It was Thursday, June 9, 2016. What a great birthday present for me, Day 1 of the MLB Rule 4 (First Year Player) Draft. Everything I was reading indicated that the Dodgers were leaning towards a HS shortstop as their #1 draft pick. They had two other first rounders that they could spend on college picks (and did: Will Smith and Jordan Sheffield). But the thought of grabbing a HS…
You Want Depth? We Got It!!
Now some think they are really going to miss Kike and Joc. Possibly, they both had memorable moments as Dodgers. But neither was a starter. Joc’s inability to hit LH pitching relegated him to platoon duty of sorts. Although his glove is excellent, Kike could not hold the starting second base job when it was given to him. Twice.
The Dodger’s Closer is Kenley Jansen
In 2020, batters who faced Kenley Jansen had a 14% hard contact rate against Kenley, which happens to be the lowest in all of baseball.
Everything is on the Table
2021 could shape up to be the most unusual season on record… and that is saying a mouthful since COVID-19-2020 was absolutely Bat S___t Crazy! Here’s why: It was a 60 game season – some players struggle for 50 games only to shine for the next 100. Other players shine for 50 games and struggle the next 100 games. Some minor league prospects grow by two or three levels and…
And the 2021 MLB Season Begins
Today is the day that pitchers and catchers are due to report to Camelback Ranch for the Dodgers. Tomorrow is the first day of workouts. Full squad reports February 22, with the first full squad workout scheduled for February 23. The Dodgers play their first spring training game on Sunday, February 28 against the Oakland A’s at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona. There will be some rules in effect that…
Fans
I thought today I would write about fans. Go to any ballpark on any day and you will find a cross-section of America. Fans of all sizes, shapes, races, and religions. Big, small, short, tall. They all come to the ballpark. Some are laid back, some are knowledgeable, some barely know the game, others can quote the rule book. Some know stats, some do not. Some come for the game,…
Now Hear This!
We are going to start today by talking about how we treat each other on this blog. It has been brought to my attention (and I have seen it myself) that some on this website are “argumentative, obnoxious, antagonistic, and want to pick fights”. No names will be named, but this WILL stop. You can stop it or I will stop it. Your choice! No more discussion – If you…
JT and the Trades
First of all, I would like to be the 10,000,000th Dodger fan to welcome JT back into the fold. I never thought he was going anywhere, so it was not a surprise to me. Nevertheless, he is a key cog into the well-oiled LAD machine and the Dodgers can head to ST ready to challenge all comers in their quest for a repeat. Take that San Diego. I guess…
Will the Players Strike Again?
Well, here we are approaching spring training again. And as has been the case over the last two years, there are some things that are still not settled between the players and ownership. The Universal DH has not been approved, but according to some sources it is still on the table. Ownership, players, managers and coaches all like it. But what MLB wants as a trade off for implementation so…
Dodgers Spring Training Press Release
DODGERS, CAMELBACK RANCH – GLENDALE ANNOUNCE UPDATES TO SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE, TICKET POLICY AND PROCEDURES Camelback Ranch – Glendale tickets on sale February 20 at 9 am PT LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced updates to their Spring Training ticketing policy, schedule and procedures for games at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Spring Training schedule: The Dodgers’ and MLB teams’ Spring Training schedules have been updated with health and…