF
    2. Muncy 1B
    3. Turner 3B
    4. Tsutsugo LF
    5. Taylor 2B
    6. Lux SS
    7. Beaty RF
    8. Barnes C
    9. Kershaw P

    1. Switch Beaty or Lux with Tsutsugo in the order and I’m all in. Could it be that slotting Tsutsugo in the 4th slot could somehow give him the confidence that he had in Japan?

13. Busy morning for me. I’m working on getting another knee replaced. I’m so ready.
    * Beaty scares me in the outfield. The very first hitter last night hit a liner right over Beaty’s head, the toughest ball to judge. The secret for a corner outfielder is to always turn to the foul line and the ball will curve or slice toward you. Beaty turned the wrong way and had to that little defensive back hip swivel and a Baryshnikov to catch the ball. Thankfully while getting no style points, he made the play. Keep hitting baby.
    * tedraymond mentioned yesterday about Urias and his possibility of being a solid #2 or even and ace. I think, health permitting and continued improvement like we’ve seen, he has a chance to put up some very impressive career numbers. I forget he’s 24. If you extend Urías numbers to age 33, he could get to 2000 strikeouts. He’s be in elite company. That’s pure crystal ball speculation but he’s becoming something special.
    * Chris Taylor for the all star game. YES. As Bear has pointed out, he may strike out too much for that but he’s an all-start performer in my mind. Kike’s exit opened some doors for CT3
    * Orel’s said something last night that I thought of when we got Albert. If I was DJ Peters, every time Albert turned around, he would bump into me. I would ask to be Albert’s hitting partner and I would be his shadow; his Baba-Looey, in search of why my bat has a hole in it.
    *BulldogsandPenquins, congratulations on your son’s wedding and I hope your family has a wonderful time. We’ll keep you posted if you miss anything and maybe even some material to throw at your Giant friends.
    * I appreciate being mentioned by tedraymond, BulldogsandPenquins and David a possible contributor to give Mark and the Boys a break once in awhile. I need to think about that one and I couldn’t come up with the great stuff Bear does on the Dodgers and older players. I would have to learn how to do it with Mark’s approval and support. It might not be much but maybe come up sometimes with something interesting. I appreciate the shout out, regardless.

14. Re; HBP – Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this on 5/11:
    “Think about this as well: While the season is less than six weeks old, the rate of hit by pitches entering Sunday was the highest in Major League Baseball history, and last season’s rate was the highest since 1899, according to STATS Perform.

    Pitchers throw harder than ever, and increasingly work up in the zone. Many, however, struggle to command their elevated, high-velocity baseballs…”

    The point is that velocity up in the zone with lack of command leads to all of the HBP.

15. If the Dodgers had great depth then one of Peters, Raley, Neuse or Rios would hit. Because they didn’t we now have 2 other guys who haven’t been hitting (Pujols and Tsutsugo). The Dodgers think that they can fix the latter – maybe they can. It’s worth a try.

    I get that Pujols has been great in the past. I even get that he may be decent as a RHPH or occasional 1B. But the Dodgers won the World Series last year and they’ve been there 3 of the last 4 years. Do they really need a “veteran presence” at this point? I thought that Betts and Kershaw were supposed to be the team leaders. And how did Pujols help to win last night’s game? And why do the Dodgers have a guy who can’t hit at the Mendoza line hitting cleanup?

    Would either of these guys been on the roster if the “depth” was performing?

    1. The Dodgers have 14 players on the IL:

       https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/injuries/

       No team has that many… and the ones who are close have a below .500 record. The Dodgers have a 24 -18 record and a .571 winning percentage (on track for 93 wins). The Dodgers run differential is still the best in baseball, so while their “depth” may not have put up eye-popping numbers, it has evidently kept them in the game. If this happened to any other team, they would be waiting for next year.

       Why is T hitting cleanup?

       1. He walks a lot; and
       2. If you are trying to “fix” him, what better way to build his confidence. 50% of hitting is 80% confidence or something like that.

       1. That’s what I thought Mark and said so earlier but not in so many words. Glad you agreed with me. LOL.

16. The problem in DJ’s swing is widely documented and the scouts predicted it since he signed, they said that because of his very tall his swing was very long and he took a long time in the zone and that is why he cannot be put on time with the fastball and that is why it is easily beaten, by the time he attacks the ball is already passed and the catcher already has it.
    The obvious thing is to shorten the swing and try to get the bat out faster, that is easier said than done, if he cannot do it he will never be a major league player, at this time it is enough to just throw something hard at him and he cannot reach the ball.

    1. He really only seems to have a chance against balls down. DJ isn’t a real prospect. Neuse looks like a career AAAA player to me. I’ll reserve judgement on Raley.

       1. In many AB he can’t even hit a foul, as they say colloquially: “the ball passes today and he swings tomorrow.”
          I hope he can solve it.

    2. You are right DodgerHorse about Peters maybe never being a major league hitter but he wouldn’t be the first guy to hit a lot better than he is with a longer swing. That’s exactly why he should be a sponge with Albert’s thoughts. He doesn’t have unlimited chances.
       What baffles me is when he is on time (he’s not late every time), he swings right through the baseball. He’s under fat fastballs by 3 or 4 inches. I think he would have run out of chances by now if he didn’t have that body and speed.

       1. His hands are often lower than the baseball. Good luck hitting a baseball that way. It’s why he only makes contact on balls down.

       2. Do not lose hope, if anyone can solve it is the Dodgers.
          I would like him to play winter baseball in the Caribbean or Mexico.

17. That defense, the center line, that we will see a lot this summer, and that will avoid many runs and that the pitchers will appreciate, will be very nice to watch:
    C Smith (he’s playing great defense, he’s getting better and better)
    2B CT3 (Mister efficiency)
    SS Lux (A real SS: soft hands, arm and range both ways)
    CF Bellinger (The Best)

18. Mark, the team on the offensive side just does not have enough quality depth to compete with the injuries we have. We had kike and joc last year who could step in for a starter and the team kept moving forward. You might say those 2 even improved our team during their hot streaks. A healthy Rios was solid. Barnes was an adequate or better backup. Beaty had his moments.

    But this year, Rios injured no joc no kike while Beaty was off to a terrible start. Mckinstry was off to a really good start but now injured. Barnes is a complimentary player who on his best day can contribute offensively. So after the hot start our lineup had 3-4 outs in the lineup on any given day. Just simply depth players that have no business in the mlb at least now. couple that with the bullpen imploding by having clevinger, Vesia, Santana, getting high leverage innings when they couldn’t hold an 8 run game. Add to that guys like Betts, seager,smith were not carrying their load.

    Thankfully, we have an exceptional starting rotation, the bullpen is improving, muncy, Taylor, smith, lux are swinging better. So if we had the necessary depth then why would we get AP and YT? AF is no dummy he was looking for somebody who could give a professional at bat. I agree with dodgerrick he did not get them for leadership if I understood his post correctly. I mean really we have all this money in turner, kershaw, Betts etc and we need leadership. I call bs. They should add to the clubhouse but their professional bats are needed more than anything until we get healthy. AF knows it is risky but when he looks at the alternatives of Raley, peters, neuse, and the like it is a no-brainer.

19. Stuff found on Internet:

    Jay Jaffe on how the Pujols addition makes sense:
    https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-dodgers-addition-of-albert-pujols-didnt-make-sense-until/

    Clayton Beeter’s 2 Ks from his perfect inning. This season, 4 scoreless IP,2H, 1 BB, and 8Ks.
    He lasted until the 66th pick.
    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1395153611550695424/pu/vid/480×270/TWhDk6VzLzPOSSRM.mp4?tag=12

    How the Dodgers are working to retool Tsutsugo’s swing:
    https://www.ocregister.com/2021/05/18/dodgers-think-they-can-help-yoshi-tsutsugo-find-his-old-swing/

    More Beeter, this time against Tigers’ prospects Parker Meadows, Spencer Torkelson, Dillon Dingler, and Andre Lipcius.:
    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1394343472392458240/pu/vid/1280×720/vCHK5bHwb1oNc1L_.mp4?tag=12

    Remember Beaty getting ejected? The great Jomboy breaks it down.
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1394308743718969349/vid/1280×720/zij5dnsLi3rjXK8m.mp4?tag=14

    Bobby Miller had 3Ks in 2IP.
    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1395148963313979395/pu/vid/1280×720/v7C6B6ai1FD0a4xd.mp4?tag=12
    BTW: The Loons play-by-play guy said that Bobby Miller’s missed start was a scheduled skip from the org, that there’s a strong focus on recovery following what was obviously a very uneven year, and that we should expect more for almost all of the rotation members.

    ICYMI, the great, great, great (almost as great as the NYTimes) Pedro Moura has left The Athletic to be the national guy for Fox? He’s being replaced @TheAthletic by Fabian Ardaya
    https://theathletic.com/2586460/2021/05/14/ardaya-from-a-brush-with-dodgers-greatness-to-covering-the-defending-world-series-champs/

    Jim Callis from MLB on the Dodger’s and the draft:
    It’s very hard to know who goes 1-28, so I’ll guess the Dodgers will get someone who two years from now everyone will wonder how he possible lasted until No. 29. I do hear Peyton Stovall connected to LA

    Kevin Goldstein chat:
    Q: How soon do you think Keibert Ruiz could be getting 300 PAs in the majors? Would that require a trade or might the Dodgers move on from Austin Barnes?
    A:Yeah, it feel like if it’s going to happen see, it’s not going to happen in LA. Might be a really nice trade chip in a couple of months.

    Kevin Goldstein: I love Cassavettes and Killing of a Chinese Bookie is my favorite film of his.

20. Sheldon Neuse compares to Max Muncy at the same age. In fact, he is better. He has a .218 BA i n MLB. Max Muncy was worse than that at age 26.

    I told you Yimi Garcia would be good. It just took a long time and you can’t keep everyone. It’s easy to see the issues with DJ Peters swing, but I ain’t good enough to tell if Raley or Neuse will be any good or not, however, I do see a lot of potential.

    Alex Bregman started his career 1 for 22.

    In Aaron Judge’s first season (95 AB’s) he hit .179. The next year he hit 52 HR and batted .284.

    I can cite dozens of other cases, but I won’t.

    I just kind is comical that major league managers, scouts and GM’s don’t know as much as you all with those keen eyes for talent. Ha Ha Ha Ha! It’s way beyond moronic. It’s little kid-silly!

    WE don’t know jack-shit about players before at least a 100-150 AB’s.

    Most of you wanted to throw Yimi out… now look what he has grown into. Ditto, Julio Urias.

    Stick to your day jobs!

    1. I was always a Yimi guy. He just gave up too many dingers. A little wide eyed in the big market at times I always suspected.Neuse looks below avg every where defensively too. I’m very skeptical. I’d love to be wrong.

21. My point is those guys are not ready now. That is obvious. It is also bad that these unproven players are placed in the pressure cooker when regulars are not high performing either.

    Mark to your point about talent developing. I have never seen anyone look worse entering the majors as Javier Baez. He was the most undisciplined hitter I have ever seen. Swing at anything, hit nothing, kkkkk but while still a free swinger he is not too shabby lol.

22. With the way the bench is not hitting and that the bullpen isn’t very good I would have kept Kershaw in the game.

23. I am glad to see doc use Gonzalez consistently in the eighth innings in high leverage. At least it seems like he is. Who knows I may be wrong.

24. Combined, Pujols & Peters are a whole player.

25. Angry Kenley we all so sorry for ever doubting you. Love that slider tonight! And 96! If only we could see that every outing

26. Nice job by the pen. If we could see that Joe Kelly consistently it would help a lot. He was filthy. I have to remind myself it’s the Dbags he was facing.

    CK needs 105 K’s to catch Sutton.

27. Hawkeye – Kelly has always had filthy stuff, that’s why he is getting paid, but you are absolutely right. He, Treinen and Knebel will hopefully lock down the later innings come Playoff time.

    Having Kenley pitch like he is at the moment is also a massive boost.
    Suddenly the Pen is looking a lot better.

    Pete, Badger, Bums, – hope you boys are keeping well, and B&P enjoy the Wedding.

    PS – Mark – you’re doing a sterling job. Thanks for all the effort. Much appreciated.

    1. I am still hopeful we can get back at least 1-2 out of Knebel, Kahnle, Ferguson and Graterol before the season ends. That would be a HUGE boost to our pen without having to dive into the trade deadline race for arms.
       The KJ of the last two saves is the lockdown guy he once was for the Dodgers. The uptick in the fastball has made the cutter that much better a weapon. Hitter can not sit on the fastball if he throws it 95-97. Blew away a couple of them with the high heat lately.
       At this moment KJ in the 9th, with Treinen, Kelly, Gonzalez the high leverage guys for the 7th and 8th looks pretty good.

       Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

28. Hate the bullpen game tonight just before the Giants series (they begin to concern me, they are not letting up and getting fantastic work out of their pitching staff).
    This essentially will make us shorthanded for the first two games in SF. IMHO it would be better to settle on a guy like Nelson and stretch him out . Over the long run I would turn to Price to be our Nr .5 starter for the regular season.
    Should Gray be able to return he would be an option to at the Nr. 5 spot.
    Dodgers depth is very good at the MLB level, not so good at AAA and it shows in the OKC record.

    Peters needs to break threw which would help at multiple fronts: Power off the bench, good baserunner, superb outfileld defense.

    Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!

    1. That is by design. Typically, the Dodgers stash their best prospects at AA, unless they want them to get a little time at AAA, but AAA consists of role players and emergency players (AAAA players). OKC will not likely have great teams.

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