One of the better mid-season trades that the Dodgers ever made was acquiring Reggie Smith from the Cardinals for Freddie Tisdale, Bob Detherage and Joe Ferguson in June 1976. While many Dodger fans were heartbroken to see Tisdale leave the Dodger family, getting Smith more than made up for that loss.
After joining the Dodgers, Smith hit .280 with 10 homers and 26 RBI in the 65 games following the trade. The following year, he hit .307 with 32 homeruns and 87 RBI. To go along with that, Smith walked 104 times, scored 104 runs, had a league leading .427 on base percentage, a 1.003 OPS and a league leading OPS+ of 168 and he led the team in slugging percentage. He finished 4th in the MVP vote. On the way to the 1977 NL pennant, Smith, Steve Garvey, Dusty Baker, and Ron Cey became the first four teammates in baseball history to each hit 30 or more home runs in a season. In 1978, although limited to 128 games because of injuries, Smith hit .295 with 29 homeruns and 93 RBI. He led the team in OBA, slugging, OPS and OPS+. Once again, he finished 4th in the MVP vote. In addition to being a terrific hitter, Smith was equally as good in the field. He had superior base-running speed, and had a legendary throwing arm that may have been the best of his era. For you younger folks, think in terms of an earlier Cody Bellinger. It has been said that Reggie Smith was one of the more underappreciated players of his time and that he should be in the Hall of Fame. As one writer put it,
“should we ever look to do the most underrated players in baseball history, Reggie Smith might very well make the top (or at least top ten) of our list.” I totally agree.
In his 8,051 career plate appearances, Smith produced an OPS+ of 137 with a batting average of .287, an on-base-percentage of .366, and a slugging percentage of .489. The OPS+ is tied for 93rd all-time and only two switch-hitters in baseball history, Mickey Mantle and Chipper Jones, rank higher. He finished his career with 314 homers. He played in four World Series, and in 81 plate appearances in the fall classic, pounded the ball for a .521 slugging percentage with six home runs; his three homers in the 1977 Series were overshadowed by Reggie Jackson‘s five-homer performance.
The Dodger team that Smith joined included the fabled infield of Garvey, Lopes, Cey and Russell. They were good when he got there and, unquestionably, he made them much better. Those teams were often considered “Garvey’s Team” because of his penchant for self promotion and his “movie star” looks. However, Dodger pitcher Don Sutton went public with comments that Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post that Smith, not Garvey, was the best player on the Dodgers and that Smith was a more valuable player to the Dodgers. This disclosure led to the much talked about clubhouse wrestling match between Sutton and Garvey.
The seventh of eight children, Carl Reginald Smith was born on April 2, 1945, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Smith home was full of love and music. Reggie’s father, Lonnie, was a singer. His mother, Nellie, played the piano. Reggie (he plays seven musical instruments) tried every instrument put in front of him, including the cello, saxophone, clarinet, flute, trombone, violin, bass and drums. He also inherited a passion for sports (not to mention a load of talent) from his dad, who caught for the Jacksonville Red Caps, a Negro American League team. His family moved to the South Central area of Los Angeles when he was a child. This area was very integrated and Reggie was exposed to all nationalities and races. It was here that he learned to embrace diversity at an early age. This neighborhood, as it turns out, also had lots of intensely competitive baseball teams. One of the best was teams was the Chet Brewer Pirates. The Pirates were the mission of Chet Brewer, who had been one of the Negro Leagues’ greatest pitchers. Brewer dedicated his post-playing career to working with children, using the game as a social magnet to involve them in the community (while kicking some serious ass on the field). Brewer recruited Smith when Reggie was only 15. Smith could only play on Sundays, as he had to work the rest of the week helping his father in the family’s egg-delivery business. Smith’s time with the Pirates had a major impact on him, as he learned much about baseball and life.. Chet Brewer would regularly have some of his old pro teammates drop by and work with the team on their baseball skills. They would also share their experiences on and off the field with the team and mentor Smith. Smith has carried what he learned from those players into, among other things, giving back to the community once his playing career ended. In a recent interview Smith stated,
“Baseball has been a big part of my life, but I don’t look at it as being my life. I feel like I’m capable of doing other things, and I have done other things. But none of them have given me the satisfaction of baseball, which is why I got back into the teaching side of it. I have my own academy now. My purpose in life is to teach. My goal is to share the things I’ve learned, and hopefully some other kids — some other individuals — will have the opportunities to enjoy baseball, or any sport for that matter, as I have. The game of baseball has provided me with the economic mobility to do those things.”
Reggie attended Centennial High School in Compton, California. Reggie was an All-State performer in both baseball and football, enjoying a celebrated career in high school and attracting offers from college and pro teams. Smith had a tryout with Houston at Dodger Stadium during his senior year but chose not to sign with them. Instead, he later signed with Minnesota as a shortstop after he graduated in 1963. At the time, Smith’s father, who had a dream that Reggie would one day go to college, was very sick. Because he wanted to help his family financially Smith decided to forego college and signed professionally so he could start earning some money.
Smith started his pro career with Wytheville in the Appalachian League. His first year was decent, albeit not particularly great. As is always the case with MLB, the owners are forever looking for ways to minimize the signing bonuses paid to prospects. Among their many unsuccessful attempts, was the First-Year Player Draft which was in place from 1959 to 1964. Under this draft, teams were allowed to draft a player who was on the roster of another team at a lower level and who had just completed his first season in pro ball. Although it was often referred to as a bonus rule, it actually covered all first-year players, regardless of whether they had actually received a signing bonus. Smith was one of the players affected by this draft. He had been left unprotected by the Twins, and he was drafted by the Red Sox. Once with the Red Sox, Smith soon became one of their top prospects. In 1966, as a 21 year old, Smith played on the Red Sox AAA team in Toronto where he played for Dick Williams The team would win the league championship. Smith hit .320, which led the league.
Smith was a late-season call-up to the Red Sox that season, but only got into 6 games. The Red Sox were a sorry team that year finishing 9th. In 1967, Dick Williams was hired to take over as manager for the Red Sox. Williams intended on making Smith his starting center-fielder, but during the spring, starting second baseman, Mike Andrews hurt his back. As a result, Smith started the season playing second base. While his overall statistics seemed rather pedestrian, .246/.315/.389, Smith made quite a contribution to this team as it made a miraculous turn around. Smith and the team, started the year very slowly, but after mid-May, he came on strong and helped lead the team to a first place finish and an appearance in the World Series, where they lost to the Cardinals in 7 games. Smith finished second in the voting for Rookie of the Year, to some guy named Rod Carew (I wonder what ever happened to him). He also won a Gold-Glove. On August 20, 1967, Smith, a switch-hitter, hit two homeruns in a game. One from each side of the plate. It would be the first of 6 times he would do that.
In 1968, Smith led the league in doubles with 37, won a Gold Glove, while hitting .265/.342/.430 with 15 homeruns and 69 RBI. In 1969, he had his breakout year. As a 24 year old, Smith hit .309/.368/.527 for an OPS+ of 142, the American League’s eighth best. He also added 25 homeruns and 93 RBI. Although he didn’t win a gold-glove, he once again had a great defensive year. He made the All-Star team that year.
Smith’s next four years in Boston progressed along a career path most players would envy. He had OPS+ marks of 127, 129, 143, and 150. In 1970, he scored a career-high 109 runs, and added 22 home runs and 74 RBI. For good measure, he also recorded 15 outfield assists. In 1971, he hit .283, with 30 home runs and 93 RBI. Smith was also known for having a good eye at the plate, striking out only 82 times in over 600 at bats. In 1972, despite missing 25 games to injury, Smith hit .270, with 21 homeruns and 74 RBI. He also continued his mastery of the strike zone in that he struck out less times than he had walked. In 1973, Smith missed 41 games to injury, but still managed to hit .303, with 21 home runs and 69 RBI in slightly over 400 at bats. He also had his highest OPS as a Red Sox, .913.
But while Smith was maturing as a player, there were social challenges that Boston threw at African-Americans, and in the big arena of Boston sports, the pressure was amplified. Boston was the last major-league team to integrate, when it called up Pumpsie Green on July 21, 1959. It was the only team in MLB forced to do so by a government agency. Moreover, unlike other major league clubs, the Red Sox did not insist that Green be allowed to stay in the same hotels as the rest of his teammates. He had to secure his own lodging, often miles away. When Reggie Smith was a rookie in 1967, he was one of the very first African-American players the team had brought up with star potential. Above Dick Williams and the team’s GM Dick O’Connell, the front office and ownership of the organization remained notoriously prejudiced. Jackie Robinson, who had played alongside and mentored Dick Williams, and even knowing Williams was not a bigot, publicly stated that he had to root against the Sox because owner Tom Yawkey was “one of the most bigoted guys in baseball.” Boston Globe op-ed page editor Marty Nolan used to the Red Sox as “The Klavern” a term the Ku Klux Klan used for their regional chapters.
According to teammate John Curtis,
“Race relations in the clubhouse actually weren’t that bad. It was the front office where all the bigotry was festering. I don’t recall any of my teammates making a racist remark about Reggie while I was in Boston.”
In fact, Smith’s closest friend and fishing buddy was Carl Yastrzemski. Unfortunately, many of the fans in Boston shared Yawkey’s racial views, but practiced a different, less refined way of expressing it. According to pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Smith
“used to receive hate mail that started with a racist epithet and then got worse. Playing in the outfield, he had to wear a batting helmet to protect himself from hard objects being thrown by his own team’s fans.”
Curtis elaborated:
“He (Smith) said some people in the bleachers would throw batteries, heated coins, and other projectiles at him. He also told me about a night when some hooligans drove up to his house and emptied the garbage cans he’d placed by the driveway all over his front lawn. That’s when I began to understand that Boston was a different town for him than it was for me.”
Smith hadn’t been prepared for the intensity of Bostonians’ open hate for people based on race. Having grown up in a Los Angeles neighborhood that was more integrated and where social mores more relaxed, Smith couldn’t fully adjust to the atmosphere. Moreover, unlike other players, Smith didn’t choose to suck it up and gut it out. As Howard Bryant explained the situation in his 2002 book Shut Out,
“There was no way, Smith thought, that he could not enter the fray… He was expected to produce winning baseball for the home fans, although some were the very people who sought to deny him rights as a person. He did not handle this conflict well, and he waged what was at times was a constant war with the home fans at Fenway Park.”
After the 1973 season, perhaps frustrated by Smith’s injuries, and perhaps influenced by the difficult relationship between Smith and the Boston fans, the Red Sox traded him to the Cardinals after the 1973 season, for Bernie Carbo and others.
In 1974, his first season with the Cardinals, Smith totaled his best offensive year yet, hitting .309, with 23 homeruns and 100 RBI. He also had an OPS+ of 155 over 598 plate appearances. Because of his arm, the Cardinals move him to right field (where he would finish his career). The Cards finished second to Pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games, but Smith’s stellar season, established him as a star in the league. He also earned a roster spot in the All-Star game, his third of seven.
“St. Louis was a much friendlier environment for him,” John Curtis opined, “because he had two talented and very proud individuals to look up to there–Bob Gibson and Lou Brock.”
Smith had always felt he was a National League player trapped in the American League. And as perhaps the single most ferociously competitive African-American athlete in baseball, Bob Gibson was able to provide cover for Smith’s intensity, even while reveling in it; according to Curtis, who later joined Smith in moving to the Cardinals. “Gibby used to call him ‘Spike’,” after the unyielding guard dog in the Bugs Bunny cartoon.
Although Smith was happier, the 1975 and ’76 seasons were more frustrating for the Cardinals. In ’75 his OPS+ of 137, while very good, was off his ’74 mark, and the team had tumbled into a tie for third place. Smith played about half his games at first base. In ’76, the team sagged further, and through June 15, his OPS+ at 95 was below league average. During the 1976 season, the Cardinals’ front office feared they might not be able to sign him as a free agent at the end of the season, so they traded him to his hometown team in the above mentioned trade. And Dodger fans were happy they did.
With the Dodgers Smith picked up his offense with an OPS+ of 133 for the rest of the season. The next year, he was the team’s offensive leader, leading the league in OPS+ with a career-best 168 and being a part of the 4 hitters that hit 30 or more homers. He chipped in with 32 home runs. Smith’s line of .307/.427/.576 was supported by his 104 walks and 104 runs. He also had a league leading .427 on base percentage. This was a team that had excellence all over the field, but prior to Smith’s arrival was lacking in intensity. Smith’s intensity, even when turned down a notch in because of being in a more comfortable environment, was an infusion of energy that the Dodgers needed. As Dusty Baker put it,
“Reggie’s a foxhole dude. If it was war or a baseball game, there wouldn’t be another person I want (more) next to me.”
The Dodgers won the pennant in 1977, but lost the World Series to the Yankees, as they would the next season. Smith hit a home run in the 3rd inning of game 6 to give the Dodgers the lead, only to have the “other” Reggie go all Mr. October and hit 3 home runs over the final 6 innings to win the game and the series. It still hurts thinking about it!
Smith’s 1978 campaign was close to his previous year, .295/.382/559, with 29 home runs, 93 RBI and 82 runs. His 162 OPS+ was good enough for second in the N.L. He was starting to lose some range outfield, but he still had a cannon for an arm. He was once again an All-Star, but like in 1977, the Dodgers lost the World Series to the hated Yankees.
In mid-July of 1979, Smith was injured which ended his season after only 68 games. Before his injury, he was on pace to match, offensively, his prior 2 years with the Dodgers. 1980, however, saw a great pick-up in his offensive production. His .322/.392/.508 line created an OPS+ of 151 which would have been second in the league if he had made enough plate appearances. Unfortunately, injuries factored in again, as he only played in 92 games. In 1981, he was relegated to a pinch-hitting/part time role and he only got 44 at-bats.
In 1982 he signed with the San Francisco Giants as a free agent. The Giants were managed by Frank Robinson, who along with Smith, was the only other player in the history of the game who had appeared in both All-Star games and World Series in both leagues. In his final major-league season, Smith appeared in 106 games for the Giants, batting .284 with 18 homers and 56 RBI.
In 1983 and 1984, Smith played in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants. While his offensive production was good, Smith was once again exposed to a racially hostile environment. After the 1984 season, Smith retired.
In 1993, Smith became field coordinator for the Dodgers’ minor-league operations department. The next year he became the major-league team’s hitting coach, a post he held through 1999. He coached the 2000 U.S. Olympic baseball team that won the Gold Medal, and was the batting coach for the 2006 U.S. entry in the World Baseball Classic. In 1999 he helped coach Team USA to a Silver Medal in the Pan American Games. That team went on to take the Gold Medal in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, with Reggie as their hitting coach. Reggie enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a coach and teacher. He has worked with the Dodgers as their hitting instructor and first base coach. Smith also served in the Dodgers minor league system. Mike Piazza paid tribute to Smith in his HOF induction speech. Reggie was credited for bringing Piazza back from his home after he had quit the game.
Smith has also helped groom the Dodger coaching staff of the future, as he has molded several young men in the old “Dodger Way.” A mind set of winning and building champions through strong character. Smith’s coaching tree has sprouted and taken root in the organization. The quartet of Tarrick Brock, Fumi Ishibashi, Pedro Montero and Jeremy Rodriguez are the branches of this coaching connection. All heavily influenced by the wisdom of Smith and his years in the game. Each man, a shining example of fantastic character. Exactly the type of personalities to ensure a positive, productive and winning attitude be fostered with players.
Our own Harold Uhlman wrote a great article last year about these men.
Since ending his time as an “official” coach, Smith has turned down major-league coaching positions to focus on educational work. He’s run a youth baseball camp since 1995 and opened the Reggie Smith Baseball Centers in Encino, California, in 1998, which are still going strong today. The center is an instructional facility for players of all ages and levels, based on scientific approaches to playing the game. And, following in the footsteps of one of his key mentors, Chet Brewer, Smith volunteered to help MLB’s 2006 launch of the Urban Youth Baseball Academy, a facility it is funding to attract inner-city youth to the National Pastime.
A question that has been asked many times is, should Reggie Smith be in the Hall of Fame? Smith hit over 300 home runs (314), over 2,000 hits (2,020), over 1,000 RBI (1,092) and over 1,000 runs scored (1,123) in his MLB career. In 17 major-league seasons, Smith had an .855 OPS and 137 OPS+, which is 47th all-time among MLB players with at least 8,000 plate appearances, dating back to 1901. Among outfielders, Smith is 24th all-time. (All but seven of those ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame.) In career Wins Above Replacement for outfielders, Smith is 28th since 1901. Hall of Famers who rank below Smith on that list include Duke Snider, Willie Stargell, Zack Wheat, Tony Gwynn, Richie Ashburn and Andre Dawson.
In his prime, Reggie Smith was a legitimate five tool player. He had decent power, decent speed and was a smart player who always knew how to get on base. In retrospect it is hard to find a real criticism of his game, as he was above average in every aspect of his baseball acumen.
According to John Curtis, a teammate of Smith’s on both the Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals,
“I will always remember Reg as one of the most complete players I ever saw. …I know he labored under the weight of everyone’s expectations. In Boston, the sportswriters would wonder aloud why Reg wasn’t playing up to his demonstrated abilities. … He once told me that the worst word in the English language was ‘potential.”
Some speculate that Smith did not get the recognition he deserved because of Reggie Jackson, who had a gregarious, exhibitionist personality that overshadowed the more businesslike Smith in the eyes of national media. Curtis, who pitched against both said,
“On the basis of talent, I’d take Smith over Jackson any day. I played with both of them, and I wouldn’t hesitate to take Smith’s overall game over Jackson’s showmanship.”
Dick Williams, who managed him in Boston, places Smith on his All-Dick Williams team, a team that includes players from 22 years of being a manager, with five first-place teams, two of which won World Series. As Williams put it,
“He was a hell of player. He was moody then, but I had a good time with Reggie.”
Davey Lopes summed it up as such,
“He was very intelligent and everything he did, he wanted to become good at doing. He worked hard in the off-season at something new every year. Reggie didn’t ever settle for doing things half-assed.”
Whether he belongs in the Hall or not, is a question that ultimately, I don’t get to answer, though my opinion would be yes. That said, for me, it was a real pleasure watching Reggie Smith play. His calm composure in the batter’s box, with his hands held high and a menacing stare, ready to jump all over the next pitch, could cause any pitcher to take pause. He was the essence of a five-tool player and his short time with the Dodgers was majestic! With apologies to Johnny Roseboro, who was a different type player, Reggie Smith was, and will remain, the great number 8!!
Some Random Thoughts:
● A day after he was traded to Toronto, Ross Stripling and his wife Shelby, announced that she was pregnant with their first child. Prayers and best wishes for the Stripling family!
● Joc Pederson was not in the lineup on Sunday due to an undisclosed family matter, at the time I write this it is uncertain how long this will keep him out of the lineup.
● Gavin Lux is getting his opportunities, but he still looks overmatched and lacking in confidence.
● Bullpens are fickle, one day they’re lights out, the next day, not so much. That said, I still have confidence in the Dodger pen.
● The young pitchers are going to hit some bumps along the way. I’m okay with that. I want them ready for the playoffs. While writing this article, I was reminded of the epic battle between 21 year old Bob Welch and 32 year old, 8 time all-star Reggie Jackson with 2 men on in the 9th inning of a one run game. Welch won the 9 pitch battle, throwing nothing but one blazing fastball after another, striking out Jackson on a 3-2 pitch to save the game. I’ll take that excitement any day.
Discussion (88)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I think we need to blow this team up. They are never going to change. They will never win a WS. AF is a total failure. Doc is an agent for SD and infiltrated our team as a sleeper cell waiting to wreak havoc any time we get close to a championship.
Well, that sucked. This may sound counterintuitive, but I think this team needs to play better teams. They may get smoked a few games in a row, but it will ultimately raise their level of play and we’ll be better for it. Or maybe I’m confusing sluggish routine, with genuine trouble. Houston, SD, at Colorado, Oakland. That’s some quality opponents. It may not start pretty, but I fully expect they’ll be playing much better by the end of it. If not, might be a shorter post season than last year.
Well at least that is out of the way. They could go into this weekend with only a 3 game lead and 15 to play. Sat starters, Valdez vs Urias. Julio needs to be a lot better than he was the last time out. Sun, Greinke against TBD. They might need to call someone up to start 8 games left at home and 7 on the road.
Leave 2 on again. Mookie has left a ton on base this series. Looks like the lead will be down to 3 1/2 unless they get busy in the 9th. Bellinger has hit in bad luck tonight. The ball he got his hit on was the softest ball he hit all night. Seager hitting into the DP really hurt. Bad fielding and base running blunders have not helped. They are off tomorrow. SD against SF again. Lead could be down to 3 going into the weekend series with the Astros. Only good thing about that is Houston is banged up and not playing well. They need some help from the Giants to keep SD at bay going into the 3 game series next week. Then they go to Denver for 4. Then Monday off, and they finish with 3 against the A’s and 3 against the Angels. May will be examined again tomorrow in LA. Turner will not be back until the SD series at least.
This team is resembling the freaking Bad News Bears more and more every night. Can’t field well, can’t run the bases well and the hitting w/RISP is still suspect.
Where has Bellinger’s offense gone? Muncy should take a hockey goalie stick to the field the way he fields with a glove and can we call the Mookie at 2B a failure.
Top of the 6th inning…1 hit, 3 walks, 1 SB and no runs scored. Awful, plain awful.
That’s why I don’t like stealing bases.
Can this please be the end of the Alex Wood era in LA!
Right now the Dodgers have to have the worst 3rd base, 2nd base and shortstop defense in baseball. This is the worst team with the best record team Ive ever seen!
All of a sudden Will Smith has the highest OPS on the team. Over 1000.
Why not bat him 3rd.
That franchise in Arizona really is despicable. Ms Rizzo shows us they provide the visiting teams a sitting bench that put one legs asleep which is different than the home dugout bench. What a chicken-shit ownership. I’d be ashamed to find out the Dodgers stooped that low. Talk about low class sportsmanship! They don’t show anything other than low class!
Move Bellinger to second. The way he’s hitting he’s a perfect fit there!
I think we got issues.
More, more Time to play garbage
I hope May be que ok. More, More pressure for bullpen
It’s a small world. Indy Sports Columnist, Greg Doyel wrote this yesterday:
https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2020/09/09/greatest-game-ever-pitched-sandy-koufax-and-my-old-coach/5738606002/
Hint: Koufax fans will love this.
The fact that Mookie takes ground balls at 2B EVERY DAY tells me something:
Maybe he wants to pay 2B!
I think even Ray Charles can see that!
Bellinger has been playing 1B a whole lot.
2021:
C – Smith/Ruiz
1B- Bellinger
2B -Betts
SS -Lindor
3B -Muncy
LF -Rios/Taylor
CF -Pollock
RF -Thomas
Seager, Carullo, Lux, Amaya, and Peters are traded for Lindor.
Royals are moving Matt Harvey to bullpen. That is something that a few of us were interested in seeing. I have no idea whether he can succeed there, but he has 2-3 weeks to show what he might have as a reliever.
Explanation for Mookie playing second was just on ESPN.com. They want him to get some playing time there in case there is an emergency need at the position in the playoffs. At least that is what has been said. Also Mookie asked to play there. That is on the Dodger site. And he played it 6 years ago in Boston. So, no need to get Ur Panties in a bunch. Lakers up 19 in the 3rd.
First off I doubt there is anything wrong with Mookie. You guys come up with the weirdest ideas. Mookie was drafted as an infielder, and maybe Dave asked him a while ago if he would be ok with playing there. Mookie makes one bad throw and the whole site goes bonkers. He rushed the throw and it was offline and too far, that ought to tell you how ok his arm is.
DODGERS RECALL RHP JOE KELLY
RHP WALKER BUEHLER PLACED ON THE 10-DAY IL
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have recalled right-handed pitcher Joe Kelly and placed right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler on the 10-day injured list with a blister on his right hand, retroactive to September 9. Kelly will begin serving his five-game suspension tonight.
Kelly, 32, returns from the IL after missing 27 games with shoulder inflammation. Prior to the injury, the right-hander appeared in seven games for the Dodgers in 2020, tossing 6.1 innings, allowing five hits with five walks and five strikeouts without allowing a run. He is in his second season with Los Angeles and is a combined 5-4 with a 4.06 ERA (26 ER/57.2 IP) and 67 strikeouts in 62 games. In his nine-year career, split between the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Dodgers, he is a combined 48-29 with a 3.89 ERA (295 ERA/683.0 IP) and 565 strikeouts. The Southern California native was originally drafted in the third round of the 2009 First Year Player Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals out of UC Riverside.
Buehler, 26, heads to the injured list for the second time with a blister issue on his throwing hand. The Kentucky native made the start on Tuesday, tossing 2.2 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on four hits. On the season, he is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA (14 ER/32.2 IP) and 36 strikeouts. In parts of four Major League seasons, he is a combined 24-9 with a 3.19 ERA (128 ER/361.2 IP) and 414 strikeouts in 69 games (60 starts). Last season he set career marks, going 14-4 with a 3.26 ERA (66 ER/182.1 IP) and 215 strikeouts in 30 starts. The 2019 All-Star was originally selected by the Dodgers in the first round (24th overall) of the 2015 First Year Player Draft out of Vanderbilt University.
Kelly back. Buehler to IL.
Kelly is now on the active roster but will start serving his 5 game suspension so we’ll be a pitcher short.
Here we go. If this line up is the real deal and not a joke, Doc has taken to the practice again of pulling names out of his hat for the line up and defense. This makes no sense. I can only pray that Betts doesn’t get hurt in the infield. He’s a great athlete but does anybody take this switch seriously for the future? Last year in September it was try out time especially at 2nd base where he tried 5 guys. And where did that take us?
I will say again. Players like predictability. They like to know when they will play. They like to know where they play. They would like a predictable batting order. They won’t say it to the media.
It’s all in preparation of the playoffs and getting ready. We pulled this bullship last year and you may remember how we did in the playoffs.
I have been extremely patient with Doc and thought we had things pretty set. Than Lux came up. Now he’s overmanaging again. I know he values versatility but come on.
Please, tell me this is a joke and I took the bait hook, line and sinker.
Please tell me Betts isn’t at 2nd base! Is Joc at 1st?
Anybody have any thoughts about Mookie playing second because maybe something is wrong with his arm or shoulder?
Why in the world would you start Mookie at second just to move your best second baseman to right field (Kike)?
Me thinks there may be more here than meets the eye.
That’s one way to solve the 2nd base issue!
Tonights line up
1. Betts 2B
2. Seager SS
3. Pollock LF
4. Muncy 3B
5. Taylor CF
6. Bellinger 1B
7. Hernandez, RF
8. Smith DH
9. Barnes C
May P
Az
1. Rojas DH
2. VanMeter 2B
3. Walker 1B
4. Calhoun RF
5. Escobar 3B
6. Peralta LF
7. Ahmed SS
8. Varsho CF
9. Kelly C
Bumgarner P
Lux doesn’t look like a MLB ready 2B to me – 2 more errant throws last night and he just isn’t smooth out there. Not too impressed with his stick either.
Belli looks totally lost.
Dodgers very susceptible to low and away off speed stuff – looked really stupid on that last night.
10 more LOB.
Only 4 in the lineup hitting better than .234 last night.
Defense let Kershaw down last night.
At some point, this team will have to play teams better than SF or Ari. Houston and Oakland coming up next. They are playing down to the level of the competition right now. Time to clean it up – better AB, knock runners in, play better D, get actual IP from starters so that the ‘pen isn’t over-exposed.
Some thoughts on last night (that aren’t picking on Bellinger)
* The bullpen seemed back in form after some difficulties and extended appearances. Graterol and Fergy looked sharp. I love McGee when he throws like last night. “here it comes – try to hit it”. As I’ve said he has no interest in tricking anybody.
* I thought this was an important outing for Treinen. He had a rough outing Saturday taking the loss to Colorado. He looked good Tuesday as well. But last night he closed. It’s only his 2nd appearance as a closer this season. It was an audition for the closer job if KJ losses that job and we are looking for a replacement.
* It’s difficult as a hitter to work your way into an advantage count. And when you do, you need to take advantage of those opportunities. The “Green Light Specials”. Last night both our young hitters took pitches early in the count in critical situations that were the best they would see in the AB.
Smith, who looks more confident at the plate every day, had a 2 and 1 Green Light Special with 2 outs in the 8th with runners at 1st and 3rd. Big opportunity. Ended up striking out looking at a much less hittable pitch.
Lux, in the 10th, bases juiced, took a hittable fastball early and took a called strike looking to end the inning. Swing the bat!
Point is in those situations, especially against premier pitchers we see in the playoffs, I am an advocate of ambushing a fat fastball early and now wait the them to carve you up late. Take advantage of 2 and 0, 2 and 1, 3 and 1 if they’re fat. Don’t take that pitch.
And when you get those advantage count center cut fastballs, Let It Eat.
* Orel and Joe were pretty good last night. They waited until the 8th before heading to the Twilight Zone. I think their attention spans and focus floats away for the 8th inning.
Reading about Reggie and Sandy is great for this 76 year old fan but I was hoping to hear what you guys with far more insight than me think about Walker’s blister or Lux’s new look?
Fun article from MLB.com on the use of the bunt back in the Negro Leagues and Rube Foster:
https://www.mlb.com/news/rube-foster-tells-team-to-bunt-11-times
Giants activate Smyly and Smoak. Cubs released Steven Souza Jr.
Looks like the Panda’s time in SF is drawing to a close. He was placed on release waivers by the Giants today. Ryan Buchter signed with the Yankees. If my memory is still intact, he was in spring training with the Dodgers a few years ago.Checking the stats, Barnes actually has 2 dingers against the Mad Bum. Second to Kike. Hmm. wonder if Belli could learn how to hit from those two guys. Nice job by Kike on Clemente night. Too bad Rios did not get a shot to do something either. He should have been the DH.
The Mad Bum faces the Crew for the first time in a D Back uni. Kike will no doubt be in the lineup. He owns the Mad Bum, despite his splash down homer last season, Muncy has terrible numbers against him. So does Taylor. Belli has a bomb off of him, and Mookie saw him once. Pollock has hit .280 off of him, so he will be in there too. Not sure what Turner’s numbers are against him. But they could sure use his bat.
Chicken Strip got the loss in relief last night as the Yankees finally won a game. That ballpark in Buffalo is a launching pad. Simple fly ball to right just seems to keep on going. Randal Grichuck is opening up some eyes this year. He has made several outstanding defensive plays and his power is there. He is hitting for a higher average, and his OBP is up. Congrats to Strip and his wife on the announcement they are expecting. Pederson is set to rejoin the team this weekend for the Stros series after the birth of their new child. Yesterday was not only the anniversary of Sandy’s perfecto, it was the anniversary of my singing the anthem at Dodger Stadium. What an honor it was. Tomorrow is an anniversary of a different sort. One I wish we did not have to observe.
Roberts said that Turner should be back within the week, meaning anytime in the next 7 days, hopefully before they play SD next week in San Diego. He also said he would probably DH at first. I have no problem with that at all. Rios has been pretty decent over there. I would use him over Muncy or Beaty, both who can play third.
Nice article to read this morning, 2D2. Thank you. Reggie Smith was one of my favorite Dodger players during his time with them. I always breathed a sigh of relief when a baseball was hit to him or when he was in the batting box. I found the information on the First Year’s players Draft interesting. Boston fans still can be very racial today, so I have read. He has my vote for the HOF.
Great article. I always liked and respected the guy, and to be truthful I was more than a little dumbfounded when they let him go as hitting coach. If Jim Rice is in the hall, Reggie belongs too. His WAR is higher. He played on more pennant winning teams than Rice and he was a better defender by most metrics. But it is up to the old timers committee now. Rice got in his last year of eligibility. I don’t think Cody has an injury. I think as Badger does that he is not making adjustments to the way they are pitching him. He stands right on top of the plate, up right, and he has a long swing. He has not been squaring balls up for well over a week, and you can see the frustration on his face. And guys, no way they are trading him no matter what he could bring in return. And teams are going to look at this performance and wonder if his MVP year was a fluke. I think, and believe he is probably beating himself up a lot for the way he has played. I also think that they need to clean up their act against teams like Az. Both of these games have been the sloppiest they have played all year, and 3 errors in one inning? Come on. Lux turns around and has a bad game after his best game. But Roberts is going to keep running the kid out there. Also, Jeff said at the end of yesterdays column that he did not believe Mookie was that good in the outfield, and that Belli was a better RF than he is. That is debatable. Mookie right now is the best player any night he is in the lineup. Him having one bad inning does not mean the guy can’t field his position better than most of the RF in the game. He has been excellent out there except for last night. That to me is something you can bet Mookie is working on making sure it does not happen again. Despite the best record in the majors, I do not have a whole lot of confidence in the starters outside of Kersh to go deep enough to keep the pen from flaming out. Last night’s problems with Az did not surprise me. Kersh is 7-9 at Chase with a 3.98 ERA. The only ball park besides Wrigley where he has a losing record.
Williams called him moody. Well I wonder why with all the crap he had to put up with in Boston! It’s a testament to his character that he was able to endure and become a great ball player!
Great article ! Always loved Reggie because I wore # 8 as well as kid. He was switch-hitter, cannon for an arm and he definitely was the better Reggie. Just feel bad for those 70’s teams that couldn’t get over the hump, definitely had the talent. Didnt realize hardships he went through in Boston. He’s in my Dodger HOF.
Reggie was my favorite player when I was growing up. He came up with Boston just when I started following them. He was that player I pretended to be while playing.
As you mentioned, he was not treated well by the city (fans, press, club).
I ended up in LA about the same time he did. Got to follow him with Dodgers as well
Nice piece. A lot of nostalgia found here. I like it. Good for us old dogs.
I’ve been studying Bellinger’s at bats. Not that difficult to diagnose really. The approach on him is as old as baseball itself. High and tight heat, off speed low and away. He can’t catchup to 95+ inside and change ups get everyone in this lineup out. Cody’s only chance is to hit a mistake. I know what I would have him do, which I already suggested a month ago. He makes no adjustments whatsoever and until he does nothing will change.
I’m from the reading the box score era, still do, but I’ve taken to reading the fangraphs advanced stat pages. A lot of it I still don’t fully understand but key columns I do. This morning I was comparing team stats between the Padres and the Dodgers and a few things jumped out at me. First, they’ve out scored us. We all know that. Team ERA we remained 2nd, Padres 9th. But in pitching WAR the Dodgers are 8th, the Padres 4th. FIP we are 6th, they are 3rd. Starters, ERA we are 2nd, they are 5th. Starter FIP we are 14th they are 3rd. Starter WAR we are 12th, they are 3rd. The Fielding stats are also interesting. Defensive WAR we rank 26th, Padres are 8th. Fielding %, which used to be a big deal in my era, we are 18th, they are 14th, but somehow we still rank 1st in DRS, which makes no sense to me. Up the middle defense – their SS and CF are better statistically and their catching has obviously been upgraded.
I still believe we are better but the Padres have improved and they damm well know it. If we are playing as lethargically in 3 weeks as we are now we will have trouble in the playoffs.
Great bio on Reggie… He was a gamer… And yes Boston was not too great a place to play being a man of color…
I consider myself a loyalist as far as my boys in blue go… Trades are a part of the game… That being said, Belli is killing me… Arb eligible next year… What do we do, Oh what do we do???
P.S. Now he will reel off a 20+ game hitting streak..
I’m thinking he would get us a few damn good players…
Very much enjoyed this write up on Reggie. I was excited to have him join the Dodgers when he did. He was such a great all around player that brought some intensity to the Dodgers.
Reading about Chet Brewer and the Pirate Rookies brought back some memories of my neighbor, Bob Waldal, who played with them for one season. At the time, Los Angeles was a hotbed of baseball talent especially in the African American communities such a Watts and Compton. Bobby Tolan and Doc Ellis played for the team while Bob was there. We grew up in Westchester which was a white community near LAX. Bob was a tremendous athlete who played in the Angel farm system and was drafted by the NY Knicks. Anyway, Chet asks Bob why he wanted to be on this team (considering the obvious issue). Bob, being one of the major characters of all time, said “I’m the best pitcher and want to be the pitcher and to do that I want to play with the best players”. Chet said OK go warm up in the bullpen and let’s see what you got. So, here you have this white kid who could have played for anyone, playing with an all black team in a mostly black league just to blow people’s minds. He didn’t pitch that much for them, but really enjoyed the experience and loved Chet. I watched a couple of games at the old Wrigley Field.
Thanks, again for the article 2d2.
Agree, Smith was an awesome pick up for the Blue. One of my favorites back then.
Is Bellinger nursing an injury or something? The last few games he looks overmatched, especially on a high fast ball, he is very late and swinging about 8 inches under the ball. Me thinks, he has some type of problem that is limiting his swing.