I have always wondered about the predictability of having a closer and why teams have simply gone in the direction of having a 9th inning man, no matter what the situation was. If you really think about it, throwing that “stopper” out there for the final three outs night after night is probably not the best managerial strategy. It may be for teams with limited bullpen resources, but not with…
October 11th, most likely against the winner of the top two Wildcard qualifiers. At the moment, that would be the winner of an Atlanta-San Diego Series. With Philadelphia and San Diego neck and neck for the final wild-card spot, we may see Philly slip into that final slot. A surge by Atlanta could place the New York Mets in that top wild card position as well, so it is still…
Max Muncy’s year has been about as nightmarish as one that a player of his caliber can experience. We can all speculate on the cause of it, but I’ll peg it on the severe season-ending injury from last year. That elbow dislocation injury was gruesome and as ugly as any injury I can remember. With all the rule changes that will be incorporated into 2023, I am surprised that MLB didn’t…
Back in 1999, the Dodger organization used to have these various contests for fans during a celebratory home stand that they called “Think Blue Week.” They had a series of essay contests to win various prizes. The prizes included being able to take batting practice in the Stadium and raking the infield with the grounds crew during an inning of the game. You could even be the P.A. announcer for…
I was saddened to read of the passing of our friend and colleague, Roberto Baly, creator of a very popular blog in the early days of Dodger blogs by the name of “Vin Scully Is My Homeboy (VSIMHB).” He has been ill for quite some time and was unable to keep the site going because of that. There was a time that Roberto’s website may have been the most popular…
Since the Dodgers are up by 18 games in the division with 40 games to play, I figure it is safe to take a step away from the seriousness of the pennant chase and the Xs and Os of strategy to talk about a lighter topic. I do that today with ballpark organists (the ones that play the musical instrument at the stadium). The Dodgers have been at the forefront…
When we look back at past MLB seasons, history has shown all too often that it always isn’t the best team that wins the World Series. Usually, it is the team that peaks at the right time that takes the title. It doesn’t happen often, but there have been seasons when a team with close to a .500 record has reached their peak in October and won it all, while juggernauts…
I have been away for a long while and will return to posting a piece now and then, now that I start this new phase in life called “retirement.” Some random Dodger bullets running through my mind. As disappointed as many fans are that the Dodgers didn’t land a mega superstar such as Juan Soto, I am actually relieved that the farm system remains intact and strong. Soto is definitely a…
Who remembers the 1995 Replacement players? Those that remember that time know full well that the option of owners playing a season with replacement players is not an option that can be ever considered again. Spring training 1995 was three weeks of comedic exhibition baseball. Former Major Leaguer Pedro Borbon returned to pitch for the Reds at age 48. After striking out his first hitter, he attempted to field a…
Let me just say it here. I was wrong. I misjudged this whole thing. I apologize for what was my stubborn miscalculation of events. We are experiencing something that never has been experienced. When the whole world’s economy shuts down, the ramifications can be endless. Are we in for another great depression? I certainly hope not.