The Dodgers slugged 244 homers last season, led by Ohtani’s 55. That was 20 more than the second highest, the Mets had. The Mets lost a major power source with Alonso leaving in free agency for Baltimore. LA replaced the 12 homers hit by Michael Conforto with Kyle Tucker, who hit 22 in Chicago. The Dodger starting outfield has three players capable of 30 homers or more, Pages, who hit…
Well, spring training is underway. Dodger pitchers have looked great in the first four games, allowing just 4 earned runs. They have scored 34 runs in the four games without hitting a home run, which is also pretty impressive considering the power potential of the team. And the pitchers have allowed just one homer. Of course, at 6-3, they now have a couple of home runs. Their opponents in the…
I love the game of baseball. Have since I first picked up a bat at the age of 7. That was 70 years ago, and oh how the game has changed. I like to think that I saw the game when it was still in its purest form. No DH, starters went 9. Strikeouts were a bad thing, and players BA, and pitchers win totals mattered. They were the standard…
Over the last couple of years, I have been concerned with what I have considered a lack of power off of the Dodgers bench. Players like Kike, Rojas, Taylor, do not exactly scare the opposition. The way teams are constructed now, especially the Dodgers, it seems versatility trumps the ability to crush baseballs. Back in the day, that role was usually filled by veteran players nearing the end of their…
Like the imaginary creation of Marvel Studios, some believe the Dodgers are putting together a roster that would be considered unstoppable by most pundits and experts, in other words, a baseball juggernaut. The Yankees teams that won four consecutive World Series from 36-39, and the Yankees team that won five straight from 49-53 were also considered unbeatable. LA is shooting for its third. Last accomplished by another tough Yankees team,…
Got a gift from a friend, a book called, “The Baseball Hall of Shame.” There are some very amusing stories in it pertaining to major league baseball. Some involve some of the better players who ever played the game. And some involve guys you might never have heard of. So here are a few just for laughs. On April 6th, 1940, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., President Franklin Roosevelt…
I read today on MLBTR that there have been some discussions about having an in-season baseball tournament. I see no need for this myself. Isn’t that what the post-season is all about? The best in baseball playing each other? Besides, they already have the WBC once every three years. Baseball does not need to become more like the NBA. There is talk of expansion to 32 teams, which I see…
Two straight. Can they make it three? That is the question that every single Dodger fan hopes ends with a hell yes. I sincerely hope they do, but I take a cautious approach to saying stuff like that out loud since I know it is not that easy to repeat, let alone make it back to the playoffs and the Series. On paper, LA has a very strong starting pitching…
Well, here it is the middle of December already. Seems like just yesterday we were watching the Dodgers parade in downtown Los Angeles. There have been some changes already, and more than likely there will be a few more before opening day on March 26th against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. The newest addition to the team is former Met’s closer, Edwin Diaz. He got a 3-year deal with an…
It is the holiday gift giving season. Your favorite team has some holes to fill. Just who should they target to fill those holes? Ask 25 fans, you will usually get 25 different answers. I am pretty sure some of the suggestions I would make would get some pushback from other fans. I think they need a pure center fielder. To me, Pages is a stop gap measure and merely…