I said “Two Week” not “Too Weak” Takeaways!
- Yes, I know we lost yesterday… Yawn! I have a hunch we will lose again this year.
- Yasiel Puig is starting to make me believe he is getting serious about this game. He is more focused than I have ever seen. It would have been nice to see him homer in the 9th, but this is reality. I’ll take .326/ 4 HR/11 RBI, but most importantly he has 7 strikeouts and 9 walks in 43 AB’s. He has certainly changed his approach.
- A lefty/righty duo out of the pen who can pitch 1, 2 or 3 innings, have big curveball and throw 95 MPH? That sounds like a dream. It’s not, it’s Stripling and Wood! Sounds like a law firm.
- Rich Hill is going to be on the DL for at least a month… maybe more. Then he will have to go on a minor league rehabilitation trip. It’s going to take a while. They better figure out some miracle cure… I will say this: the FAZ Bashers will be having a blast with this, but let’s see how it plays out. At this point, I would say that all he can do is rest the finger and let it heal. Maybe there is some way to speed up healing… some treatment. I am sure they are looking. All he needs to do is be healthy by season’s end.
- The Dodgers are first in the NL in team ERA (2.77). The Cubs are second at 3.14. The Dodgers are also first in WHIP at 1.04.
- We saw Kike Hernandez’ versatility Saturday – his OB% is up to .333. He is not a “fluid” player which makes some think he is not good defensively. He is better than you may think. I look for big things from him again this year.
- Check out these OB%:
- Turner – .449
- Puig – .426
- Forsythe – .408
- Grandal – .375
- Seager – .375
- Gonzalez – .347
- There there are these:
- Toles – .278
- SVS – .278
- Utley – .095
- They are 10th in BA, but 4th in runs scored. They are 4 runs from being on the top! Not bad for a team that can’t hit lefties.
- I was listening to MLB Radio Sunday Morning and they were making a case for the Dodgers trading for Ryan Braun. Here are the arguments high points:
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The Dodgers partially addressed their inability to hit lefties by acquiring Forsythe and Gutierrez but could TOTALLY finish solving it by trading for Braun.
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Adrian Gonzalez has been declining as a middle-of-the-order hitter and is best at number 5 or number 6. Getting Braun who would hit #3 or #4 would do just that.
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The Dodgers have the depth to trade, but they aren’t interested in trading Bellinger or GET THIS: PUIG! They suggested a package of Toles, Verdugo, Stripling (I would do Stewart) and Calhoun.
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The Brewers are asking a lot more than that but they did not see them getting it.
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The Brewers would have to eat some salary.
I have thought about this for a while and I believe that for the next two years with Ryan Braun in LF, the Dodgers would be in prime position to win it all. If they got Milwaukee to pay him THIS year (no increase in Payroll), then it would be easier to pay him the next three after Ethier and Crawfish are off the books. A lineup like this would be formidable:
- Forsythe 2B (R)
- Braun LF (R)
- Seager SS (L)
- Turner 3B (R)
- Puig RF (R)
- Gonzo 1B (L)
- Grandal C (L/R)
- Pederson CF (L
Rants and Raves
- There has been a Yadier Alvarez sighting – he arrived at RC on Sunday. Picture above right.
- There is little doubt in my mind that Cody Bellinger can play in the majors right now.
Minor League Report
- OKC BOX – Won 3-2 Bellinger was 2-3 with his 3rd HR. Oaks wemt 5 with 2 hits and 2 ER, 0 BB and 6 K’s. Younginer pitched 2 with 5 K’s and Rhame got the save with 2 scoreless innings.
- TULSA – DNP
- RC – DNP
- GL – DNP
UPDATE
Lineup:
- Forsythe 2B
- Seager SS
- Turner 3B
- Puig RF
- Grandal C
- Hernandez CF
- Segedin 1B
- SVS LF
- McCarthy P
Today’s Music
Discussion (56)
Disagree, not disagreeable
And of course another stellar performance against a southpaw
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and more of them the next 2 games
too many short outings by starting pitchers overtaxes the pen – thus, 3 innings from Hatcher (and probably the ballgame)
The pop up kings
So far Kike goes yard, Segeden gets a hit and a run, SVS with a BB and Forsythe a SF, all the RH hitters doing the damage against Ray, a LHP.
Alvarez got beat like a rented fat mule tonight with RC.
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2.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 0 K’s – 27.00 ERA.
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Another Knucklehead!
Kike!
I hope Puig goes Puig-Sanity tonight
Yadier Alveraz makes his California League debut tonight for the Quakes against the Lancaster JetHawks in Lancaster.
UPDATE ABOVE!
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Lineup for Tonight. Segedin plays 1B!
I think it is by design that the starters are not pitching deeper in games. I think they deliberately did not stretch them out so that they can be fresher at the end of the season. I think their innings will go up as the season progresses.
Rich Hill to the bullpen is interesting after he comes back from blisteritis. Urias will be up withing 2 weeks. Stewart should be ready in mid to late May and then you have Oaks, Jurrjens and Masterson.
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Actually, Maeda is the one I am most worried about. If he has a couple of good outings, I would try and trade him.
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Starter Options:
1. Kershaw
2. Urias
3. McCarthy
4. Ryu
5. Wood
6. Stripling
7. Stewart
8. Oaks
9. Masterson
10. Jurrjens
11. Hill
12. Maeda
13. Kazmir???
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With Buehler, White, Alvarez on the horizon.
Good debate above about hitting philosophy and RISP. My pet peeve is hitters taking all the way on a first pitch fastball down the middle then swinging at a low and away slider. Is working the pitch count up on the starting pitcher that important? With all of the HR hitters we have they should be sitting dead red and make them pay if it’s the pitch they want. That first pitch is often the best pitch they see that at bat. I would green light the same guys on 3 and 0 pitches too, almost always a fastball down the middle and trust them to only swing if it’s the pitch they want to drive. Good hitters for years have choked up a bit with 2 strikes to make contact and put the ball in play. Kids in Little League are taught to protect with 2 strikes and not take borderline pitches and get rung up.
I posted this on that “other” board in response to a post by Bluto. What do you guys think?
Bluto: “Gloomy side: it’s obviously biased based on the Hill blister, but let’s look at the front office’s endevour to use the Dodgers money to buy risk:
Anderson, Hill, McCarthy, Kazmir, Maeda
Not the best ROI.”
But CERTAINLY not the worst either Bluto!!
Salary paid through 2016, Anderson, $26M, Hill, Minimal, McCarthy, $24M, Kazmir, $16M, Maeda, $10M, TOTAL $76M.
Remaining salary obligation, Anderson $0, Hill, $48M, McCarthy, $24M, Kazmir, $32M, Maeda, $21M, TOTAL $125M.
Major Performance Received to date; Anderson, 2015, 180 IP, 3.69 ERA; Kazmir, 2016, 136 IP, 4.56 ERA; Maeda, 2016, 176 IP, 3.48 ERA.
Results, 492 innings of (weighted average) 3.85 ERA MLB starting pitching! Dividing that 492 innings by 180 innings equals 2.73 years of 3.85 ERA MLB pitching at 180 innings per year. Divide that $76M salary paid by 2.73 years equals $27.8M per year of 180 IP of 3.85 ERA MLB pitching.
So even after factoring in two lost years from a TJ surgery and one lost year from a bad back. Getting 180 IP of 3.85 ERA MLB starting pitching for $28M/year could have been a lot worse.
Any thoughts/opinions on Starling Marte instead of Braun? Not off to a good start vs. lefties this year but has hit them well in the past. Good glove, good speed, decent contract next few seasons, still young, career .289 BA.
Per True Blue LA, “In 2016, the Dodgers’ non-Kershaw starters averaged 5.06 innings per start. So far in 2017 — all of 10 starts — the average is 4.70.”
Is anyone here interested in going to the game tonight? You can have my 2 tix! MJ??
Why isn’t Hill urinating on his hands like Moises Alou?
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Pass on Eva Braun. I think FAZ is kicking the tires and driving up the price for the Midgets.
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Tax day is over and ISIS got bombed. Life is good.
Looking at the box score of OKC, I’m impressed with the old/young aspect of it. Particularly with the old guys buying into the Dodger system and playing at AAA instead of leaving and trying to catch on with someone else. That says a lot to me; the system is a good one, and I think it starts with Roberts. And maybe ends with him too. The only credit I give to the front office is that are willing to pay top $ for these guys, and that is maybe most important to the older guys who are staring at the end of their careers.
I hope those aren’t Hill’s fingers. If they are, he should retire NOW. Roberts made a point yesterday that the uncertainty of Hill’s performances is stressing the the pitching staff. Just the UNCERTAINTY. Forget Hill. Give the ball to Wood/Stripling and let’s go from there. Stripling wasn’t at his best yesterday, but still did a good job. Lots of pitches for the innings he worked. Right now the D’backs and Rockies are good teams. How long will it last? Maybe until October. They are both good measures for where our team is right now. I can’t say we are any better than they are. Including starting pitching after Kershaw. Both teams hit better, up and down the lineup. The giants are still in last place. The Bay Area is all over them. I love it.
I’m not sure why you consider Toles and Thompson cast offs. SVS, yes.
I’ve been thinking about a potential trade for Braun, and it would certainly fill two areas of need, left field & RH bat that hits LH pitching.
It’s a difficult one though, as Milwaukee are gonna play hard ball for sure, but obviously they are interested in moving him on as last years near trade suggests.
For me, Braun could be the game changer, a quality hitter who could be the missing link for us, and so I would deal for him.
It’s what we would have to give up. I would have said Puig but I’m happy to be proved wrong with him & im really impressed with his change in attitude.
I’m sure they would want top prospects, and we have a number of course, but I get the feeling that if we can hang onto this crop, Belinger, Urias, Bueller, White, etc we may have a number of successful years ahead of us.
What to do? Don’t think the Brewers would want our cast offs – Toles, SVS, Thompson etc, so we would have to give up a lot,
Who is the question? What would it take realistically?
“Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”” (Mark Twain, from his autobiography.)
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So the Dodgers are 4th in runs and 10th in BA so all is well? If they are 1st in team ERA and 4th in runs why are they only 1 game above .500?
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They are hitting .225/.362/.402/.763 with RISP.
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Late and close they are hitting .170/.270/.222/.492.
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In wins they are hitting .303/.406/.542/.948.
In losses they are hitting .184/.260/.243/.503.
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In one run games they are 0-2; in blowouts 3-0. In game decided by 2 runs or less they are 2-4.
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In the early going, they win the blowouts and lose the close ones. This seems to be due in part to poor clutch hitting – the same old RISP problem.
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I won’t go through the stats against lefties again – they speak for themselves.
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Kike, Thompson, Hatcher, & Stewart for Braun. Would open up three 40-man roster positions for Bellinger, Urias, & Verdugo.
With Thompson back in OK where he should have stayed through April and Forsythe perhaps resting his leg injury I am hoping Kike’ plays second, SVS plays LF, and Joc stays in CF tonight against a lefty.
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When Gutierez returns I would rather see him used only as a pinch hitter and if Toles is going to be platooned with a righty hitter, I would prefer that player be Hernandez.
Please tell me that isn’t a picture of Hill’s hand!!!
Braun would be a big help the next two years. Toles, Verdugo, Stripling (I would do Stewart) and Calhoun, or however you slice it, is a big price to pay!! Add in $76M remaining salary through year 2020, I don’t like it!! Alternatively, How about someone (I am ready to be flamed) like switch-hitting Melky Cabrera? Cabrera is under contract through 2017 for $15M. Following is 2016 stats against lefties:
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Braun: 122 AB, .344 BA, .411 OBP, 1.010 OPS
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Cabrera: 121 AB, .322 BA, .352 OBP, .847 OPS
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Here’s a link to an article on the Melk Man: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-melky-cabrera-funny-leader-haugh-spt-0227-20170226-story.html
Sorry, some moron had the comments “off.”
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Who is the moron?
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That would be me!