It Must Be June…

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1. Lots to think about there, but certainly good to get back to winning ways last night. Gonsolin has been a revelation along with Anderson, and Kershaw is back this weekend, so things are looking up, as well as the Bullpen being rested.

   Read another excellent post by B&P yesterday about our need for another batter. We actually had him, and traded him for Craig Kimbrel, and we saw what he can do a couple of nights back.
   I liked trading for Kimbrel, but as I suspected, we are missing AJs righty bat (hamstrings permitting) in our lineup, plus he was my favourite player.
   I guess AF had to give to get, but we are missing him.

   Can’t undo that deal now, so I really like the sound of JDM. Maybe that deal should be considered now, rather than down the road? We have a history of recent trades with Boston so not impossible.

   With regards to Muncy and Bellinger, like in 2020, I don’t see us winning a ring without them contributing more than they are now, and therefore they both will be given every opportunity to improve their figures. Both are vital.

   Now for Dave Roberts.

   I have a long memory, and I recall a post calling for his head, penned by your good self, immediately after another head scratching evening in the Playoffs where the entire LADT readership had been watching through their fingers and screaming at the TVs across the globe as yet another winnable game was lost.
   Let’s not pretend that he’s a great in game manager, because he isn’t. He doesn’t seem to have a “feel” for the moment or situations, just a playbook.
   Look what happened when he threw away the analytics and allowed Julio to finish things off in game 7

   Yes, I know it’s all about players executing, but its not second guessing when virtually everyone (and there’s a whole lot of baseball acumen and savvy here)!is posting before things have even played out.

   Yes he’s perfect for AF and the owners, but i think you are being a little disingenuous when people like Dodgeram (Go Dodgers) and others point out Doc’s frailties. I’m in the more WS wins with a different leader camp.

   Only a third of the way through a gruelling schedule and we are where we wanna be. A couple of shrewd pick ups at the Deadline and we will have a great chance.

   1. I have certainly criticized Doc on occasion, but in retrospect, many times what we thought were poor decisions were simply poor execution by the players. Even now, many are saying that we need another hitter. Maybe we do, but I think it is too early to make that decision., and it’s funny you would mention AJ Pollock and his .597 OPS. Where would he even play with CT3 who has an OPS almost 200 points higher?

      Until a few days ago, many fans thought that Joe Maddon was a genius, but even when he finally won a World Series, he made a bunch of bad decisions that turned out OK. Will Leitch put it like this:

      “Some of Joe Maddon’s decisions during the 2016 World Series were downright flabbergasting, and I still cannot figure out why he kept Aroldis Chapman, who couldn’t even throw a fastball anymore, in for the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7. But Chapman somehow escaped, the Cubs won the World Series and nobody cared about the decision. And the only reason we can focus so much on Roberts’ strange postseason decisions is because the Dodgers are in the postseason in the first place. You only get to make these calls if you’ve skippered the team this far in the first place. Roberts is obviously a better manager than he’s being accused of being this morning.”

      This was written BEFORE he won his first World Series and let’s not forget that he should have won another one, were it not for the cheating ASSTERICKS! That’s the only other one he should have clearly won, but was thwarted by the cheaters. In 2018, the Red Sox were simply better and while you can blame 2019 on Doc, the Nats were just unconscious with about 5 pitchers and smoke and mirrors. If Clayton had struck out Juan Soto, we all might feel different. As much as I like Clayton, Doc put him in to do a job and he did not do it. Most fans disagree, but I put that on Clayton… not Doc.

      Dave Roberts has been an unquestionably successful manager. He has the highest winning percentage in baseball history.. He has won a Manager of the Year Award, reached two World Series, and hasn’t missed the Postseason in any of the seasons he’s been in the dugout. You honestly could not come up with a better record of success, short of winning another World Series.

      Just saying he is not a good in-game manager is a popular thing to say, but that does not make it so. Dave Roberts is the manager of the ONLY TEAM IN BASEBALL where the other team’s fans chant “BEAT LA, BEAT LA!” Many players, fans and teams hate the Dodgers because they are flush with money and can outspend anyone. If you think other teams don’t reach down for a little extra when they play the Dodgers you are not paying attention. When they play the Dodgers they play like it is game 7 of the World Series.

      Dave Roberts has to deal with that every series. Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda also made plenty of moves that did not work out. Doc is better than they were because he has the benefit of analytics not available back then. Do they always work? Of course not! But they work better than any other plan. No manager is perfect. They all make mistakes, but sometimes these mistakes are erased by a player being able to execute and sometimes they are not!

      There is a great deal of luck and special circumstances involved in winning a World Series… especially in this sabermetric era. It is extremely hard and while I have been frustrated with Doc at times, I have come to realize that it is up to the players to execute. Some fans want to place the blame on Doc when a player does not execute which is just silly in most cases.

      The odds are that Dave Roberts will get fired sooner or later, but baseball has changed forever (like it or not) and Joe Maddon, Mike Sciosca, Joe Giradi, and others simply can’t manage anymore.

2. No, Mark, it took not “two months” before the fire Roberts choir began singing.
   At least as far as I am concernded I have been singing this song for some time. I would not have extended Roberts If I was in charge for the Dodgers.
   And I really don´t know why you are so itchy about this subject. Why do you in a really impertinent attempt have to drag Friedman, Muncy, Belli into this topic other than trying to discredit the critics of Roberts ?
   If you think Roberts is the best the Dodgers can have as manager it is okay, but there is no need to ridicule Dodgers fans who are of a different opinion about it.

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

   1. Where did I ridicule them? I just try and point out facts that some people do not consider or dismiss out of hand. You are free to believe what you want and I am free to disagree and I will articulate why.

3. As for AJ, one hit against us doesn’t prove much. He’s batting about .220 this year

   1. It was a revenge hit for trading him.

      1. Never discount the revenge factor.

4. Who will Not be part of the 2023 Dodger Roster?

   The following players have Club Options and the Amount:
   1. Justin Turner $16,000,000
   2. Max Muncy $13,000,000
   3. Dan Duffy $ 7,000,000
   4. Dan Hudson $ 6,500,000
   5. Hans. Alberto $ 2,000,000
   6. Jim Nelson $ 1,000,000

   Some tough decisions for BG and A F.

   1. Cody has to be on that list, along with Clayton and Kimbrel.

      There’s a lot to be decided!

   2. JT – Sure looks like he’s not going to earn anywhere near 16M and you have to improve somewhere – He’s out without a huge turnaround.
      Mad Max – He’ll get a shot at turning it around next year
      Danny Duffy – His contract is more about next year than this year. He stays because he’s a left handed pitcher that can pitch in the pen or in the rotation.
      Daniel Hudson – That dude is well worth 6.5M – he comes back
      Hanser Uribe – He’s cheap and useful – he’ll be back
      Jimmy Nelson – See Danny Duffy

      1. Nailed it!

         I would only add, Bellinger’s going into his 4th arb year. It would be mighty ballsy to not offer him.

5. Gonsolin for Cy Young…..BELIEVE IT.

   If RA Dickey can win one (and that was stolen from Kersh) then the CAT MAN can and WILL!!!

   Freddie is about to go on a tear that is going to go thru the ATL Homecoming. Ill be there for that series….

   1. He is certainly the leader right about now. Anderson is TOP 5!

      1. Anderson’s been great too.

         I think Gonsolin has better stuff as long as he trusts it, which he has been.

      2. Alcantara is the leader very similar numbers to gonsolin but 26 more IP.

6. Your OPS predictions are wildly optimistic even for you Mark. The ENTIRE team is going off from here on out? I’ll take the under on JT, Muncy and Bellinger. And speaking of 23, that’s a negative on those three. Bellinger is a .200 hitter with maybe 20 home runs. Does anyone really want him back and if so what would you be willing to pay him? AF is looking for a new CF this off season

   1. Ok I have printed Mark’s predictions for year end OPS and hung it above my desk. But if he is correct or close, Cassidy you may have to decide for the fifth time to stop posting

      1. I am not predicting career years or anything crazy… just that they will improve. I’m on the record.

         1. That’s a lot of improvement! By everyone!

   2. Cassidy, in case you missed Mark’s point, OPS is severely down across MLB this year. So, you can’t directly compare this year’s stats with past seasons. JT is old, Muncy and Belli are not.

      The difference between CT3 and Cody aren’t as wide as that OPS suggests. Cody has 3 more AB’s than CT3, he has less K’s and 1 more extra base hit. Taylor has just 7 more hits and 3 more walks. Cody is a better baserunner and defender. If CT3 just got $15M, the $17M that Cody is making this year isn’t far off. There’s no need to move him unless you can definitely improve. So, what $17M player can the Dodgers bring in to replace Cody?

      If you don’t have an answer, then there’s no use complaining.

      Here’s the list of center fielders that are hitting noticeably better than Belli…

      Mike Trout – The Angels wanted to move him to a corner this year, he’s very expensive and not available
      George Springer – He’s locked up and will be available after the 2026 season.
      Brandon Nimmo – His OPS is just 74 points higher and is no where near as good defensively
      After that, there’s Julio Rodriguez, Daulton Varsho and Luis Robert. None of them are available as they are all arb or pre-arb players and they don’t hit that much better, within about 50 percentage points.

      So no, there isn’t a better AVAILABLE option out there. So yes, AF wants him back next year because there just isn’t better options available.

7. I agree I don’t think JT gets that 16M. As for Muncy and Beli. They will have to show what they can do this year if healthy

8. Wouldn’t Mark just love that! And I hope that AF would go fishing for a new center fielder to replace Belli this off season!

   1. Who would that be Cassidy? Very few CF out there are as good defensively as Bellinger. Who is available? Not Buxton, he just signed a long term deal with the Twins. Trout is over 30 now and has injury issues the last couple of years so who in the world is better? No body.

9. Andrew Heaney’s second start with AAA Oklahoma City is tonight. Soon there will be some tough decisions to make when MLB only allows 13 pitchers on the roster.

   1. My choice is to cut Price loose

      1. Totally agree!

      2. Agreeed.
         And if another spot is needed it should be Bickford. Just not the same pitcher he was last season.

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

      3. Make it so!

10. Right here, right now Cody Bellinger is a top 10 center fielder. He’s tied for 7th in HR and 10th in OPS in MLB. You think you can do better, but in reality you can not. Unless you really think that Brandon Nimmo is going to be better than Belli next year.

    You all need to adjust your thinking when it comes to batting stats. It all changed. Offense is way down.

    Trea Turner, Will Smith and Cody Bellinger are all tied for second on the team in HR.
    Bellinger is also 5th in doubles.
    Bellinger is also 5th in total bases.

    He’s just not as bad as you all think he is especially when you consider that CF, C and SS are supposed to be the worst hitting positions on the team.

    If CT3 is worth 15M, than Belli isn’t far off from the 17M that he’s making.

    1. You nailed it! Who else is there?

       I think the weather will heat up and MLB will quietly change the baseballs which will result in improved results for most players.

    2. Your last sentence is the point I think. I’m OK paying Cody $15-17M long term, but not much more than that. If he and Boros think that’s $25M+ AVV is deserving then it’s near time to say goodbye and good luck to Cody. When I first read your stats rankings for Cody my initial reaction was that MLB offense had fallen off a cliff. I re-read it and realized it was only for CF. In all of baseball Cody ranks 113th in OPS and tied for 56th in HRs. His CF ranking in OPS is top ten (he’s tenth) but if you look at the players above him it’s not something to be excited about. Hell, Finding Nimmo is #3 in CF OPS! Other “notable” players ranked above Cody are Adolis Garcia, Jesus Sanchez, Harrison Bader, Luis Robert, Daulton Varsho, and Julio Rodriguez. That being said, throw in Cody GG defense and base running speed into consideration he’s probably, excluding Mike Trout, the best overall CF in baseball. But, looking at the competition it’s not much to get excited about. So there’s no one to replace Cody right now unless the object is to reduce payroll which is not a factor with the Dodgers. For $17M a year I like it.

       I’m curious on your statement of SS, C and CF are supposed to be the worst hitting positions. When and where did that come from? Maybe, 30-40 years ago, but now? Just sayin’

       1. https://scoresheetwiz.tripod.com/id136.html

          I’m corrected. It’s actually C, SS, 2B then CF right now.

          1. Dude! You are the search engine wizard.
             Cheers

11. To look at players OPS a third of the way through the season is not very revealing or interesting. And, then to predict “pull out of your ass” OPS numbers by the end of the season is comical. The list of OPS numbers for other MLB stars is interesting though. I agree that it’s something that can’t be explained right now. We know Mookie and Freddie are superstars and don’t need an OPS number to tell us that. All the Dodgers are above average MLB position players regardless of their stats.

    From above:
    “That’s right! I am picking Mad Max to get to a .800 OPS by year-end. I believe that the only reason he is coming back (allegedly tomorrow) is that he is not injured. I do not think I am closer to the situation than Andrew Friedman, Dave Roberts, and the Dodger coaches and trainers. I am pretty dang sure they have the inside scoop! So, if they are calling him back up, then it is for a reason.”
    I hope you’re right about Mad Max having an .800 OPS by year end. I’m curious on how you came to this absurd conclusion. So, Max remarks that he won’t be fully healthy until 2023. Roberts claims Max is sent down to allow him to heal and work on some things. With all that you conclude he is returning in the next day or two is because he isn’t injured. Really? Yeah, the Dodger FO and coaching staff do have a reason to have Max return to the majors. The reason might be that he is embarrassing himself in the minors. In only four games he is hitting .143 with a 43% strikeout rate, a 53% no contact rate, and an OPS of .651. So, he is injured and doing poorly in the majors. He is sent to AAA and heals and does worse. And, now that things are all good with Max he is recalled to the Dodgers. And, is predicted to have a OPS of .800 by years end. OK. That all makes sense to me…..NOT! Right now it’s Sad Max, not Mad Max. Without having Bellinger’s GG defense and speed, Max isn’t going to play if things don’t improve on the offensive front. We can continue to hope he does return to form.

    I’ve resigned my self to the fact that Roberts will forever be the Dodger manager. He is the perfect person to be the Dodger manager in the eyes of the FO. Roberts is the front office’s good soldier. He has and will continue to make head scratching decisions. But, I agree with Mark that the players have failed to produce at critical times more than Roberts has made dumb moves. How many times have we seen our “highly paid offensive stars” fail to even make contact with the runners in scoring position over the last several years? Or pitchers give up game changing HRs with two strikes on a batter? It takes an entire team to win championships. That includes players, manager, coaches, and front office.

    Freddie Freeman is still awesome, but some of his awesomeness is waning right now. Maybe my favorite player, Will Smith, is awakening from his offensive slumber. JT’s average and OPS isn’t good right now, but he has 31 RBI (#3 on team) and has a strikeout rate of less than 20%. It shows that making contact helps to be productive in driving in runs or sets others to do so. It’s a team game.
    Carry on.

    1. And, then to predict “pull out of your ass” OPS numbers by the end of the season is comical.

       What if I am right?

       1. You win first place!

12. OPS by year from #1 OPS Team:

    2022 – .755
    2021 – .796
    2020 – .832
    2019 – .847

    Notice the Decline. Manfred is an idiot!

    1. As bad as that is. There’s a lot more than just speculation that the balls aren’t uniform. Sometimes you get a live one and sometimes you get a dead one. 2019 was the first full year MLB owned Rawlings.

       2018 – 792
       2017 – 824
       2016 – 809
       2015 – 797

       Look how much more consistent it was before Manfred got his talons into that company. What a freaking idiot. Last year’s numbers were fine. It’s what everyone was used to. But, he had to f with it some more by implementing the humidors league wide. Get rid of the humidors and the problem is solved. Keep them in AZ and CO only.

       1. One can try to justify changing the ball. What is completely unjustifiable is the inconsistency in the balls being produced. Any manufacturing process will have variability but the differences being noted by ML players is beyond any acceptable deviation. How is this not being addressed by MLB?

13. Good morning gang. I just got finished submitting my All-Star votes. I used the Bear evaluation system which picks players combined stats. Top producer at each position is my pick. Dodger or no. When you look at the posted stats it is totally amazing that most players are way below their career numbers. Even the super players like Trout and Juan Soto, who is having a pretty bad season so far. I picked only three Dodgers for my squad, Trea, Freddie and Mookie. A lot of former All-Stars did not make the cut. Ohtani is not even on the AL team since Yordan Alvarez is having a better year and deserves the DH spot. He on the basis of his power numbers beats out JD Martinez. Some very big names are not producing the way one would think they should.

    1. I know, when you really dive into this, you realize how bad it is. On top of most star players playing below career norms, there are too many outliers, mediocre players doing especially well.

       The stats just don’t make much sense at all and it’s effecting some players way more than others. It just seems so rare that a player hits one out of the ballpark in dead center these days. It’s like it turned every stadium into the polo grounds, without the triples. It feels like this is the deadest ball I can ever remember.

       Take Mookie Betts for example. Out of his 16 homers, only two have been hit between the power alleys. Two oppo and the 12 other homers were between the power alley and the left field line. Comparing his homers to 2019 when he hit 29 homers, 1/3 of them were between the power alleys.

14. I have come to the conclusion that Cody Bellinger is going to have to go in a different direction to fix his swing, but it will have to be after the season is over and it should not involve current staff. I think he will be serviceable and improve somewhat this year, but he is going to have to change his swing to some degree. It may not be huge, but he has to do it.

    1. Funny, I distinctly remember saying the exact same thing about Bellinger and his swing at the end of last season.

15. 2:10 PM ET

    Dodgers (36-20)
    White Sox (26-28)

    SP Tyler Anderson L
    7-0 2.59 ERA 55.2IP 53K
    Confirmed Lineup
    RF Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    SS Trea Turner R
    2B Max Muncy L
    DH Will Smith R
    3B J. Turner R
    CF C. Bellinger L
    LF Gavin Lux L
    C A. Barnes R

    Partly-cloudy-day
    0% Rain
    74° Wind 8 mph Out

    06/09/22 Los Angeles Dodgers activated 1B Max Muncy.
    06/09/22 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned 2B Zach McKinstry to Oklahoma City Dodgers.

    1. I do not like Lux in the outfield. On the other hand, Taylor is striking out way too much and needs a day off. The need a hitter who can play left field and hit.

16. The day everyone, and especially Bellinger, understands and accepts that he is not a Superstar, then and only then will he be fine and we will stop criticizing him and expect an improvement. He is who he is, a gold glove, a fast runner, spectacular defensively, but he is still and will continue to be a mediocre hitter, not bad, not good, just average-mediocre. Stop waiting for him to return to his all-star level, he is not, he only had a spectacular half season, but the same was Puig, and where is he now?

    1. I think you should tell him he’s not a superstar!

       Can you film it?

    2. Go look at his stats and tell me only a half a season, Jorge. He had two great season, one very good, a short season above average, a bad injury plagued season and 1/3 of a season where offense is down across the league. If you’re top 10, you’re above average by definition and this year he is top ten.

       He is not mediocre, he’s not a superstar right now. But, that isn’t to say that a 26 year old can’t get better. Puig’s two worst years were as a 25 and 26 year old. I encourage you to check stats before you make assumptions.

       If Cody is healthy all year, some of his bombs will start to go out with warmer weather. That will increase his batting average as well, turning outs into more doubles and homers. If he’s 240 with 28 bombs and upper 30’s in doubles, he’s a very productive center fielder. I don’t think those numbers are out of the question.

17. We are at the third of a season pole. This is how I see the players on the team so far. I am probably wrong about some of them, but that is simply my opinion. Freeman is as advertised. Everyday Freddie has been solid at the plate and in the field. He probably needs a day off since he has had a couple of mini slumps. The Dodgers struck out 9 times in yesterday’s game and Freddie had 3 of them. He might need a blow. Lux has been solid at second, but very underwhelming with the bat. He is hitting .272 with absolutely no power. 1 homer and 12 ribbies are not the kind of production you expect from a player with the kind of hype he has had. Not a total bust, but nothing special. Still takes way too many pitches right down Broadway and Is caught looking too much. Does not protect the plate well with two strikes. Trea, another player who is playing the way you expect him to play. Stellar defense, a tough out. Leads the team in RBI’s which is something you expect from the hitter in the 3 hole. JT is not the JT of a couple of years ago. Age is slowly catching up with him. He is not punishing pitches up in the zone like he used to. Average way down and power numbers not where one would expect them. Clearly on the downside of a stellar run as a Dodger. Chris Taylor is much better serv ed coming off of the bench. He leads the team in K;s by a wide margin striking out 71 times already. That is a percentage of more than 33% of his at bats, They need an everyday LF who can hit and defend as well as Taylor can and move him back to the super sub role he excels at. Bellinger will probably never be the player he was in 19 again. But he is the best defensive CF in the league. He tantalizes with his power capability. And then disappoints with his penchant for striking out so often. Chases pitches he has absolutely no chance of hitting, but capable of changing a game with one swing. Power numbers down simply because the ball is different. He hit several early in the season that would have left the yard last year. Mookie Betts is the best RF in the majors hands down. He is healthy and it shows. Also goes into mini slumps ala Freeman, but defense and offense have been Mookiest as of late. Alberto is Kike without the banana suit. Energetic and fun loving, he is the jester on the bench. Beloved so far by his teammates. Not an offensive force, he does have the ability to contribute a clutch hit now and then and he can pitch occasionally when there is a blow out. Will Smith has not really hit his stride yet. But he has had some big moments. The power is evident, the defense is solid if not spectacular, and his game calling skills and ability to gun down opposing runners has improved some. Solid # 1 catcher and one of the leagues best. Austin Barnes is so far a weak hitting great defense typs catching back up. But his power numbers this season are close to what he piled up all last season. Edwin Rios is a huge loss since his kind of power does not just show up all the time. Likely lost for a huge chunk of the rest of the year. Eddy Alvarez is a very good athlete. He can be an asset since he is very versatile and can play a lot of positions. Being a switch hitter is a huge plus.. Max Muncy is not healthy. If he was Maxwell’s Silver Hammer would be at the top of his game and punishing pitchers, We will obviously see him more in the coming weeks but I believe he would have been better served having surgery on his elbow last winter.

    The starters are very good. Even with their struggles, Buehler and Urias have pitched well on occasion. Anderson and Gonsolin have been outstanding. You might not believe they can keep it going, but until they prove otherwise, they are All-Stars in any league. Kersh comes back Sunday. If he is the same pitcher he was when he went down, they are a lot better team. The bull pen for me has always been the Achilles heel of this team. Simply my opinion since I believe they are overworked. But so far, they have had only a couple of meltdowns. Bit series in Frisco this weekend. They will see where they stand with one of their biggest rivals. Going to see Top Gun Maverick today. Have a great day guys.

    1. What’s wrong with Lux being a solid, everyday player? Sure his power is lacking. He is batting ninth and hitting .272 (fourth on the team). It’s hard to get RBIs when you have Bellinger, Muncy, and Taylor having huge strikeout rates hitting in front of you and aren’t on base to be driven in. Lux has scored 30 runs (third on the team) which isn’t bad for a player hitting at the bottom of the lineup. Gavin does a nice job of getting on base for Betts, Freeman, and Turner. I agree that he takes way too many pitches down the middle of the plate. It might be that he has had the “working the count” mantra in the back of his mind. I don’t think he is established enough to get much respect from opposing pitchers. Maybe the first pitch will be the best pitch he sees. Afterall, he is hitting ninth.

       How many highly touted, talented prospects haven’t even made a major league roster? I would imagine it is thousands. Will Gavin Lux be a big home run hitter? Probably not. He had only the 2019 season with any HR power. If he can be solid defensively either at 2B, SS, or LF and hit .270+ with the speed he has I’m good with that. I would think the Dodgers would be as well. Draft a prospect. Develop. Becomes a solid, if not spectacular, major league player. Equals success for the front office.

       But if you’re not impressed, you’re not impressed. We all have our opinions. That’s mostly all we have here at LADT. Bear, I hope your brother is continuing well in his recovery. Take care.

       1. I get it I really do. I just think he could be a lot better and when I say power, it means in the extra base hit category too and he is woefully lacking in that. Yeah he hits ninth and that effects his RBI chances but the 4-5 hitters in LA are not producing well at all. He would benefit with better hitters in front of him, but both Cody and Taylor are striking out way too much. I do not care for his defense much at all. Makes errors on balls he should field easily. Look as much as anyone else I would love to see him be an All-Star at the position, I just do not think he should play the outfield at all. Defense out there suffers when he does.

       2. Thanks Ted, Steve is getting better by the day. Lux is Lux. He is doing better average wise, but he showed more power in the minors. Granted the ball is different and some of his shots are falling short, but there are a lot of second basemen in the league with much better power numbers. Including Albies in Atlanta.

    2. After 31 games in 30 days, the Dodgers rank 22nd in Bullpen Innings, so I think they will be fine, especially if only 40% on the IL recover.

18. This is how bad baseball is this year.?Joc is Jim Bowden’s pick right now for all star LF!

19. The Dodgers will not be OK with Lux hitting .270 with no power. Mike Busch will be knocking at the door. However, I am not convinced Lux cannot hit 15 HR and 35 doubles. Time will tell. I think Busch will be ready in 2023.

    1. I think the brass should let Lux marinate a bit before making any judgements. He’s gone from:
       get rid of him, he’s a bush in the Majors
       he can’t play 2nd, he has the yips
       he needs to play outfield only
       maybe he can play 2nd after all and he’s not much of an outfielder
       TO – leave him alone and let him play (my take)
       To- he lacks the power for a Big League 2nd baseman (?)
       To – he needs to be looking over his shoulder for his replacement.
       All this, since Spring Training.
       I’m still in the camp that says leave him alone, hope he hits .270 and let’s see what happens.

    2. He’s now hitting .286

       With no power

       1. Update:

          .290

          With ever so slightly more power.

          Lux now has a higher BA and OBP than Mook.

20. Max and a .800 OPS = a lot of walks!!

    Lux might be hitting as ordered. Ball not traveling makes OBP that much more important.

    Can’t say I like Lux batting stance. Loan some of his bent knee to Bellinger.

21. Since you guys are talking a lot about the Dodgers position players, I thought I’d give my opinion.

    Besides Justin Turner and Max Muncy, 1 is old and the other is injured. The 2 worst starters to me who don’t have an excuse are Gavin Lux and Cody Bellinger. I’m not sure how long Lux should stay a starter without any power. But then who replaces him?

    As for the bench, I liked Edwin Rios but he is injured and I don’t know when he will be back. I never liked the 2 current bench players we have Hanser Alberto and Eddy Alvarez. Austin Barnes is fine as the back up catcher.

    1. In 2018, Will Smith hit .268 at AA Tulsa with 19 HR and a .368 OB% (.890 OPS).

       In 2019, Will Smith hit .268at AAA OKC with 20 HR and a .382 OB% (.984 OPS).

       Then he came to MLB – he was ready.

       Last year, Mike Busch hit .267 at AA Tulsa with 20 HR and a .386 OB% (.922 OPS)

       He recently moved to AAA and is struggling a little in a small sample size. He may be ready in a month or two.

       1. I’d love to see Mike Busch do well in AAA ball and come up and do well at the major league level. He is probably my favorite position player prospect.

22. Does anyone else notice that Tyler Anderson rubs his hat in a certain spot which looks kind of white a lot between pitches? I have noticed this in almost all his starts. I know they check the pitchers for sticky stuff but that was one example of how hiding sticky stuff was done in the past before they started to crack down on it. I am sure if it was something illegal he would have been nailed for it. Just an observation is all, not saying he is doing anything illegal.

    1. >>>>>>>Just an observation is all, not saying he is doing anything illegal.

       Really?

       1. Do you want me to drive to Chicago and confiscate his hat and send it to Manfred, geez?

          1. So you DO think something illicit is going on?

23. Players aren’t robots. But I think due to all the technology and analysis, there’s a movement to make them more robotic. Just like golf you have “feel” players and the “mechanical” players, always in search of the perfect method. Pitchers are very similar. While Walker Buehler is searching for his mechanics and that optimum delivery for his 4 seamer and velo, you have guys like Johnny Cueto who just pitch by feel. He changes many things pitch to pitch. He makes stuff up as he goes. Kind of an artist on the fly who seems more concerned with the outcome than the method. And I find that refreshing. And for the Walker Buehler’s that style just isn’t who they are. Their methods seem much more fragile but better when they are “on” their mechanics.
    Some golfers play better when they give up the quest for the perfect swing and decide to “play” golf instead or “work” golf. They become less robotic and analytical. I think that could help some pitchers but that certainly isn’t the trend today. I fear all the technology can lead to making more robots and players who are a lot less fun.

    1. 1. Blue guy seems to be struggling to find his release point.

24. I think Freeman is having a big influence on Lux’ approach to hitting.

25. Not sure why some here are down on Trea Turner all he does is put up a 300-ish average and an 800+ OPS.

    1. They aren’t watching all the games if they are down on Trea Turner.We must resign Trea.He is a great player.We need to get him signed during the season before anyone else can start talking to him.

       1. Agree

26. FIRE DOC ROBERTS!!!

    LETS HIRE TONY LARUSSA!!!!

27. Max and the Dodgers sure needed that.
    Hoping this will be the start of a turnaround.
    Remember Mookie looked lost in the beginning of the season, And then seemingly out of nowhere turned it around

28. Way to go Max, and against the left-hander

29. I REPEAT!!!

    FIRE DOC ROBERTS!!!

    HIRE TONY LARUSA!!!!

    1. But wait. Wasn’t that the correct move to face Muncy?

       1. With the count 1-2 on Trea Turner ???

30. Lets face it. We all said that we expected Max to start hitting again

    1. Best comment in recent memory for this place.

    2. 😉

31. Just wondering, and it is just one game. But they used to say that when you are struggling or injured, just try to go up the middle or with the pitch. I know that’s ‘old fashioned’ but wondering if Muncy is trying that.- a hit to center and left- I leave that analysis to those more knowledgeable than me

    1. Muncy just went with that pitch. He hit it the way it was pitched.

32. Everybody bitching about Muncy, Turner, Lux and Belli. In today’s game, Belli got the scoring started after being down 4-0. Muncy with a bomb a double and 5 RBI. Lux with 3 hits, on base 4 times a couple of runs scored and is all the sudden hitting 286.

    It’s nice to see Muncy finally show something. This is his turnaround game. Send him to the minors until he’s fixed is not heresy.

    Lux is going to wind up hitting 300 this year. If you have a 300 hitter, who gets on base over 360, can steal some bases and is fast as shit, it doesn’t matter if he’s not hitting bombs. That’s called a leadoff hitter. Hitting in front on Betts, that’s basically what he is / will be. He’s not far off from 300/360 right now.

    Belli is who he is. He’s at least a top 10 CF as is. You can do worse.

    JT looks like the hitting version of David Price.

    1. All valid points.

    2. Even before his 4 hit game today Lux was the least of the Dodgers problems.
       Other than the power he is doing just fine at the plate and in the field.

       Correction: Hudson coming in , Roberts wised up.

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

    3. A few days ago I posted that Lux should bat second. I like that more after today.

       RF Bett
       2B Lux
       SS Trea
       1B Freeman
       C Smith
       CF Bellinger
       3B Justin
       DH Muncy
       LF Taylor

       1. I love that lineup with all the rabbits up top for Freddie to drive in.

33. Awesome game. I like the way Hudson gutted that one out

34. That was a fun game to watch. Who woulda thought coming in that Muncy would have a 2B and HR and 5 RBI! Lux with 4 hits. Anderson scoreless streak broken and that he wouldn’t go past 3? Coming back from a 4-0 deficit?

    1. Some of that was a surprise but as was said earlier, everybody knew Muncy was going to have a good day.

35. Dodgers strike out too much. 15 SO in 39 ABs. Room for improvement.

36. I will ask your thoughts on something has been bothering me from some time.

    I think the troubles DHudson had today was triggered by the use of shift in the 9th, which it is widespread throughout MLB. It was a 4 run advantage and there were 2 cheap hits back to back, hit against the shift. I understand all the Saber Munbo Jumbo but I don’t like para nada my closer gifting onbase runners. If you are going to make a rally, just hit.

    1. The shift drives me crazy. I can’t stand it. I’m sure Muncy and Belli can’t stand it either.

    2. Great ESPN article. It’s $$$$, but it looks like you won’t have to worry about it for much longer

       1. Is there a link?

          1. There is.

             Here it is:
             https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34048068/damn-a-hit-mlb-players-sound-infield-shift-disappear-forever

             1. Thanks

37. Well, hopefully Max has taken a step back to his former self. Good day today.

    Cody should be better. At times he looks good, other times he swings through balls.

    Curious how ending the shift will effect him next year.

    I’m fine with Gavin Lux. His hustle helped them win today. Four hits.

    I’m not sure the Dodgers need to trade for a bat. They really hit Justin, Cody, Will to pick it up. The top three are about as good as it gets.

    They need to keep Trea. No way to replace him.

38. Well Mark, they’re gonna have to score more than 11 runs a game to reach your OPS projections! Ha ha!

    1. Nah, it’s a step at a time.

39. Daniel Hudson needs a few days rest.

40. My timing was impeccable.

41. Will Kimbrel be back Friday?

    1. Yep – joining the team in SF.

       Great game to watch.

       Just let Lux play – he’s marinating nicely.

       Where’s Patch? Is he en route to watch his two favourite teams do battle?

42. Something I don’t understand….
    Graterol, Ferguson and Phillips didn’t throw many pitches. Each were effective–but each only threw a single inning. Why not leave them in for another inning? They can’t be tired and other RPs might need the rest.
    If it ain’t broke…
    Maybe Vesia and especially Hudson needed rest.

    1. Agree.
       I asked myself the same question and not for the first time.
       Even one more out from those three guys respectively could have saved Hudson.
       I understand giving a pitcher a clean inning to come in but when your pen is taxed that extra out or two goes a long way in keeping others fresh.

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

43. Heaney with a fine outing at OKC. 4.1 scoreless innings.
    Pepiot followed that with 4.2 one run innings, striking out 6 and no BBs.
    kid is looking better and better, finding his command. At the least he is excellent value in a possible trade come the deadline.

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

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