There is the rock n roll band that I grew up listening to. My favorite band, probably to this day, and they had this amazing versatility and top-notch musicianship amongst their original players. And they played these sophisticated chords that were straight out of the Miles Davis and Duke Ellington playbook. Though their main players were incredible musicians, they’d hire studio guys to help out on their records because the two songwriters and founding members knew that their players in the band sometimes couldn’t bring the sound they were looking for.
So, they’d bring in Rick Derringer, Lee Ritenour, Mark Knopfler, Larry Carlton or Elliot Randall to play lead guitar even though they had guys like Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and Denny Dias that were certainly capable. Their percussion section was amongst the best, with Jim Hodder and Jeff Porcaro, but if they wanted a certain feel or sound on a song, Steve Gadd or Bernard Purdie would be brought in. Even keyboardist and founder, Donald Fagen, wasn’t immune from replacing himself, so jazz man Victor Feldman would sit in on sessions. The other founder, Walter Becker could play anything with strings on it, but he primarily played bass at first. By their 6th album, Chuck Rainey and Anthony Jackson were playing and he wasn’t even on one song on the whole record.
What I’m trying to say is that the founding members and songwriters at Steely Dan were simply out for one thing. That perfect sound and perfect recording.
They even grabbed the tenor sax player from Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show Band because they thought he’d be perfect for “Deacon Blues.” He was. Pete Christlieb came in and recorded, and the fit was just right.
In the process, they killed off their original musicians. Their original players left for other bands like the Doobie Brothers and Toto and some became studio musicians themselves playing for bands like Linda Ronstadt, Sammy Hagar, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Burton Cummings, Elton John, and Bryan Adams. And the studio guys they brought in weren’t having a lot of fun either after repeating takes dozens of times. Once it was reported by one of the guest guitarists that he had to repeat a lick probably 100 times to satisfy Becker and Fagen.
So, what does this have to do with the Dodgers?
Probably nothing…I just wanted to write about Steely Dan. Never mind. Lousy idea.
No, I’m actually going somewhere with this. At least I think I am.
When you’re in the pursuit of perfection, you might just lose the band sometimes. When you are juggling a lot of talented egos. You might not be able to hold a good thing together. When you bounce a guy back to the minors like a ping pong ball in a hurricane, you possibly are creating a malcontent as a player. Not everyone is into frequent flier miles between LA and Oklahoma City. Some don’t perform well in that role, (J.T. Chargois, Brock Stewart).
The Dodgers have a roster of 40 players and every single one of them can contribute. There are times in the season when each will be needed. This is unique and not something that many baseball organizations have the luxury of doing because they don’t have the depth. I think it’s fair to say that the Dodger 40-man roster could probably field two major league teams that would be competitive.
The thing is, it is tough to get everyone to buy into the 40-man concept, especially when you have guys battling to show they are top tier. Everyone wants those multi-million dollar contracts. There won’t be much of a chance of landing one as a platoon player or a cross between a AAAA player and a frequent call-up. Matt Beaty, Luke Raley, and Edwin Rios know that they could start on a number of teams and show their talents. Kike Hernandez is in a contract year and you know he wants a good 400-500 plate appearances. As much as all players will give lip-service to being excited about being on a competitive team, there are those that want playing time and an opportunity to show that they belong and will stick in the big leagues.
It’s much easier to do that in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Miami, and even San Francisco right now. The Dodgers are busy plugging in players that are that perfect fit at a specific time as they aim to win that elusive World Series. Would some of these young guys prefer to be playing every day on a 100+ loss team like Baltimore? I think there are some.
The Dodger pitching staff will carry probably 12-13 players, but in reality, it’s as deep as 20. There is this juggling act of plugging in the ideal guys at the best time of the year. Perhaps early on, Friedman can afford to drop a young guy like Josiah Gray on to the roster for a game or two. Get his feet wet. A taste of the show. Just to see how he will respond on the big stage. Not for a long time. Just enough to see how he handles the pressure, and in case he’s needed in the stretch run.
Maybe you plug in Caleb Ferguson as that lefty in the bullpen for a time and then test out Adam Kolarek a bit later and Alexander after that. The Dodgers can certainly afford to allow Dustin May a lengthy amount of time to recover from his side (oblique) issue. No rush, they have about 7 other capable guys that could start. What’s important is that he’s ready in September and October.
And the position players? There are plenty of outfielders. Probably too many. Matt Beaty could start on 50% of the major league teams out there. So could Chris Taylor and Kike Hernandez. Rookie Zach McKinstry deserves a shot, but there’s no place for him. Gavin Lux is touted to be the favorite for Rookie of the Year, and even his place on the starting 26-man roster is not a certainty.
Dave Roberts has so many chess pieces to choose from, it’s like a who’s who of second basemen or left fielders that he has available to put in the lineup. The eight-inning guy? You have Baez, Treinen, Kelly, Nelson and maybe Graterol available. If Jansen is tired, plug in one of the previously mentioned five to handle it for a day. Who do you want to play lead guitar? Larry Carlton or Rick Derringer. I guess that depends on the sound you are looking for. For Roberts, you have variables like, opponent, ballpark, who is best rested, the recent successes each has had, who is back in Oklahoma vs. on the 26-man, things like that.
How much depth is too much depth? It’s a difficult question to answer as there are some seasons when the injury bug hits them full blast. Wasn’t it two years ago that they had more Injured List time than any team in recent history? It is important to remember that depth is good. Some can’t afford to move talent. A bad trade can set some organizations back for years. That isn’t the case in Los Angeles. Trade fodder at the deadline is a valuable option to have. Watch for this year to be that year when a big name or two is moved at the deadline for a roster weakness that hasn’t been identified yet.
There are always disappointments in a season. Someone will underperform. Perhaps age hits Turner hard this year or Pollock repeats his injury history. You never know going in. This Dodger team will have a huge target on their backs as the National League favorites. Young and hungry teams like San Diego, with a lot of talent, will want to show that they belong in the discussion as possible winners. A trade at the deadline is certainly a possibility for this team when they see what their needs are at the time.
Now I think this may be where Dave Roberts brings his strength to the organization. What he lacks as a strategist he makes up for as a psychologist. He has the ability to get his guys to buy into the program. We seldom hear of players griping about playing time. Every now and then there is something about Pederson or Maeda being unhappy, but for the most part, Roberts has control of his team. He’s got them all believing that their role, even if it is small, is important to the big picture. Something that Fagen and Becker probably would….Nah, they wouldn’t care what any studio musician would think.
So that moves me on to my next comparison with Steely Dan. They sang these weird lyrics on topics that usually had to do with junkies, or prostitutes, or criminals, drug chemists, etc. You know, that all that all-American stuff from back in the 70s.
Yeah, I have nothing…
From Mark Timmons:
… and then there was their comeback on Letterman 20 years later.
Discussion (94)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I wouldn’t say I’m a Steely Dan fan but I do own Donald Fagan’s Nightfly primarily because the high end audio store where I used to shop at always used it to show off their components and speakers. Eventually, I would tell them to put in Zeppelin.
~
Instead of sitting home and cuddling with hoarded toilet paper my son and I went and saw two rock bands tonight. Beasto Blanco & Sin Shake Sin. Good show. I’m sure no one on here has heard of them.
No travel between Europe and the US for 30 days.
NBA suspends the entire season. Watch for NHL and MLB to follow
I despise Steely Dan.
Moura and McCullough both intimate that a trade could be in the works for some surplus depth.
Just not enough ABs to go around for Taylor, Kike and Pollock amongst the young bats.
Being a big Gonsolin fan I thought I’d share this from BA
Topps Top 100: Who Has The Best Pitch Among The Top 100 Pitchers?
Kyle Glaser: I might be going a little off the board here, but give me RHP Tony Gonsolin’s split-changeup. It’s a true 70-grade pitch that batters know is coming and still can’t do a thing about it. It comes in hard like a splitter, fades like a changeup and he commands it exceptionally to make it virtually unhittable. How unhittable? According to Statcast, major league batters hit just .182/.224/.250 against Gonsolin’s split-change last year with a 39 percent swing-and-miss rate. As he moves into his first full season, expect the legend of Gonsolin’s split-change to grow as more and more major league batters experience it.
While I have had some issues with Friedman et al, one of the things that he has pioneered is the use of the entire 40 man roster. It’s been a huge advantage for the Dodgers. My friends who root for other teams are jealous and a little ticked.
As for Steely Dan, I am a jazz lover who actually likes The Dan. Donald Fagan has said that he employs the jazz musicians because rockers couldn’t play his stuff.
One correction-it was Wayne Shorter who played the sax solo in Aja. I think that Pete Christlieb played the solo in Deacon Blues.
You want to hear some great guitar playing, check out Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery.
Thanks WD, very informative.
Sorry to have steered conversation in this direction.
I promise if I comment again today it will only be about baseball.
DBM, STB and anyone else interested, this article on why Italy is so badly hit might be useful
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Health/number-coronavirus-cases-rises-italy-hit-hard/story%3fid=69513697
STB – the various Governments in Europe are certainly working together and sharing information and ideas.
A fortnight ago I wasn’t too concerned, but now it’s definitely coming. It’s just a matter of time.
Without being disrespectful to you guys on here, it did cross my mind that much of the readership would fall into the most at risk category, and that has to be a concern, especially if you have any underlying respiratory problems.
Got my fingers crossed for everyone, but like I said, this is gonna affect everyone in some way.
Absolutely Mark.
Proper Hydration plays a big role in fighting the coronavirus:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/blog/protecting-you-and-your-family-from-coronavirus
Ok, Thank you.
Didn’t mean to suggest you were ignoring it. My last statement was just to the world in general.
Not ignoring it SingingTheBlue, really. As also someone in a risk group that is surceptable to this virus, it scares me. Trying to keep a positive attitude is all.
Thank you Watford for the extremely informative overseas update on the Coronavirus. Why do you think Italy has so many people infected that they have to shut down? When you mentioned House Music fan, did you mean Hugh Laurie? Love his talents as an actor and musician and have his cd. Good stuff. Hope this virus does not prevent fans from enjoying Dodger games at the stadium and really hope no one gets it.
I think I might be alone here, but I’m a massive House Music fan, with a particular liking for Tech House.
It’s actually Miami Music Week starting at the weekend, and that’s definitely on my Bucket List.
Was at an all day Rave in London on Saturday from 1pm until 5am, so I can still hack it. Great escapism for me.
On a different note, I noticed Bear and Badger mentioned the Corona Virus, and somebody previously (sorry I cannot remember who), speculated that it might derail the Dodger’s season.
Without wanting to be over dramatic, I fear it’s inevitable.
Here in Europe we are probably a little ahead of you guys in the spread of it.
Italy is in total lockdown. People are staying indoors, and large gatherings have been banned. People cannot transit from one region to another.
All soccer matches have been postponed for at least a month.
France is a week behind Italy, the country so far hit the worst, and we, (UK) are a week behind France.
Soccer matches have already been cancelled, as are Rugby & other sports.
We, UK residents have been advised that we will probably contract the disease at some point.
In short, it’s going to cause chaos.
I cannot see a scenario where we are not in total lockdown.
The streets of Rome are totally deserted. It won’t be long before London is the same.
It seems almost certain that you guys are gonna feel the force of this sooner rather than later, although more likely in your major cities.
With the movement of people these days, it seems certain that it will spread.
If your authorities follow the same path as the Europeans in dealing with it, then I’m afraid this won’t be a regular season as we know it.
If we feel unwell, we are advised to “ Self Isolate” for a fortnight.
If a player on a team feels unwell, all his teammates have to do the same.
As much as I’m looking forward to this season, it is with a nagging doubt in my mind. I hope I’m wrong, but I see major disruption and disappointment ahead.
Just read Bobby’s post above, and STBs. Think that says it all really.
The Warrior game tomorrow will be played at Chase Center in SF with no fans in attendance. How long before others follow?
Giants have cancelled their version of the freeway series with the A’s. We’d better enjoy these spring training games because I could see the beginning of the MLB season now being in real jeapordy. Certainly likely that they won’t allow anyone to attend if they do actually play the games, but it seems likely that at some point a player or clubhouse attendant, etc. will come down with COVID-19 and that might put a stop to everything.
Update : Yasiel Puig and Russell Martin are still out there !!!!!!
I don’t think any of that happens Skitter. All hands on deck for WS title. Buehler has yet to show his regular season can match his post season performances. Kind of the opposite story line from Kersh
History of Dodgers on TV.
Dodgers Stories
on Wed March 11 at 7pm PBS
pbssocal.org
As we get closer to opening day here are some of my predictions.
Wood has 12 wins at the trade deadline gets traded for prospects.
Joc has 12 HR at the trade deadline and gets traded for prospects.
Strip has 7 wins and several 3 innings relief games by the trade deadline gets traded for prospects. What we get back are guys similar to Gray and Downs.
The farm get better and kids can come up like Lux and Goose and contribute. But we got to play Joc and company if we are going to get something back.
Buehler will win the Cy Young this season and will be opening day starter next season.
Good article on the Dodger depth. The OKC team should have a great roster.
FanGraphs had a good Q&A piece with Gavin Lux on his hitting approach today. Some may find interesting.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/gavin-lux-talks-hitting/
The depth of talent is a wonderful thing generally. AF seems to know when to bring players up to the majors. It is a great regular season position to be in. The post season not so much generally. If you have an untimely injury in the post season it is good to know you have the next man up mentality.
I don’t think it is all good. Starting with the decision to make kershaw the opening day starter. That is very disappointing because we are going to be making kershaw our number 1 again. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I don’t care if kershaw is opening day starter as long as that doesn’t carry over into the post season. I fear it will. My point is change is very gradual here if at all.
That’s why I wonder if lux makes it. We have tremendous patience with the status quo. Who can argue with the regular season results but the post season. For the same reason we will probably not put graterol on the roster only to watch Baez give up another post season homer. Baez, Kelly are not setup men. How many times do we have to watch Baez get the same result. Turn the page and see if graterol can be that guy along with treinen.
If lux needs more at bats against lefties fine, if graterol needs more development fine but in the end give your best players the biggest opportunities. Buehler is our number 1 but Roberts won’t allow it. Hopefully, lux and graterol get their shot. Other guys have had chances but failed in the biggest moments.
I had never seen Joe Broussard pitch before this year in Spring Training and I was very impressed with the outing I saw before the not-so-good last outing he pitched. Thanks Evan for the informative article on Steely Dan, who I admit was not one of my favorites but appreciated the comparison with the Dodger’s depth of talent. Toby Keith, Alabama, Ricky Skaggs and Mary Robbins are among my CW favorites.
I guess I’m showing my age, but my taste in music goes back to before the British Invasion of the Beatles. Didn’t realize how many Marines are a part of this blog. I served 1962-1968, but never was sent to ‘Nam.
Yes, the Swing Auditorium in Berdo. Acts like the Stones, Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Byrds, Buffalo Spring field, Cream, Iron Butterfly, Vanilla Fudge, Chambers Bros. The Shows I saw were Led Zepplin, Santana, Canned Heat, Three Dog Night, Mountain, Jo Jo Gunne, Delaney and Bonnie, Yes, Foghat, J Geils, Humble Pie, Rare Earth, Savoy Brown both Winters Bros, Reo Speedwagon, Deep Purple and Long John Baldry among others. Steely Dan did play there on Jun 28th 1974. I didn’t go but became a big fan of the Jazz Rock band. We were lucky seeing some of the Greatest Music ever made come through the Inland Empire.
Everyone does a great job of covering the Dodgers in here so my only comments are I wonder if I can use my 20 game mini plan this year with all the talk of shutting down crowd size due to the corona virus. Lets hope the warmer days of summer kills off this shit or they can come up with a solution soon. I’m 64 and can’t afford to fight this stuff off.
Good post on depth! It always begs the question for me, are the players riding the shuttle between LA and OKC doing so based on their own talent level, or are they where they are in large part as a product of the Dodgers Player Development. I’m certain virtually every player wants to be a starter and play full time. Not all can. Joc and Kike are 2 that appear to more openly want to be starters. That’s why this will be their last year with the Dodgers. But the Dodgers are ready, McKinstry or Rios will step in and they won’t skip a beat.
Count me among those who is not a Steely Dan fan. Never acquired a taste for their music. I’ve always preferred those artists that performed well live over studio artists. Back in my younger day, we had Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. You could watch anybody from The Rolling Stones, Santana, Credence Clearwater, Fleetwood Mac to the Flying Burrito Brothers for a $5.00 ticket. Steely Dan never faired well in that environment.
Always sad to see a player released. I wish Broussard and Strain well. They have worked very hard to get to where they’re at.
Well written Evan. I can’t speak to the musical illuminations only to say that anyone from that era had no problem identifying Steely Dan when their music came on. Everyone I knew was a fan. Reading this morning I felt like I often do when reading William Rivers Pitt or Chris Hedges. Not that you write with the often snooty erudite precision they do, just that I felt I wanted to read it again in case I missed something. Thank you for that.
You make some interesting points about where some players may prefer to play. I immediately thought of Rendon. I don’t know if it’s true about him but I know it must be true about some players. LA is the big stage. And it is so every night. The only other place that’s true is New York. Some just aren’t built for it.
I also think you’re spot on about Roberts. I hope with each gaff he’s made he’s learned something but my gut tells me if he had it to do over he wouldn’t change a thing. This is what worries me most about this team. What worries me second most is these guys know how good they are and come October they expect it to be as easy as it was all year. I wonder how hungry this bunch really is. Again I don’t know this about them, it’s just a feeling. I think back to that Game 7 at home where everyone was playing like it was a Tuesday in June. Like Meryl Streep at Oscar time, this team will cruise to another Division Championship, but like Streep, will they win 1 out of every 7 trips? They have get 1 first. Most fans are out there saying “wait til next year!” Only the Dodgers fans are saying “wait til next October!”
Your a day late…I reported that at the end of the prior stream. Saw it on BaseballAmerica.com. Brewers the opponent today.
Joe Broussard and Connor Strain were released – I am sure they will be picked up by another organization if they want. Hopefully, they can put it together somewhere.
Interesting comparison. Being more a country guy, I put pickers like Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs in there somewhere. And nobody plays fiddle like Charlie Daniels, and he is over 80 and still going strong. They can carry 13 pitchers, no more than that. And the 10 day IL is gone, so moving guys in and out probably won’t be happening. Kike had a shot as a starter and flamed out. He has always been more valuable as a super sub. Taylor is pretty much the same guy, with just a little less power. One thing for certain, something unforeseen will probably pop up. Be it an injury, under performance. Roberts is a good players manager. He is a lousy tactician. I think they want those guys playing everyday at AAA and not riding the pine in LA> I also think one reason Roberts has been so vague about Lux is to light a fire in him. Lux will be fine, and I am pretty sure he makes the 26 man. Most of the question marks are in the pen. One of the most innovative bands ever was Moby Grape. Their sound was way ahead of it’s time, and just did not catch on.
Evan,
Steely Dan was one of my favorites – I have every album… most in vinyl. RIP in peace Walter Becker. Donald Fagan is still going strong at 72. Classic!