And they are off and running! The 2026 MLB season is officially on its way. The Dodgers open at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks and begin their pursuit of a third straight Championship. Miggy Ro is in the starting lineup despite there being a right hander starting for Arizona. We will get our first look at the powerful first eight of Ohtani, Tucker, Betts, Freeman, Smith, Muncy, Teo and Pages….
First chance this new season to put my foot directly in my mouth. I really suck at this, but what the hell. There are many ways to look at the new season, new players, and new rules. One prediction already shot to hell with Kim being demoted to AAA. I was absolutely sure Freeland would be sent down after his absolutely awful performance at the plate this spring, so I…
No, this post is not about Eliot Ness and his bunch, it is about baseball records that probably will never be surpassed. Records are made to be broken. No one ever thought Ruth’s 60 homers would be topped. Yet in 1961, 13 years after the Bambino died, Roger Maris did just that. The pressure of the chase caused him to lose some of his hair. They thought no one would…
Sunday, the 2nd of October 1966. The Dodgers were playing a double header in Philadelphia. When the day started, LA was 1.5 games ahead of the Giants. If the Dodgers lost both games and the Giants beat the Pirates, they would finish in a dead heat and there would be a playoff. Don Drysdale got the start in game one against Larry Jackson. In the bottom of the 1st, John…
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…