SLEEPWALKING INTO THE PLAYOFFS
Will they be able to flip the switch? I still think so, but we have to wait and see. It is not a given. As you may or may not know, "switch flipping" is not an exact science.
The Dodgers are clearly in no hurry to flex their muscles. Wednesday night, they were still sleepwalking... well, except for Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker, and Teoscar. It's obvious that Freddie is still battling an injury and Shohei is recovering, but this is what happens when you have won two Championships in a row. You think it's easy, and it's not. When the playoffs start, you will likely see a different team.
Thursday night, they looked listless again. OK, I am sure someone will tell me, no... "Don't trust your lying eyes." Yes, my eyes don't lie... but your heart might. Will they be able to flip the switch? I still think so, but we have to wait and see. It is not a given. As you may or may not know, "switch flipping" is not an exact science.
Friday Night, it was more of the same. 2-0 against a bunch of AAAA pitchers. I truly believe they can "flip the switch" in the playoffs, but that might be seeing with my heart and not my eyes. The good news is that Will Smith, Andy Pages, and Teoscar Hernandez look healthy, and the pitching was superb! If you are going to pitch like that, you don't need 5 runs! 14 Strikeouts and 0 BB. That is some dandy pitching... albeit to AAAA players.
Which brings me to another issue:
Can The Dodgers Trust Josue De Paula’s Outfield Defense?
BaseballAmerica just did a deep dive in JDP's defense and, "according to them, it's worse than I think." Here's an excerpt from the article:
Scouts from multiple organizations said that De Paula projects as a 30-grade defender on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. It’s not an athleticism problem, as, while not a speedster, he’s shown fringe-average speed in his brief MLB stint. His reads and routes, however, can be shaky. He’s not very rangy, either, but that would put him on even footing with Hernandez and Tucker.
The main problem for De Paula is that he’s yet to show he can be a reliable fielder on the balls he does actually get to. He struggles to catch the ball or even to pick it up when it’s slowly rolling. He has shown a knack this year for turning easy outs into hits.
They tend not to think so and present case-by-case, play-by-play reasons why. So... maybe he's not a lock, but to me, he makes more sense than Rushing.
Emmet Sheehan is on the mound tonight for the aaa championship
I will have that game on (MLB Network) tonight as the Dodgers play this afternoon.
I asked AI this question:
Who is the MVP this season for the Chicago White Sox?
The response:
For the 2026 Chicago White Sox, Miguel Vargas is the clear team MVP to me.
Through September 24, Vargas is hitting .251/.362/.482 with an .844 OPS, along with 33 HR, 31 doubles, 88 RBI, 101 runs and 20 stolen bases in 154 games. He also has a 135 OPS+ and roughly 5.3 WAR.
That is a pretty remarkable season, especially considering where his career stood when the Dodgers traded him. He's become a genuine middle-of-the-order force rather than merely a useful regular.
The strongest alternatives are probably Munetaka Murakami, with 32 HR and an .809 OPS, and Chase Meidroth, who has hit .268 with a .343 OBP while playing regularly up the middle. But Vargas has substantially more offensive value than either.
And there's a fun historical nugget: Vargas became only the third White Sox player ever with 30+ homers and 20+ steals in a season, and the first of those to also have 20+ doubles and 100+ runs.
So my White Sox MVP ballot would start: Vargas, comfortably.
For Dodger fans, that trade has developed a rather sharp little set of teeth.
I mention this simply because I was convinced that MiggyVargas would become a very good MLB player ("maybe not a superstar... but a very good player... maybe an All-Star"). I took a lot of heat and was mocked as many fans touted James Outman, whom I was convinced was an imposter. Retribution! I have had my share of swings and misses:
Misses: Andy LaRoche, Keibert Ruiz, Alex Verdugo
Hits: Adrian Beltre, Clayton Kershaw (well Duhhh), Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, James Outman, Miggy Vargas
BTW, this is only the 4th time in baseball history that both Chicago teams have made the playoffs.
Stuff
As you may know, I live in Indiana, and, interestingly, it ranks No. 1 nationally in the percentage of students leaving high school with college credit. Indiana Public Broadcasting described that as about twice the national average. Just an interesting FACT from the Heartland.
As you may also know, my wife opened up a Restaurant and a Bar this year. The restaurant has been a resounding success... the Bar? Not yet... simply because she does not want it to be a "Sports Bar." However, that's what the clientele want... She will (hopefully) figure it out. Here's a piece they recently did on the restaurant:
Discussion (95)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Looks like I’m currently 18 miles from Lola’s table. The people I stay with when I come in for the Colts games aren’t too far away. Just a bit south of Southport off Meridian.
Congrats to the Comets. There would have been more in the organization if there wasn’t promotions, call ups, injuries. No one was beating the Tulsa team with JFP, Sirota, George. Good to see a couple of those guys get to celebrate with OKC instead. I feel that way about the Loons too this year.
OKC Comets are the AAA champions with a 5-3 victory over the Rochester Red Wings (Nationals). Alek Thomas was the star of this game starring both with the bat and glove.
Go Ducks!
Josue fielding a flyball
I'm confused here, Mark. You are claiming Outman as a "hit" in your predictions, but you also say you were convinced he was "an imposter." Every other "hit" you name has been a clear success. Are you trying to have it both ways? So... are you claiming it to be a "hit" because Outman has struggled so much after his excellent rookie season? Was he an "imposter" when he finished 3rd in ROY voting?
Great photo of your wife, Mark! But once again, it's you who insist that your love child Miguelito and Outman were rivals--even though they didn't play the same position, and Outman batted lefty while Vargas batted from the right side. It's you who frame the issue as a false choice, not me or anybody else. (Was it Bradley?) Outman, always an underdog, was a very good CF who had a excellent rookie season after winning the job in spring training--more than 20 bombs, an OPS of about .350, good enough to finish 3rd in ROY voting. He surpassed expectations. Meanwhile, the Dodgers brass, like you, thought so much of Vargas that they practically gift-wrapped the 2B job for him. (The Lux-Vargas keystone! Good times!) It seemed like fatherly devotion when you claimed your boy was playing "stellar" defense-- even while Dave Roberts was saying he needed to improve. The sad fact of Miguelito's rookie season is that he didn't hit much and his fielding was poor. (Yes, I also remember you blaming your boy's struggles on hand injuries. If so, why wasn't he on the IL?) Anyway, the brass always recognized Vargas's potential--but he clearly wasn't ready for prime time. It's funny to remember how, when Outman slumped and Vargas hit a bit, you (not anyone else) borrowed from Aesop, portraying Outman as the rabbit (quick but ultimately lazy) and Vargas as the earnest turtle. You often dissed Outman, and this was a prime example: the hare is ultimately a loser. Nice. It's unfortunate that Vargas lacked the defensive acumen to stick with the Dodgers. He might be in LF now if he could play defense up to Teo's middling level. He was found lacking at 2B, 3B and LF. The DH and 1B jobs, of course, were taken. In dealing Vargas the Dodgers landed Edman, who lacks that offensive upside but plays top-quality defense all over the field. Fortunately, Vargas went to a team that needed him in the lineup every day, and he's made the most of it. Great! AF's decision to "invest" $17 million in Conforto, which turned out to be a big mistake, essentially pushed Outman back to OKC. It's impossible to know whether Outman, earning roughly the league minimum, would have succeeded on the ML level that season, but he'd have provided much better defense than Conforto and possibly better offense. Unlike Conforto, he also had a tradeable contract. And the brass, while eating the cost of Conforto, were able flip Outman for Brock Stewart, who now has a decent shot at making the playoff roster. Hey, if things work out, perhaps the Dodgers will face Miguelito in the World Series! That would be cool.
giants are not very good. The Dodgers are a full run better! Taking the under was a good call. 2 for 7 WRISP is a step in the right direction. Another bullpen game tomorrow. Might be a good idea to give some old legs an extra day off.
First two games on my schedule went well. Third? Did not like the cheap shot on Moore. Enough to pull for Oregon? Not really.
Treinen out for the rest of year with shoulder injury
Since the Dodgers are sleepwalking their way into the playoffs, I'm not sure if I should nitpick,quibble,cavil,carp or bicker. Seriously.... The Dodgers are on an epic run. Oh well, quibble if you must. Book em
Sleepwalking to 100 wins!
Nice! Only fitting that kike should get us a run that way since he cost us one by swinging at a ball over his head.
Ok. They gave Rushing every opportunity to show if he is ready for the playoffs. So I guess he is out
Yikes, if Ohtani wants to challenge a strike call where the pitch is completely in the strike zone, that is NOT a good sign.
I kind of like the dude who DH'd all last week. We scored more runs when he played.
Mark's posting of that epic scene from LOTM reminded me of this equally good (if not even better) scene from Mann's Manhunter:
I think the switch has already been flipped.
Why was Vargas a miss? He wouldn't have gotten playing time with the Dodgers.
The Phillies and their $320M roster is in danger of missing the playoffs
4:05 PM ET
Dodgers (98-62) Giants (65-95)
SP Blake Snell L 4-1 1.86 ERA SP Matt Wilkinson L 1-3 3.65 ERA
Confirmed Lineup SS Mookie Betts R DH S. Ohtani L C Will Smith R LF T. Hernandez R RF Kyle Tucker L 3B Miguel Rojas R CF Andy Pages R 1B E. Hernandez R 2B Tommy Edman S
61° Wind 9 mph Out LINE LAD -292
Agree totally Bear! Some of his swings are beautiful! Some are ugly as hell! Instead of warning track outs, how about some line drives?
Starting pitching already in top form for the playoffs. Bullpen looking a lot better now than a week ago with Diaz coming back nicely and Roki switching to the pen. ONly concern is the offense. But if the starters continue to pitch like they have all year we are the team to beat still.
I do not like Ohtani in the leadoff spot period. I don't care about his leadoff homers. He strikes out at way too high of a percentage. 150 times this season. 187 last year and 162 times his first year. His OPS is down 100 points. Betts makes more sense and has been hitting much better the last one and a half months. Doc is too damn stubborn about this left right left crap.
It's great that Miguel Vargas has figured it out. It's also great that Michael Busch has done well for the Cubs. It means we have talent that we can't use, and we know how to replace that talent that with different, more useful talent.
Busch helped us get Tarik Skubal (I'll take that trade), and Vargas got us Tommy Edman (I'll take that trade too). Vargas' bat may be better than Edman, but Edman, the 2024 NLCS MVP is basically a gold glover a multiple positions and likely fits better on this team.
Sounds like two win win trades to me.
'You can't hide your lying eyes. ' great Eagles song. Oh and what's more human than heart and soul? I don't think anybody expects JDP to play defense. Just have a productive at bat. As for Miggy, Kim & Kike late inning defense. The OPS of these 3 is irrelevant. This should be Kike's swan song with just pinch hitting duties and defense. Same with Miggy. Kim will be pinch running and defense. Will the stars align? We shall see. Book em
I love prospects but honestly the Busch and Vargas didn't hurt us because:
“bruised and bloodied team, stumbled to the finish of regular season”. Kevin Baxter, sports writer covering Dodges for LA Times. Regarding the importance of the bye: “I think we all know why it’s important, a lot of us are kind of limping toward the end, a lot of aches and pains here” Freddie Freeman.
Seems obvious to me. Not to others apparently.
As mentioned already, last night the win was accomplished with pitching. The top of the lineup was 0 for 11, Ohtani 0 for 4 with 3 Ks against some suspect pitching. The team 0fer WRISP Will 5 days rest help this group? Who knows.
When I was in education I used to follow the stats regarding K-12 rankings. It’s always about funding. Duh. California used to rank high until they passed the Prop 13 tax initiative in ‘78. It’s been in the toilet since. There are a few states that are always in the top 10. Indiana isn’t one of the them. Sorry Mark. Women lie, men lie, numbers don’t. Forget who first said that. Wasn’t me. The states always at the bottom? The south of course.
Again, sorry, don’t much care about restaurants in Indiana. I’ll never eat there. But, congratulations on your wife’s success Mark. Any Macallan in that bar? You can get it from Andrew if you want it. Do you have two restaurants now? Seems to me I remember another one from a few years ago.
Today? UCLA Maryland, USC Oregon with a Dodger game sandwiched in there. Should be entertaining. Watching football games I used to do pushups for points up until I was about 60. Gave that up. Still do a few, but not in the hundreds anymore. Snell today, bullpen game tomorrow. SF’s bags are already packed. Have been for a while. Two rather meaningless games to finish up. Should be low scoring affairs. O/U today 7.5. I’ll take the under.