I am about to throw a curve today. That is not quite accurate as I most likely cannot throw a curve anymore. I can still throw overhand so perhaps could beat Dr. Fauci’s opening day pitch in Washington. There is a buzz in our Dodger world now after two expected type games. For me it is business as usual checking the game when I get up in the morning. All west coast games are four hours away from my Atlantic Time Zone. So here’s the curve. This is mostly not Dodger related, but is a nice story of following a dream. It is mostly from an article I wrote back in 2014 with some updates.
I must admit that I had never heard of Paul Swaney until I came across his name and his dream while doing a bit of research for a year-end review of the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers Class A affiliate in the Midwest League. All aspiring athletes have dreams which they pursue with all their energy for as long as they possibly can. However, Swaney’s dream is not being played out only between the lines, on the field, on the ice or on the court. It includes those playing surfaces but also all of the structures that surround them – architectural and human resources.
Simply put, his dream is to visit and breathe in the experience of as many stadiums of all sports as he possibly can. The ultimate goal would most likely be to visit every sport venue in the United States. That may well be an aspiring goal which is too daunting for even him to accomplish alone. Paul Swaney’s dream has gone further than just visiting stadiums. It is now, and has been for at ten years, a plan to publish reviews of the various sport venues that he visits. In November 2011 that dream was realized with the publication of Stadium Journey magazine which by 2014 had reviewed over 1500 stadiums. The reviews of the stadiums provide intimate details all the way from structural designs, to washroom cleanliness, to where to park, to what to eat and how much it will cost. Stadium atmosphere is obviously one his main criteria in a stadium review.
Besides following a dream, Paul Swaney feels he can provide a useful service to sport enthusiasts: “Our reviews and ratings are essentially a tool for providing useful information to sports fans who love to travel. We want to help fans make the very most out of their sports dollar, and also provide a forum where they can share their experiences and knowledge.”
Swaney lives in Ann Arbor Michigan with his wife Jennifer and his young son Owen whom he often takes on his stadium excursions. Most of his work centers on the Midwest although he visits other locations further from home putting about 30,000 miles a year on his car while making about 50 stadium visits. His stadium chasing and magazine are his full time job. In four years he has built a team of more than 100 contributors based in 15 countries on every continent, except Antarctica, which means even soccer stadiums get reviews.
As with any new business, and this one is definitely unique, the challenges are great financially. Paul Swaney indicated, back in 2014, that his monthly magazine has about 300 subscribers who pay $20 annually. He does have a website – stadiumjourney.com – and said the website had about 200,000 page views last April (2014) . He also noted that his company at time was, “profitable, but just barely,” however, he has plans to continue to follow his dream and make it his life’s work. Among his ideas to grow his company are cookbooks and travel guides for each of the major cities. His first cookbook – Stadium Journey Pro Football Inspired Cookbook: Recipes for Home or the Tailgate – debuted in 2013. In the future Swaney intends to develop travel guides for both major and minor league baseball stadiums.
Swaney continues to follow his dream. He said at that time,
“I hope to do this the rest of my life,” Swaney said. “That was the goal, to create a profession moving forward. There will be plenty of more baseball pieces in the future, and you can expect to see travel guides of both major and minor league stadiums as we continue to grow.”
Since his work has expanded, I expect he is now on a more secure financial footing.
Besides throwing a curveless curve, this might border on blasphemy. That is, to highlight a non-Dodger affiliate stadium. However, this one is familiar to MT as it is to Zach McKinstry who grew up in Fort Wayne.
Last October Stadium Journey once again ranked Parkview Field as the No. 1 Class A ballpark in Minor League Baseball. The home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps has topped the publication’s list of Class A venues for 10 consecutive years since their rankings began.
“The experience at Parkview Field is what all minor league baseball teams should strive for,” according to Stadium Journey. “Great food, great seating options, a great neighborhood, great entertainment, and great customer service are all present here on a nightly basis. The neighborhood around the ballpark is also vastly improving, making it hip again to hang out in Downtown Fort Wayne.”
“Parkview Field, which opened in 2009 and has been in use for 11 seasons, has achieved the No. 1 ranking out of all 160 Minor League Baseball homes (from Triple-A down to Rookie) seven times in the last nine years. (For 2019, Stadium Journey has only ranked ballparks by classification and not overall.) Class A in Minor League Baseball consists of 30 teams, with 16 in the Midwest League, including the TinCaps, and 14 in the South Atlantic League.”
In the 2019 rankings at the High-A level, the Quakes LoanMart Field ranked second only to the home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Carolina League. I always felt the Epicenter was a perfect name for the stadium, but sponsorship works.
“The Quakes continue to be among the leaders in the California League circuit in terms of attendance. Being located an hour from downtown Los Angeles and its affiliation with the Dodgers benefits the Quakes greatly as evidenced by all the blue and white in the stands. It has a truly beautiful venue, where the sun is likely always shining, and the tree-lined outfield fence is only overshadowed by the towering San Gabriel Mountains in the distance. One thing you will see a lot in the stands are blue clad fans. Since joining the Dodgers farm system in 2011, the Quakes have added Dodger Blue to their color scheme and it shows in the stands as fans are dressed in both Quakes and Dodgers attire.”
So now for something to chew on based on your own personal experiences. This is from Stadium Journey.
“Stadium Journey is proud to present our Major League Ballpark Rankings for 2019. Mirroring the action around the big leagues this season, there are surprises aplenty on this list. The competition for the top spots was fierce, as 26 of the 30 ballparks were separated by less than a point. As a testament to how closely packed these rankings were, a former number one-ranked ballpark fell entirely out of the top ten.
Our rankings are compiled based on our exclusive FANFARE rating scale, which considers a facility’s food and beverage, game day atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, access, return on investment and other factors. When two ballparks received an identical score, reader reviews were used as a tiebreaker.
We expect that many of our readers will disagree with some part of this ranking list. Debate over our favorite ballparks is why we publish lists like this. We encourage our readers to submit their own reviews on our website, or give us your opinions on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. Thank you for reading, and without further ado, here is our 2019 Major League Ballpark Rankings:”
- 1. Progressive Field Indians
- 2. Oracle Park Giants
- 3. Busch Stadium Cardinals
- 4. PNC Park Pirates
- 5. Fenway park Red Sox
- 6. Wrigley Field Cubs
- 7. Coors Field – Rockies
- 8. Kaufmann Field Royals
- 9. Target Field Twins
- 10. Citizen Park Phillies
- 11. Globe Life Park Rangers
- 12. Camden Yards Orioles
- 13. Petco Park Padres
- 14. Dodger Stadium Dodgers
“When entering the hallowed grounds of Chavez Ravine, fans are entering the third oldest stadium in the majors. Now in its 58th season, with its 1960s style colored seating pallet, it is hardly ever referred to as a classic ballpark nor does it pretend to be. When not fully paying attention to the action on the field, some of the best views of the city, be it the San Gabriel Mountains beyond the outfield or the downtown skyline can be seen from the top deck and reserved levels.”
Great article Harold. I have been to Petco, Dodger Stadium, Coors, and LoanMart Field. I can say this, there is no way I put Coors ahead of Dodger Stadium anytime. Coors is a great place to watch a game, but parking in downtown Denver is a problem and pretty expensive. I do not think their ball park food comes anywhere close to what they serve in LA> I love the Quakes park for a lot of reasons, one of which is great parking, close to the stadium. It is very affordable, you can get box seats for 13 bucks, their garlic fries are as good as the ones at Dodger Stadium, and the entertainment for the kids is great. Petco is a really nice venue. Near the water, so the setting is great. Food is pretty good. I went to Qualcom when the Padres played there. It was a cavernous empty bowl, and not much fun to go to.
Here is my rating for the stadiums I have been to.
1-PNC Park- Pirates
2-Progressive Field- Indians
3-Camden Yards- Orioles
4-Fenway- Red Sox
5-Yankee Stadium Yankees
6 Target Field- Twins
7- Kaufmann Field- Royals
8-Wrigley Field- Cubs
9-Citizen Park- Phillies
10-Bush Stadium- Cardinals
11-Citi Field- Mets
12-Miller Park- Brewers
Great read, Harold.
Here are my Rankings:
1. Dodger Stadium
2. Loan Mart Field
3. Parkview Field
4. Victory Field
5. Great American Ballpark
6. Camden Yards
7. Miller Park
8. PNC Park
9. Oracle Park (I threw up in my mouth a little)
10. ONEOK Field & Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark – I have never been to either one, but it’s here for obvious reasons. Hopefully next year.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Yankee Stadium
Memorial Stadium Baltimore (Games 1&2 1983 World Series)
Midway Stadium St Paul (home of the St Paul Saints). Had an absolute ball there. Trains in left field, silly games and giveaways between innings, umpire dressed as a judge, mascots messing with everyone, all of them funny, balls delivered to ump by a pig. Great place to take the family.
When I was in the army, I used to go see the El Paso Diablos play. They played in a old stadium called Washington Park. It was not a very cozy place for a game. But they had 10 beer nights, and sometimes there would be some form of entertainment. I saw Max Patkin there. The same baseball clown that was in Bull Durham. The other minor league park I went to was in Maryland. Fredericksburg. It was home to the Orioles high A farm team. I had to layover there on a weekend. Went to a game, and it was a nice little park. Probably held 7000. O’s played the Pirates that day. It was a nice ball park. Lots of trees and a great setting for a game. At the Quakes park they have 2 mascots, Tremor and Aftershock. They really interact with the kids.
What I really like about Dodger Stadium is the name. It’s doesn’t change every few years based on a corporate sponsorship. That seems special these days.
Not only is the view spectacular, there is a lot of history and baseball is about history. Looking forward to the day when fans can return to the stadium and I get to explore all the changes, including the new main entry. I particularly like the fact that the Dodger ownership group has been able to upgrade the stadium without losing the character and ambiance.
Good column today.
The one thing I hope they add in the near future is an actual museum. That would be a great addition.
Stripling to the bullpen. Gonsolin should be the 5th starter. His stuff does not play as a starter. Did anyone notice how Bellinger wraps the bat around his head and is late on center cut fastballs? Maybe the placement on his bat before the pitch comes will improve his batting average. Pederson is lost and should traded. If the pitch isn’t a fastball, it’s usually a swing and miss.
Pederson got a hit on a changeup last night, and the last homer he hit was on a changeup. He is struggling a lot that is for sure, and he will be sitting tonight. They are one position player down, so I expect Kolarek to go back and probably McKinstry to come up. Belli has held his bat like that since last year. He did it the same way when he was so hot at the beginning of last year. Personally I think part of his problem is a long swing, but I also think he is standing too straight up He should bend his knees a little Barnes said that Mookie has helped him a lot. It sure looks like he is taking hitting lessons. He is a different player the last week or so. Pederson’s value in trade is probably at an all time low. One thing I believe this team really needs is another starter. And I mean someone who has some serious big league chops. Stripling has done everything this team has asked him to do, including putting the fact they had him traded last winter to the Angels until Moreno backed out. He had an awful game, and I am pretty sure they will break down his performance and try to fix whatever went down. Gonsolin is part of the future and will be in the rotation for a couple of more starts. But they are not going to just put him in there with Wood supposedly getting closer to being activated. A lot of what happens is resting on how quickly Walker Buehler can get his act in gear. Without Buehler, the rotation is seriously flawed.
I don’t think Chicken Strip goes to the pen… YET!
By all accounts, his Fastball Velocity is up and he has a great change-up. His curve is very good, so I don’t really understand the problem. Maybe it’s knowing how and when to use each pitch.
Trevor Bauer will likely be available as mentioned yesterday. The Reds may ask for Mitch White and something else…
His problem is he’s easy to hit. He’s a 5 inning pitcher with an ERA of 5.6 and an FIP over 6. Obviously he’s never been this bad before, so, maybe it’s fixable. Considering our starters I guess we keep throwing him out there and hope he quits throwing it over the middle of the plate.
Good article, DC. I have only been to a few parks in my lifetime, but my favorite one is Dodger Stadium. I was surprised it was so low on the list. There was a feeling of history when I stood in the stands and gazed out over the ball field and the mountains beyond.
Another park, although a minor league park, that had the beauty and cleanliness was the park in Salt Lake City with the view of the majestic Wasatch Mountains. But it was some time ago and do not know how it is now. The only other minor league park I have been to is Raley’s Field in Sacramento, a very nice park. Giant’s stadium other than the ocean view never impressed me.
DBMom, Smith’s Ballpark is still in Salt Lake and better than ever. It’s named after a grocery store chain like Raley’s. The view of The Wasatch Range over center is spectacular, as you described. A ballpark has been in that sight since 1915. Smith’s Ballpark opened 26 years ago in 1994 with a seating capacity of 15,400, the largest in the PCL. It’s the home of the Salt Lake City Bees and the University of Utah Utes. It is located on the site of its predecessor, Derks Field, where I watched many games. The ballpark faces southeast instead of the usual NE, giving that great view of the Wasatch Range. The elevation is 4,230 feet so the ball flies there. It’s a great family ballpark.
Nice to know philjones. Thank you for the update. I always felt it was a great family park, easy to get to and a beautiful setting.
I forgot about my visits to Angel Stadium and the old Padre’s park which I enjoyed when Ilived in SoCal for many years.
The Mariner’s T-Mobile Park is in my top 10. Nice ballpark, great food, great expensive beer, brutal parking. Too bad Dodger fans have probably never been there and won’t again this year either.
Some Thoughts on last night:
* Sometimes you just have to win ugly.
* Stripling obviously looked awful. He was BP. 91 – 92 belt high, middle-away all night. It was on a tee. Honest, any decent college team can feast on 91, center cut with little movement.
* Doc seemed determined to get him through 3 innings or 10 runs, whatever came first.
* I hope Gonsolin is better tonight and I expect he will. Right now the rotation has to be CK, Buehler, Urias, May and Gonsolin. If Gonsolin struggles, we’re about one pitcher shy of a rotation.
* Geez, the Mariners scored 8 runs on 11 hits in the first 4 innings.
*The Mariners today start Marcos Gonzales a lefty, who’s supposed to be their ace. We seem to struggle some against lefties.
* I’d like to CT3 in the lineup against his old team but he has big time reverse splits.
* Not to pile on Joc but he had an at bat last night where he got the benefit of some marginal strike calls. He had about 6 strikes to hit in the bottom of the 7th and still found a way to hit into a double play. I have to just ignore him for awhile. He’s making me crazy.
* It’s really neat to see the Seager Brothers finally face off and both having great games.
* Since I’m in Washington now, the Dodger’s broadcast is blackout on my Directv. So I listened to Mike Blowers and Aaron Goldsmith last night and they were pretty informative. One tidbit was they said Scott Servais, the M’s skipper, said the the Dodgers are the organization the Mariners want to become. Goldsmith also told a story about Dino Ebel. Goldsmith was having a conversation some time ago with Dino and asked him how he pronounced his last name, eeBELL or Ebull. Dino explained that it’s actually Ebull but Vin Scully always pronounced it eeBELL, and whatever Mr. Scully wanted to call him, was fine with him.
Let’s play better today.
Cheers for an interesting article Harold.
Got me thinking about the Baseball Stadiums I have visited, and how they rank.
1. Dodger Stadium (my favourite place
In the World)
2. Wrigley Field – love the atmosphere around the stadium before the game plus the Old School feel)
3. Fenway – same as Wrigley.
4. Oracle/ AT&T – I know, I know but it’s a fabulous stadium in a great setting.
5. Yankee Stadium – old not new. Great atmosphere.
6. Petco – very nice stadium right in the heart of town.
7. Globe Life Field (New Ballpark at Arlington). Visited a few weeks after opening. Was very HOT.
8. Rogers Centre / Skydome – was enjoyable.
9. Busch Stadium St Louis – great atmosphere.
10. Shea – again good atmosphere
11. Astrodome – unfortunately very empty on my visit.
12. Jack Murphy – San Diego – saw the Dodgers win – loads of Blue
13. Angel Stadium – saw Bo Jackson him a bomb here.
14. Oakland Colosseum – horrible.
15. Tiger Stadium – see above.
16. Kominsky Park – was again very empty.
17 Fulton County Stadium – Atlanta
The worst – terrible. Saw Dodgers lose both games in a double header here in front of about 7,000 fans ( just before the Braves dynasty). That was a long day.
Would love to tick them all off.
Have to revisit both New York stadiums as have changed.
Watford, was that double-header in Atlanta on June 28, 1991? I’m pretty sure I was there with my dad. The Dodgers blew the first game late, and I remember telling him that it would be horrible if that game ended up deciding the outcome of the season. In a sense it did.
I saw several games at Fulton County Stadium and liked it better than Turner Field. I’ve been to Wrigley numerous times (both pre- and post-renovation, including the Chad Kreuter hat night; also saw Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball tour–great show–and the Police reunion tour–you could tell they still hated each other) and Fenway a couple of times. Shea wasn’t as bad as I expected (visited both it and Yankee Stadium in their last seasons on the same trip, Old Timer’s Day in the Bronx). I found the new Yankee Stadium overdone, the new parks in both St. Louis and Washington rather antiseptic, and the new Cincinnati park a bit odd, as I have not found a grocery store on the concourse of any other park I have visited. (Even the name “Great American Ballpark” seems stuffy.) Old Busch wasn’t bad, just cookie-cutter; I also saw a game at Veterans in Philly (and of course at Fulton County, but never at Riverfront or Three Rivers). New Comiskey was horrible in the cheap seats before they sheared them off, but I used to like the section by the right field foul pole before they got rid of it. I saw a game at Tiger Stadium a few weeks before it was abandoned (in terms of maintenance, it already had been), but it still surprises me that Texas got a new park when Ballpark at Arlington/Globe Life was still in such good shape (on the fan’s side of things, at least). Jack Murphy/Qualcomm seemed “intimate,” i.e., cramped, the one time I was there (saw Trevor Hoffman blow a save). Miller Park is one of my favorites, much better than County Stadium (which barely seemed MLB-quality) or than the other domes I’ve seen, Chase and the Metrodome. But the new Target Field in Minneapolis is fabulous, as is the park in Seattle (still Safeco when I visited). Maybe I expected too much from Camden Yards, and I regret that Kauffman was being renovated the only time I was there (the crown scoreboard was lying in the grass near the interstate).
My non-LA favorites are PNC, Coors, and Miller. Miller is a great place to take a family, is very comfortable, and is inexpensive compared to the Chicago parks, plus parking is easy and abundant. Coors has those great trees behind the wall, and PNC has the fabulous Clemente Bridge.
Several times plans have fallen apart to see Comerica in Detroit or Jacobs (as it was called in its heyday) in Cleveland; logistics didn’t work the lone times I thought I might get to see a game in Oakland or at the Astrodome. I didn’t make any effort to see a game in Anaheim the one time I was there. I’ve never been in SF or SD at the right time for games at their current parks.
I first saw Dodger Stadium in 2000, for two bleak losses to the Brewers in the Davey Johnson era. The only other games I have attended there were in 2007 (one against the Giants, just days before Bonds passed Aaron) and 2010 (the night Russell Martin broke his leg and ended his original run with the team). It was a thrill finally to be there after watching games on TV whenever possible as a kid in Tennessee beginning in 1977, but I was a little disappointed at the condition of the stadium. I know much has changed since then and would love to go back.
I forgot that I had also been to Chase Field, when it was still the BOB< and the Big A in Anaheim. Chase is a nice place to watch a game. Sight lines are great. But the food is so so. Best to eat at one of the restaurants near the ball park. Cooperstown, owned by Alice Cooper, is great. The fans not so much For a team that was coming off of a World Championship the attendance was pretty bad. Except when the Dodgers come in. Then the crowds are bigger and more boisterous. The last game I saw there, Randy Wolf was pitching for the Dodgers and Manny was in left field. Manny did not homer that day, but Wolf did in a Dodger win. The Big A I have been to twice. Once in the box seats against Boston, and the other time they were playing the A's and we were in one of those corporate suites. My sis landed that gig for us. Food was good, and when we were in the suites, the fans down the RF line, and the fans in the RF bleachers had a little competition going yelling the old Miller commercial, RF, Less Filling! Bleachers. Tastes Great. Had to do something, the game was pretty mundane.
Nice article Harold! My favorite parks are:
1. Dodger Stadium
2. L.A. Memorial Coliseum
3. The Diamond, Lake Elsinore
4. Petco Park, San Diego
5. T-Mobile Park, Seattle
6. Shea Stadium, Queens New York. I watched the Yankees play there when Yankee Stadium was being renovated. I have to say, Yankee fans were far and away the funniest fans I have ever been around. They were hilarious!
7. Loan Mart Field, Rancho Cucamonga
8. Sam Lynn Ball Park, Bakersfield
9. Angel Stadium
10. San Manuel Stadium, San Bernardino
Some of those hits off Stripling were fastballs in the middle of the plate. Major league hitters do not miss mistakes very often.
Most concerning, of his 69 pitches the Mariners hitters swung at 31 and whiffed only 1-time (Statcast). As if the hitters knew what pitch was being thrown. Stripling has had issues in the past with tipping his pitches. One pitch in particular was a sharp breaking curve (one of the few he threw all night) that started at the belt and broke to the batter’s knees, but was lined into CF for a base hit.
Like I mentioned, he’s easy to hit. Those numbers confirm it.
My post from above:
“Stripling obviously looked awful. He was BP. 91 – 92 belt high, middle-away all night. It was on a tee. Honest, any decent college team can feast on 91, center cut with little movement.”
He’s not fooling anybody or missing barrels. That is not Major League stuff.
It’s been 2669 days since the Lakers last played a playoff game. Finally we’re back, at 6pm tonight!
Also, looking forward to Gonsolin pitching well. May isn’t going anywhere, but Gonsolin could be a piece used to get Trevor Bauer.
Interesting thought Bobby. I’d love to have Bauer. I’d hate to give up Gonsolin. I see him right behind May.
Yeah, I really like Gonsolin too, but he’s already 26. We have younger guys like Gray on the way. But for 2020, Buehler Kersh Bauer Urias May is a nice playoff staff.
26 isn’t that old. He’s also pre arb until ‘23
Gonsolin seems ready to join the rotation, NOW. Why would the Dodgers give him up when there are plenty of other options to trade for Bauer? Gonsolin is almost a made man here. A smarter move would be to give up either prospects, Stripling, Wood, or even Lux, if the Dodgers have soured on him. Joc also comes to mind. No, no, no, to Gonsolin!
Creative ways to torment the Astericks:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/sports/baseball/houston-astros-joe-kelly-cheating.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage
Today:
Mookie
Seager
JT
Pollock (DH)
Belly
CT3 (LF)
Muncy (1b)
Kike (2b)
Barnes
Gonsolin
One of my great regrets living in the Netherlands now 17 years is that I can’t take in a Dodgers game at the stadium. I don’t care where it is ranked, it is still my field of dreams, the place of my boyhood memories. Several years ago, when my mother was dying of cancer, I flew to LA a lot to spend time with her. On the 4th of July, we took her to a game at Dodgers Stadium. It was one of my peak experiences. She had a wonderful time, which I will never forget. This is the same lady who, when Puig arrived on the scene, said, “This one is going to be trouble!” She hit the nail on the head! This was the summer of 2013, when he was hitting up a storm, but she saw his downside. Pretty perceptive! If she really wants to do me a favor, up there in a better place, she can use whatever influence she has to get Belli out of his slump, get Joc to hustle to first base (or better yet, get us an experienced starter in trade for him), make Doc take out Kersh after 6 innings in the WS, and send the Asterisks to an afterlife where Joe Kelly throws at their heads for all of eternity!
😉
Bauer? I vote yes, but there are some facts to consider:
1) The deadline is a month later this year so we would have him for a month less than in a normal year. That needs to be considered when we decide who to give up for him.
2) AF has gone out of his way to bring in players who fit seamlessly into the clubhouse. Bauer is not necessarily that guy.
3) He has previously stated that he could pitch a lot better if he was allowed to use pine tar to improve his grip. His spin rate has gone up dramatically this year. Maybe he’s using it even though he shouldn’t be. We wouldn’t want to trade for him and then have him suspended.
4) I’ll take Mark’s comment above and add DJ Peters to his suggestion of Mitchell White and see if the Reds would go for it. I’m guessing someone might offer them more. I’d also include Kasowski or Sborz if necessary. If I managed to pull off that trade I’d move Wood the next day. He isn’t going to want to become a bullpen piece.
As someone else has pointed out, this could also serve as an audition for the possibility that we would want to sign Bauer as a free agent next year. He has stated he wants to go year to year for the rest of his career and that would suit AF just fine.
Now I’m seeing rumors that the Indians are pissed enough with Plesac and Clevinger that they might consider trading one or both of them.
Any takers here? If so, what would you offer?
I do not think they would trade either one, but I’d take Clevenger over Plesac (who seems to be a real idiot).
I’d give them Wood, Peters, White, and Grove, but they would want more quality.
I think they’d go for that Mark, if you’d be willing to throw in one more guy, like maybe May. 🙂
May is the future here, STB. I don’t see any way that they trade him at this point. He is too unique looking!
I assume you realize I was kidding Jeff. No way May is included in that kind of trade. Bauer would only be under contract for one month plus the playoffs.
That’s what 🙂 are for.
Just watched the press conference with the Seager brothers. I was impressed with their remarks. I always thought Corey was shy and did not speak so much, but he really did well. Nice family.
ps……got a nickname for May..We have the “Cat Man” for Gonsolin and May to me would be the
“Gingerbread Man”.
Corey seems shy but he’s actually very well spoken. I had the same first impression as you DBM but I’ve seen a number of interviews with him through the years now and he is very much at ease in front of a mic.
He’s been called Gingergarrd.
Gingergaard!
That nickname was for May’s
Thor likeness to Noah Syndergaard, in appearance and nasty pitch repertoire.
Oh ok thanks. Did not know that.
I would like to see Dustin May’s nickname be something from Texas that describes his stuff, like “Filthy McNasty!”
http://www.filthymcnastyssaloon.com/
Henceforth, he is no longer Dustin May… he is now Filthy McNasty!
Orel became the Bulldog and took on that persona. Dustin needs to be Filthy McNasty!
Filthy McDonalds seems much more appropriate
I like Dread Red.
Several years ago I met a Hells Angel with the name ‘Filthy Frank McNasty’.
The topic of stadiums makes me a little depressed, because the only stadium I’ve been to is the Oakland Coliseum or whatever they call it these days. Allegedly, one of the worst venues in all Sport and I believe it. Locally, I’ve been to the old Civic Stadium for what used to be Portland Beavers baseball when they were the Twins affiliate. Not that great, especially, for being downtown, but still more enjoyable than Oakland. Now, I think, we only have Single A played in a suburb called Hillsboro Ballpark, which is actually a pretty decent venue. I’ve only walked around the outside of it, but for being off a freeway, the setting is real nice – pastoral like – if you can look past the freeway.
I thought the Angels ballpark looked real inviting the other night when we were playing there. Seems a little like the Royals stadium with it’s outfield bleacher section. For never visiting Dodger Stadium and only viewing through TV, it looks amazing at sunset with a slight wind. For television purposes, it’s definitely top 5.
Hopefully we never have to face a guy throwing 70 because we sure as hell cant hit a guy throwing 80!
Marco Gonzales has channeled his inner Greg Maddux. He’s got his “flail away at my off-speed” pitches working to perfection!!!
I’ve just always liked what I have seen in Gonsolin. I just think that he deserves to be a starter. Too bad the offense haven’t given him any runs.
he was great again.
Bobby (from above) you suggested we use Gonsolin as a piece to get Bauer.
I’m giving you the official No Thank You. He may be our most reliable starter at this point.
As of 5:40 Pacific Time, Austin Barnes is now batting over .300.
Yes, he was fantastic today, but I’m thinking October. How many young arms can we rely on?
Bauer has a track record and would be a legit Game 3 starter. But to your point, Gonsolin has been fantastic for us so far and he does pitch like a 26 year old, not a kid.
26 isn’t that old. He’s also pre arb until ‘23.
Wait, I think I said that already.
Bauer has off months. Check August of last year. He looks good now but, he could go off the rails in September. I think I’d keep Gonsolin. I’d be interested in Clevinger. What Mark offered is fair, unless Wood recovers.
How do you keep Gonzo out of the rotation! Someone said he doesn’t have special stuff but he’s throwing 96.5 in the sixth inning. That’s special to me! My goodness this young rotation is scary good! And Gray is yet to come!
Gonsolin is a special pitcher. He’s also a mature 26. He’s easily a #3 on many teams.
He deserves to be ahead of Chicken Strip.
What’s this world coming to? Barnes is now our best hitter and they’re pitching around him to get to Betts! This indeed will go down as the strangest season in MLB history!
Flash – This Just in:
Austin Barnes, Starting Catcher!
Take that, Haters! (me included)
Me too! Maybe there’s hope for that Bellinger kid!
Uncoachable, what a shame.
Barnes must of been following LADT last week and made some adjustments.
I read somewhere today Barnes asked Mookie a couple weeks ago for some batting tips. Seems to be paying off. His BA was .089 a couple weeks ago. I think Belli and Mookie need some time in the cage too.
I’m all for Gonsolin in the rotation now. Strip to the pen.
Headline Newsflash: Barnes Spurns Haters, Leads Dodgers to Win over Seattle
Barnes will not hit .300 this year, or any other year. .250 maybe.
So can’t we have a little fun in the meantime?
Absolutely. I’m enjoying it. Mookie is apparently getting through to him. He could easily better his projections, which are around .230.
He’s already hit .289/.408/.486/.895 in 2017 (262 PA). Maybe he will not hit .300 or even .250, but he is a very good backup catcher. I have been banging my head against the wall pushing for him for the last several years, and will continue to do so. I said it early on that the Dodgers were not losing because of Austin Barnes or Kike’ Hernandez. Maybe they are now winning a few games because of Austin Barnes.
How about that Barnes guy? Where did they pick him up? Turner and Seager clutch again. Muncy and Bellinger whiff again. Yanks are losing today, if they do Dodgers have best record in Majors at 18-7. After the Rockies series, the season will be half over. Lakers getting schooled by the Blazers so far.
Old friend Kenta Maeda has a no hitter after 7 innings. He came into the game 3-0 and 2.66 ERA. I have been watching him since the end of the Dodger game and he doesn’t seem to be nibbling like he did last year with us. He seems to be telling the batters ” here it is, try and hit it”. I think he already has 10 K’s and about 95 pitches.
I hope he gets it. I always liked him
Thanks for the tip!
oh that’s great. Yes, I always liked him as well. Seemed like a good guy
No hitter through 8
Ryu, 2-1 and rising!
AP- Perennial Dodgers whipping boy, Austin Barnes, went two for two today and a walk to score both Dodger runs in a 2-1 victory over Seattle Mariners.
Be nice if Belly hit .250
Maybe a chat with Mookie would help.
Belli looks totally lost up there. He is taking pitches he used to drive. It is almost as if he cannot decide to swing. My pet peeve? Guys taking pitches that are right down the middle of the plate and then swinging at stuff that have no chance of hitting.
Frustrating to watch. Good news is they’re winning in spite of it.
Yeah they are. And simply because guys who were not expected to contribute are. Taylor has been steady, Barnes has found new life. Mookie is as advertised. Pollock has been pretty good. Seager is doing everything he possibly can to get himself in the MVP conversation. And the 3 guys who hit 30 plus homers last year are all below the Mendoza line and striking out way too much
Never mind a chat with Mookie. He should be talking hitting with Barnes.
Lakers – Portland tied at 52….
Portland wins with late 3 point barrage.
I didn’t realize until last night that old friend Matt Magill was with the Mariners. When he was in LA I always thought he looked like the fifth Jonas Brother (the bonus-bonus Jonas?).
They got him from the Twins last year for cash.
Lakers got nothing after James and Davis. They definitely have the worst talent 3-12 of any of the playoff teams. Caruso couldn’t guard me! And I can still shoot better than Pope! Wow! No LA title for James this year!