Decisions, Decisions

I’m bullish on Jimmy Nelson. Love it when a reclamation project pays off.

Rather than focus on his career stats, it seems legitimate to me to look at his last full year of healthy competition–his 12-6 record with a 3.49 ERA for the Brewers in 2017. He was mediocre before that–but then he sharply increased his Ks and improved his control. Was just a hot streak–or perhaps a new pitch or strategy? Whatever, pitchers often need a few years to fulfill their potential, Koufax being the prime example. Small sample this spring, but so far Nelson is looking like his 2017 self.

He may help the Dodgers win another championship with his pitching–but also his value. He is 31 years old, and might have a few good years left. A cagey veteran! Nelson is unlikely to bump any of the 7 starters ahead of him. And even in the bullpen, Dodgers have not just Graterol and Kelly waiting, but also Khanle and Ferguson. But it’s not just that Nelson is expendable as trade bait, but he provides a cushion that might enable Friedman to deal his younger talent.

A Cubs minor leaguer was pulled over by police in Eagle County Colorado for speeding and erratic driving. They searched the car and found 21 pounds of methamphetamine. He is being held on 75,000 bond in the Eagle County Jail. The Cubs are aware of his arrest. His two passengers were released when police decided they knew nothing about the drugs.

Wow! I thought May’s stuff looked electric today. His breaking ball was sharp and it looked like he was throwing more 4 seam fastballs and getting more swing and misses. I don’t know how they decide on a five man rotation!

After Doc said Beaty will have a roster spot it looks like the 3 primary AAA position players will be Neuse, Peters, Ruiz. If there is an injury to one of our catchers and an IL stint, Ruiz will get the call up. IL stint for an infielder, Neuse will get the call up. IL stint for an outfielder, Peters will get the call up. We have great depth when it comes to position players.

I wonder which 13 pitchers will be our primary pitchers. Kershaw, Buehler, Bauer, Price, Urias, Jansen, Treinen, Gonzalez, Knebel are all locks due to either performance or out of options. That’s 9 primary pitchers. That leaves 4 spots open for several guys including Gonsolin, May, Graterol, Kelly, Nelson, Cleavinger, Alexander, Santana.

Personally I think Joe Kelly should be flat out released. But that’s just me.

I think Gonsolin, May, Graterol all deserve to be part of the primary pitchers on this team. If so that makes 12 primary pitchers. I guess that last spot isn’t important because sometimes you need a guy that isn’t important to eat innings in a blow out game.

It’s a good time to be a Dodger fan.

Hey Bear, your trip to SoCal and up to Oregon sounds great. I have never taken the train up the California and Oregon coastlines but I have heard it’s a great scenic way to make that trip. I have driven Highway 1 up the coast from San Diego to Seaside Oregon a couple of summers ago on my way from my home in Az to my home in Wa. (not exactly as the crow flies) Had the top down on my sportscar and stopped often. San Luis Obispo, Pebble Beach, San Fran. The Oregon coast is spectacular. It was slow in places but i was in no hurry.. Memorable journey and I’m never sure how many more of these I will have left. I bet the train is great.

Some baseball thoughts:

Please, nobody wake up CT3. He’s in a coma right now. Great player and always happy to see him do well. I’m perfectly happy seeing him in an everyday utility role, especially in the absence of Kike. I like McKinstry but CT3 brings much more to the table.

We were all rooting for Lux to earn the job at 2nd. His presence there makes the Dodgers better and allows CT3 to do his thing. I think Lux has earned the job and is looking like the player we expected. If he continues to show that performance and confidence, it makes no sense to me to sit him behind CT3 or platoon him. He’s done what he has been asked to do this spring. To sit him now would do absolutely nothing for his confidence and to reward his hard work and improved play. He doesn’t need another obstacle to overcome. Put him at 2nd and leave him alone with a long leash as long as he’s productive. Leave CT3 in his role and the Dodgers are better for it.

What sort of value do we have in our AAAA players? Good players who can’t make the roster; Reks, Raley, Peters, Davidson and you pick of pitchers who have no role. What young prospects can they bring to the club? Seems like the next wave of guys like McKinstry, Neuse, Busch, Ruiz, Cartaya, Horese, Amaya, DeJesus and Pepiot leave many of the 20 something guys as trade bait.

Nice problem to have.

I respect everyone’s opinion on here. As for the pandemic, I am through living my life the way they want me too. I will wear the mask when mandated, but I am going to do what I want, go where I want when I want to do it. I am sick and tired of the stay at home mentality that many leaders have. We have very few cases in this county. And no one I know who lives here, and none of the resident’s of my building have tested positive or been ill with the disease. I blame both the politicians and the CDC for the late reaction to the pandemic. I also blame them for the lack of understanding as to how the disease is transmitted. They all screwed up and the ones paying for it are the citizens. The politico’s and so called leaders had their medical needs taken care of while the rest of the country, especially the elderly and the people most susceptible to Covid had to wait. I do not trust any of them, nor do I care about their effed up rules anymore.

Mark, Julio might have “struggled” some in the first inning but only because Taylor misplayed a pop up. I’m not worried about him and first innings. He’s in attack mode now and not nibbling any more. I like his new slurve pitch. He seems to have more control with it. But the key pitch for him is his change up which can become his put away pitch especially with righties. Can’t wait to see what he does this year!

I read the Dodgers signed Andrew Toles to a contract, The purpose was to give him health insurance. It warms you heart to see the Dodgers take care of him, even if he will never play again for the Dodgers.

On this site the pandemic is apolitical. Don’t push to being political… on both sides.

I think Taylor will be the super sub he is and sub at 2b 25% of the time and in the OF 50% of the time and the other 25% at the other infield positions to give guys a day off. He may end up playing in more games than the starters.

Plandemic? Ugh…Well, clearly paranoia is alive and well.

The fact is experts had been warning about the likelihood of some sort of global outbreak for several years. That’s why President Bush set up a task force to prepare for it, and President Obama built on that work, and then… oh, well. …The best laid plans, eh?

But since this is a sports site, let’s remember that, for most Americans, Covid-19 didn’t get “real” until the NBA shut down. Think about that: A private corporation, the NBA, had to take the lead on public health. The NBA–and not the CDC (though Dr. Nancy Messonnier tried).

And yeah, things got real real fast, even if certain people still wanted to call it all a hoax and even a conspiracy, as in “pandemic.” (Mind if I shout out to QAnon too!)

Such thinking was lethal, because if you think it’s a hoax, why wear a mask? And no, the virus doesn’t care about your politics.

Like shit, viruses happen. This was the worst since the Spanish Flu (which didn’t actually start in Spain, but whatever.) But there is good news too: Advances in medical science have produced several vaccines in record time. (I just got my first shot.) The progress is bringing back live sports, and my college-age kids are looking forward to getting back inside the classroom in the fall. If people get their shots–just like they have for decades for the flu, measles, polio and more–perhaps Dodger Stadium will be rocking in October.

Just watched the 9th inning of yesterday’s game. Kendall Williams did a nice job after he settled down. He definitely has good movement on his secondary pitches.

I hope you are right about normalsie returning, but the fear of pandemic will somehow be altered to more plandemics in order to keep a clinched fist on society. You never want a crisis to go to waste and you never want a crisis to not exist, if no crisis the gov loses the edge on scaring people into submission. So I predict plandemics will be lined up and unleashed upon the sheep, just as one crisis ends another will be spun into the collective brain of society.

Mark, do you see the stadiums in CA being allowed to have full capacity at any point in this season? I think there will be some states that will eventually allow full capacity in their stadiums (hell no on full capacity in indoor stadiums btw in many if not most states). I really don’t see SoFi Stadium being allowed full capacity for Rams or Chargers games in the upcoming NFL season, we may never see normalsie in any large venues for the forseeable future (the next 3 to 4 years seems very possible and likely in CA).

Is what I say political, actually I am commenting on the state of sports in the US and the policies that exist and will prevail that may bring an end to sports as we know it, not to mention many other aspects in society. IF society is going to remain on a shut down mode or a percentage of shut down mode, owners of pro teams will not survive and we may very well see teams disappear and leagues shrink, if that happens the trickle down effect on sports revenue at the venue, advertising revenue and thus TV revenue, etc etc will be a crippling blow. So enjoy it while you can, it just might not be there for much longer.