May 1, 2020

Posted By on April 16, 2020

I am very happy to announce that LAdodgerTalk will be back May 1, 2020 and that Mr. Jeff Dominique (formerly known as Always Compete, or “AC”) will be the man in charge. My only involvement will be as a consultant. I may write a column or comment occasionally.

Jeff wants to do this and I believe he will do a great job. Some of the other writers may join him. This is a site that many go to every morning and I have gotten hundreds of e-mails asking me to keep it open. I will!

These are strange times and I have been doing this for 20 years. I just need to step away. I will always love the Dodgers and this site. I just have other things I have to do right about now.

Thank you all for the e-mails with the kind words. You have a special place in my heart. Be safe my friends!

Here’s what I have been up to:

This article has 31 Comments

  1. Happy to hear that. This site was always my favorite for Dodger news although I would admit that my interest has waned since the season was suspended.

  2. Great news to wake up to.

    Thanks for everything Mark. You know how to find me if you are ever heading over to the Uk. Dodgers could well get to play here in London before long, considering Yanks v RedSox last year, and Cubs v Cards (now cancelled) was due this year.

    AC – looking forward to a new beginning and I sincerely hope the other boys will join you.

    Hope everyone is well and keeping strong.

  4. I am really glad this will continue. I started looking around for a replacement and realized that I would miss this site. I have always especially liked AC’s comments and analysis. Thank you for keeping this going.

  5. Looking forward to the site opening again I know AC will get great support from the other knowledgeable writers and commenters. Thank Mark for keeping LAdodgerTalk open.

  7. This is great news. I really missed this site. Just an article on Dodgers baseball and a chance to post if so desired. No need to navigate through anything else and I like the fact that you don’t have to be on Facebook or Twitter to comment. Simple!

    Thank you AC for taking this challenge on. Hopefully you will get the other writers back, but even if you can’t Post a new article every day it will still be good to have the site back.

    Thank you Mark For all that you’ve put into this site and for the help you’ll be giving AC.

    God bless you all.

  8. Awesome…. wonderful community here…. Thank You Mark for what u have carried for so long… Thank You AC for stepping up and continuing Mark’s vision to give us a place to come to enjoy our Dodgers together. Stay Safe

  9. Thanks Mark and thanks AC. I look forward to more informed Dodger Talk (and discussion and argument and rejoinder).

    I look forward to the 5/1 restart, but REALLY need some baseball.

    1. It is a knockoff and I disputed and won my American Express charge. I kept them because they won’t take them back.

  11. Anytime one tries to take over something as iconic as LADT, it seems to be a very crazy and scary endeavor. I have my eyes WIDE open and am obviously apprehensive. But with all of your help, we can continue what Mark has built. I have commitments from a couple of our previous contributors to continue with what they have publishing. With the three of us, I hope we can continue to produce a top quality LAD blog. A couple of others have volunteered to periodically send something to us. I also hope to convince a couple others to volunteer on occasion to write something. Mark may have been the architect and patriarch of this great site, but without his readers and their passion and zeal, it would not nearly be as good as it is.

    There is no baseball going on anywhere right now, so a May 1 re-start date is a bit aggressive, but we will see if we can pull it off.

    If anyone has any ideas of articles they would like to see written, please let me know. Or if anyone wants to periodically (or routinely) write a column, also let me know.

    I am still planning my retirement date of June 26, but am working very hard right now so that I can give some more time to this site come May 1. Having no baseball is unconscionable, but it may also be a blessing for me right now.

    I will be publishing as Jeff Dominique, but will proudly still respond to AC. I can be reached at jeffdominique@hotmail.com.

  12. I haven’t been posting for quite a while, and in fact, I haven’t been reading much either. Lots of other things going on (nothing bad) to grab my attention.

    First off, I want to apologize for not posting right after Mark let me know that some people had expressed concern over my absence from this site. It’s gratifying, even humbling, to know that people really care.

    Secondly, I was just as moved that Mark took the time and effort to send me an email regarding those concerns. Under his tough exterior beats a heart that is both mush and gold.

    Seems to me that with thoughts of a foundation, and everything else Mark mentioned in his update of his announcement, he has a lot more important and gratifying things to do than run a Dodger blog. The blog I am sure is a labor of love, but all the other stuff is real life. And yet I was not surprised to hear today, that he has found a way to keep this blog afloat. And it will certainly be just fine in the capable hands of AC, DC, et al. And whenever you find the time Mark, I will look forward to reading your two cents.

    Best of luck Mark in all that you do. And all my best to your family.

  16. I haven’t commented in a while but I still check this website everyday. Thank you Mark for your past service and willingness to let AC take over. I think he will do a great job and continue the tradition you established. I read several sports blogs but this one is by far the best. Looking forward to some baseball…..

  18. Great news AC and Mark! Let’s hope we get some baseball to comment about as well. Thx again Mark for all your dedicated work in keeping LA Dodgertalk alive and well for all these years. I sure hope that you retain the right to ban people. That’s always fun!

  19. I feel so much better today after reading that this site will stay open and AC at the helm. Thank you Mark for everything you have done to make this so enjoyable and a part of my every day routine. AC, you could not ask for a better mentor of a blog manager than Mark, thank you for doing this. ps. I may have missed this in the past, but wondered the story behind your ID…Always Complete.

    1. I taught my boys that you cannot dictate what the result is on the field, but you can always compete to the best of your ability. They had control over their effort. I preached Always Compete Equals Success. My boys put ACES on the lids of their caps, and when things were not going as planned they would take the hat off and read ACES. Always Compete became even more pronounced for me after Pete Carroll became coach for the USC football team and preached competition. The hardest hitting day of the college football week is Tuesday. At USC under Pete Carroll, Tuesdays became known as Competition Tuesday, as he preached the best rises to the top when they Always Compete.

      I am no different than thousands of parents who gave the same advice to their kids. The moniker just stuck with me, and it was an easy blog name for me to use.

      1. Thank you AC for the explanation of which I 100% agree with. It is a good motto and one to live by in life. I loved the story of your boys putting ACES on their caps. Sorry I mispelled your ID. Looking forward to your writing and observations.

  20. Jeff Dominique (AC) will have the final say on banning anyone. I trust his judgment.

    Someone tried to hack the site, so we have some links to fix and I am going to add a few others:

    thinkbluepc.com
    dodgerthoughts.com
    theathletic.com

    I will have one of my web developers fix it all before May 1.

    In the meantime, there’s nothing to prevent everyone from commenting here.

    Keep the community intact!

  21. I’m thrilled that Jeff is going to take on the burden of keeping this blog alive!! I’m going to support him in that endeavor in what ever way I can. It’s bad enough that there is no Dodger, Minor League, college, H.S. or youth baseball being played, but I have missed interacting with this community on a regular basis. I hope you are all well and I look forward to reconnecting with you very soon.

  23. I am not one who sent Mark an e mail, but I sure did think about it. This news makes my day! I have really been lost without LADT. Thank you both so much for keeping this wonderful place up and running. Be safe everyone and pray we get some Dodger Baseball soon.

  25. AC,
    Boy am I glad that LADT will be returning on May 1. Have to admit that I have missed the interactions of true Dodger enthusiasts and hope that I can contribute something of value and interest.

    Mark,
    Congrats for making a great choice on a site leader. I would hope that your attitudes are ingrained deep in this site and always remain the silent direction for LADT in the future. I think AC will do a tremendous job and I look forward to the viewpoints and Dodger Love that is shared on this site.

    Would really love to see more about the early days of the Dodgers in LA. and would be glad to contribute.

  27. Thought everyone would enjoy these links to videos featuring NRI prospects. Makes you hope, really hope, they will have an opportunity to shine again this season (or next). These were the only ones I found so far. They look like they were internally produced so hopefully there will be more to come soon.

    Josiah “Jo Jo” Gray – https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_A_2njDEqc/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

    Omar Estevez – https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-vd4YFBHNG/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

    Brett de Geus – https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_N4oDUDVnP/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

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