No more… no less! I will check in occasionally and post sometimes, but I have a lot going on, and it’s all good. Book writing, vacations, cruises, Disneyland, Doctor Appointments, Construction at our house, looking for a warehouse/office in Phoenix, training my 140-pound puppy, and playing with the grandkids. I’ve just got too many things happening. I have to step back for a while. I’ll be here, but don’t expect a blog every day.
Just carry on and keep talking about everything Dodgers. I’ll be around!
I bet you could kick Al Yellon’s ass, you beautiful man.
At 72, I can’t do that shit anymore, which is why I always have an equalizer with me.
Like this:
Before I fall for the Okey doke
I let the pistol smoke
I have a 12-gauge Mossburg. I also have a 9mm carbine rifle. And for good measure, a Henry 22 lever action model. Then my three handguns, a Western Heritage 22 that also has a 22-mag cylinder, a Smith and Wesson 9mm. And a 45 Acp.
Good for you!!!
Appreciate everything you have done!
This is not goodbye, but more like slow down!
Know the feeling. Jeff and I have been alternating, but even at that, we do not post a new one every day. Just too much time spent with doctors and soon I will have rehab appointments for my ankle. Every now and then a poster will give me an idea for a post.
Dodgers travel roster to Tokyo 31 players
Catchers (3): Will Smith, Austin Barnes, Hunter Feduccia
Designated hitter (1): Shohei Ohtani
Infielders (4): Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas
Outfielders (4): Teoscar Hernández, Michael Conforto, Andy Pages, James Outman
Infielder/outfielders (3): Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández, Chris Taylor
Starting pitchers (4): Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell
Right-handed relievers (7): Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, Ben Casparius, Landon Knack, Matt Sauer, Luis García, Nick Frasso
Left-handed relievers (5): Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, Justin Wrobleski
The Dodgers will need to whittle their roster down to 26 active players for the games against the Cubs, and they can reset their roster ahead of their domestic opener against the Tigers on March 27.
Fifteen position players…so that will have to be trimmed to 13.
Assuming no injuries, Feduccia would be one.
Then it will probably comes down to Pages or Outman.
Both Imanaga and Steele are lefties.
Advantage Pages.
IMO Feduccia,Outman,Frasso, Sauer and Wroblleski will NOT make the 26 mam roster for the game on Tuesday March 18 against the Cubs on Opening Day of the Official Season.
Duke vs UNC
Clemson Vs Louisville
Should be electric in Charlotte tonight.
I little appetizer for me for Tokyo next week.
Clemson Alum here, Go Tigers!! And Dodgers.
We dont need a post every day Mark, few times a week will be just fine…
Devers now says he will do whatever the Sox ask him to do. Already set my alarm to wake me up to see the game tomorrow even though it means nothing.
What game are you referring to?
Devers is a clown….
Dodger exhibition in Tokyo is on at 4 in the morning my time.
Matt, I had no idea there existed in our universe another dodger and Clemson tiger fan. Glad to know I am not alone. I did not go to clemson but my wife and three of my four kids went there as did way too much of our family GDP. I own and operate an event center in Clemson and live nearby. Go tigers! Mark, thanks so much for all you do. As much as I will miss the daily posts, I love your priorities and am glad you are putting first that which should be first in life!
Hey John,
Yeah you dont find a combo of Clemson and Dodgers (and Rams!) fans pretty much anywhere.
Me and the wife both went there.
Thats awesome, love Clemson, and may retire there some day. Have many, many, many wonderful memories there and get down there (from NC) every chance I get.
Hoping to see some history the next few days.
Now lets get back to this one….
I have been to Clemson once, but I do love a town close to there as well – Greenville!
It is a small world indeed Mark. My office is in downtown Greenville. Great city! Tommy Lasorda’s lovely wife was from Greenville and he used to visit regularly such that I was able to hear him speak several times. Shoeless Joe was also from Greenville and returned home to live a very humble life after the “unpleasantness”. He is still well loved in Greenville and we all believe he gave it everything he had in that fateful series.
Shoeless Joe should be in the Hall. Especially if they finally put Rose in. I have a good friend who lives in Aiken. She and I went to high school together.
Big difference between Jackson and Rose is that Jackson was on the HOF ballot twice. He was not prohibited from entering the HOF, like Rose. Jackson simply didn’t get voted in. He received only 2 votes in both years he was eligible. He had his shot.
Then the new ERA committee should vote him in. .356 career BA. He was illiterate and went along with the gang. He sure did not play like he was trying to throw the series. He hit .375 with a homer and six RBIs. Landis was still alive when the first vote with his name on it was taken in 1936, no doubt he still had influence over the writers. The second time he was on the ballot was 10 years later in 1946. By then, only a couple of those writers had seen him play. By all accounts, Joe was a much nicer person that Rose was. Rose lied through his teeth about gambling.
Here are Joe Jackson’s stats:
13 Years
1772 Hits
54 HR
.356 BA
.940 OPS
62.2 WAR
There are many players in the Baseball Hall of Fame with a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) below 63, particularly due to factors like historical context, positional adjustments, or contributions beyond statistics (e.g., leadership, defense, or postseason success).
To get an exact count, let’s break it down:
Total Hall of Famers: As of recent years, the Hall of Fame has over 270 players enshrined.
WAR Distribution:
High-WAR players: The elite Hall of Famers (e.g., Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Walter Johnson) typically have 90+ WAR.
Above-average Hall of Famers: Many have WAR in the 65-90 range.
Below 63 WAR: This includes:
Many relief pitchers (e.g., Bruce Sutter – 24.1 WAR).
Defensive specialists (e.g., Ozzie Smith – 76.9 WAR but known for defense).
Veterans Committee selections (e.g., Harold Baines – 38.7 WAR).
Pre-WAR era players (e.g., High Pockets Kelly – 25.9 WAR).
Let’s Find the Exact Number
I’ll pull up a dataset and count how many Hall of Fame players have less than 63 WAR.
As of 2025, there are 270 players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Analyzing their Wins Above Replacement (WAR) statistics reveals that approximately 150 of these players have career WAR totals below 63. This indicates that over half of the Hall of Fame inductees fall into this category.
This distribution underscores that while WAR is a valuable metric for assessing a player’s overall contribution, Hall of Fame selections also consider factors beyond this statistic. Elements such as leadership qualities, defensive prowess, postseason performances, and the era in which a player competed play significant roles in the evaluation process.
For instance, players like Ozzie Smith, renowned for his defensive excellence, have a WAR of 76.9, highlighting that defensive contributions can significantly impact WAR. Conversely, some players with lower WAR totals have been inducted due to their exceptional impact in specific areas or eras.
Therefore, while WAR provides a standardized measure of player performance, the Hall of Fame selection process encompasses a broader perspective, acknowledging various contributions that may not be fully captured by this metric alone.
John Ferguson,
About 9 years ago, a company headquartered in Greenville tried to buy us. At first, I refused, but after their 4th LOI, my wife begged me to take a few million and run. Back then, we were about a $10 Million Dollar Company. They had paid us several hundred thousand dollars upfront to convince us of their good faith, but at the 11th hour, I found an obscure clause in the contract where they could have stiffed us for over half of the money. I walked away from closing and told them to go F_____ themselves. They stole a lot of our intellectual property, but I kept the money and told them to sue me, and I would countersue them for fraud, which is treble damages. They didn’t, and now we are 5X the size we were then. The best move I ever made was the one I didn’t!
6AM ET Exhibition Game
OhtaniDH L – – – – –
Edman2B S – – – – –
Freeman, F1B L – – – – –
Hernández, TRF R – – – – –
Muncy3B L – – – – –
Smith, W.D.C R – – – – –
ConfortoLF L – – – – –
Rojas, MSS R – – – – –
Pages, ACF R – – – – –
Lineups subject to change
NO Mookie
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
Mookie Betts isn’t in #Dodgers lineup today vs Yomiuri Giants, but has arrived at Tokyo Dome. Dave Roberts said Betts has been sick since the day before leaving for Japan. #TokyoSeries
You can hear a pin drop when a pitch is being thrown. Japanese are very respectful.
Shohei got a great ovation – and a walk in his first AB
Dodgers win 5-1 in the exhibition game in the Tokyo Dome today with homeruns from Conforto,Ohtoni and Teo.Excellent ptched bullpen game. Later today Snell and Glasnow will pitch in the last exhibition game in Japan before the regular season starts on Tuesday March 18th agasinst the Cubs.
I was wondering if my optimism about rushing was skewed by past Dodger prospect success. Looking up the top Dodger prospect for each year since 1983 there have been 34 players labeled the “top prospect “ prior to rushing. By my subjective judgment, 16 had “significant”professional success. Almost 50%. Is that better or worse than average? My guess is far better.
Well, the boys took up where they left off last year. Yawn!
So complete.
Upgrading Brasier with Yates mightve been unnecessary but we are ready roll.
Throw Pages in CF and let ‘er rip.
He has 30 HR potential
One more HOF note.
If the greatest players of each era get in, but they snub the greatest players of the steroid era. What does that tell you?It tells you that the writers are total hypocrites. A couple of them got caught cheating. Big deal. How about Gaylord Perry or Beltran. Both got caught cheating. Until they come up with a hard set of guidelines, it’s just a popularity contest and frankly a joke.
That’s my take boys.
Book em
Kirsten Watson
@kirsten_watson
#Dodgers Dave Roberts said Mookie Betts will not be in either exhibition game as he still is recovering from being under the weather. He will go through a workout today, and they will reevaluate him on the off day to see if he will be available for Opening Day in Tokyo vs. Cubs
Is there a lineup for tonight?
11PM ET EXHIBITION GAME
OhtaniDH L 1 2 0 .500 2.667
Edman2B S 0 0 0 .333 .666
Freeman, F1B L 0 0 0 .000 .000
Hernández, TRF R 1 1 0 .333 1.666
Muncy3B L 0 0 0 .000 .000
Smith, W.D.C R 0 0 0 .000 .000
ConfortoLF L 1 1 0 .250 1.250
Rojas, MSS R 0 0 0 .500 1.667
Pages, ACF R 0 1 0 .333 1.000
Snell SP
Lineups subject to change
Cheers
Dodgers lose 3-0 with just 3 hits and 12 strikeouts against them. Day off and on to the season opener on Tuesday the 18th against the Cubs on SNLA and FOX 1 at 6AM ET.
Evidently, the Dodgers forgot to show up. No other explanation!
Hopefully we get Mookie back soon for the start of the season.
Manager Dave Roberts said that Betts “showed some fatigue” during pre-game workouts for Sunday’s exhibition against the Hanshin Tigers and later added, “We’re really trying to mindful not just of Opening Day but not putting him in harm’s way…not putting him in a position where he potentially could get hurt,” Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Betts is scheduled to work out again Monday and be re-evaluated, and he may not be available for Tuesday’s season opener against the Cubs in Tokyo unless he shows a significant improvement during that session. The 32-year-old has been battling an illness over the past week and lost some weight, so it could days a few days for him to regain the strength necessary to be cleared for game action”.
The Cubs were shut out as well. Give credit where credit is due.
I watched the game, the Tigers starter, Saiki, had some nasty stuff. He kept his fastball out of the kill zone and got weak contact with his splitter. His bullpen mates, including former MLB player, Javy Guerra, pitched just as well. They made guys like Freddie, Ohtani and Hernandez look very silly with their swings. Ohtani got only two at bats. He struck out and hit a weak grounder. Snell matched them until the fourth inning. Glasnow on the other hand, looked very good in his three innings. He gave up one hit, a walk, and struck out six. Most embarrassing moment, Freddie fouled a ball into C Sakamoto’s family jewels. Dude was bent over from that one.
IMO Feduccia,Outman,Frasso, Sauer and Wroblleski will NOT make the 26 mam roster for the game on Tuesday March 18 against the Cubs on Opening Day of the Official Season.
LA has one black player, yet he is not “Home Grown “.
Why is that, for a MLB club that takes pride in Jackie Robinson ?
It’s 2025, for gosh sakes.
Talent and performance dictates a major league roster,not race or color. Heyward was on last year’s roster, but his stats were poor and had to be cut.
They have several players of color in the minors who are home grown.
Hey Robert, I agree with you on the premise that the sport needs to do a better job at attracting not only African American players but minority players in general.
The cost of playing the sport, in particular travel (club), and the general lack of access to baseball programs are two of the biggest challenges that families of young athletes face. However, the biggest factor in my opinion is the limited amount of scholarship opportunities within college baseball programs. As popular as baseball has become, college baseball programs cannot compete against sports like basketball and football, among others, who have the ability to offer full scholarships to a larger pool of players in comparison to baseball. This is one of the biggest culprits why athletes gravitate away from the sport at a young age. The pursuit of scholarship money; the NCAA needs to get a handle on this, because baseball is losing out to other sports.
Then there is the fact that travel/club ball is expensive. The gear is expensive. As talented as a player may be, baseball typically requires personal training, which can be out of reach for most low income families.
Baseball has evolved into somewhat of a privileged sport. Not necessarily due to racism, rather, because the sport has become too expensive for a lot of gifted athletes from low income families. Especially, when options like football, basketball, etc. offer more lucrative options.
Give me the best players with the best character. I don’t care if they are all black or all white or all Japanese. It is 2025, and we are past judging on color. To say we have to have a specific number of players of a specific race and should choose based on race is in itself racist. Enough already.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees are dealing with another potential injury concern in their starting rotation, as right-hander Clarke Schmidt was scratched from a scheduled Grapefruit League start against the Blue Jays on Monday due to soreness in his pitching shoulder.
That makes three pitching starters with injuries, Cole,Gil and now Schmidt.