NOTE: There was recently some discussion about the Rule 5 Draft, so we will discuss it right about now. On Tuesday, November 14, 2023, teams must add eligible minor leaguers to their 40-man rosters or risk losing them in the Rule 5 Draft by 5 p.m. CT. Every December, the Rule 5 Draft allows clubs without a full 40-man roster to select certain non-40-man roster players from other clubs. Clubs…
Why Shohei Ohtani is not Coming to the Dodgers It is fun to think about Ohtani in the Dodgers lineup. There is a lot of talk about marketing opportunities, reaching the Japanese population, and jersey sales. However, let us not forget that the Dodgers put more butts in seats than any other team and already are a marketing dynamo. I seriously doubt that signing Ohtani will improve the bottom line….
I personally believe that TV viewership of the World Series is indicative of fan interest and manifests the health of the game. If so, baseball is dying a slow and untimely death, and Rob Manfred is standing on its neck! In 1961, the American League established the 162-game schedule. As a result, the National League followed suit in 1962. Before that, teams played 154 games. Then, when it was all over, the winners…
A few years ago, a player was called up by the Dodgers, and in his first call-up, he hit .143 with a .250 OB%. It was just eight plate appearances, so there was not much to go on. In his second season, he had 239 plate appearances and hit .215 with a .272 OB%. Well, like many of you would be quick to do, the Dodgers traded him, and that…
One of the last transactions Andrew Friedman made with the Tampa Bay Rays was a three-way deal with the Tigers and Mariners when he acquired Willy Adames in a trade along with Drew Smyly for David Price and others. Could lightning strike again? Could Andrew Friedman pull off another blockbuster deal? A lot of Dodger fans have wanted Willy Adames for their SS, and while he is not a top-of-the-order…
When the players pitch and get hits, the manager looks like a genius. Torey Lovello looked the part last night as Merrill Kelly looked like Cy Young. In what can only be called an epic game, Kelly went seven innings, allowing three hits, one run and striking out nine. This was a guy the Dodgers hit hard during the regular season. He has a 0-2 record against them with a…
Once again, Bruce Bochy demonstrated why he is a genius. Bochy’s strategy was this: After his starter gave up five runs in 4.2 IP, he told the bullpen not to give up any runs the rest of the way. No one else on the planet would have thought of something so ingenious. Then, in the 11th inning, he whispered into Adolis Garcia’s ear. “If you hit a Home Run, that…
People can be tricked into believing something. That does not make them stupid. What makes them stupid is if they keep believing what they were tricked about… and they let someone trick them repeatedly. Sometimes, when something good or bad happens, I have to process it, and it is instinctual for me to condense it into its simplest form. I read what others say, but I usually come up with…
If you didn’t see this yesterday, here is a very insightful comment from Vinny’s Ghost: “The baseball playoffs are like choosing the 100-meter finalist in the Olympics from marathon runners.” That actually sums it up, Vinny! That is a very good analogy. However, if this format sticks, then the Dodgers, along with the Braves and the Orioles, are going to have to adjust. The Dodgers sat out for a week…
Texas Ranger Style – Right about now, every Dodger fan wants Bruce Bochy as their “Flavor of the Week Manager.” He has been managing for 26 years and has made the playoffs in five seasons. He has won three World Series, so he must be great, right? Monday was Bochy’s 13th managerial win in a postseason game when facing elimination after he notched his 12th such win in Game 6….