Multiple sources have indicated that a plan for a proposed 2020 MLB season is due to be presented to the MLBPA in the “next week or so”. Former MLB infielder from Crespi High School in Encino, CA, Trevor Plouffe, in a tweet, has indicated that his sources are pointing to a report date of June 10, and a season start date “around”, July 1. This date is congruent with Ken…
Do Deep Teams Have an Advantage in a Short Season
Much has been said and written about the Dodgers depth and how that makes them a very dangerous team. I do not think that there is a question (at least not for me), that the premier builder of the 40 man roster is Andrew Friedman. During his tenure, over the last five years in a 162 game season, the Dodgers have 485 wins, more than any other team in MLB. …
Jackie and Larry
In 1942 Branch Rickey joined the Dodgers as the team’s president and general manager. He quietly and in a very determined way began his quest to bring black players to the team. He was well aware of the challenges that lay ahead trying to integrate the first segment of American society – baseball. He knew there would be resistance in the Commissioner’s Office, from other team owners, the players themselves…
THE COST OF A LOST SEASON
If I haven’t shared it before, I miss baseball! During it’s absence, I have tried reading some of the other baseball blogs (heresy I know), but I just can’t find myself getting enthused about simulated games or what the players are doing to entertain themselves during the lock down orders. I miss baseball! I miss the competition. And while I’m proud that Dustin May won the best hair in baseball…
2021 LAD Free Agents
There has certainly been a lot of optimistic discussions going on throughout the Baseball World about the possibility of MLB in 2020. I think most of us want to believe that there will be MLB this year, but have doubts in conjunction with those hopes. There has been a lot of speculation as to how a season would play out. How many games? How many divisions? What size roster? How…
The Third “K”
Every true baseball fan knows about Kershaw and nearly everybody on the planet knows about Koufax, but only the truest of true Dodger fans know that there was yet a third outstanding left-handed “K” who once pitched for the Dodgers – Karl Spooner. Karl Benjamin Spooner was born on June 23, 1931 in Oriskany Falls, a village in upstate New York about 20 minutes south of Utica. He grew up…
Is It Baseball Yet?
I have no idea if there is going to be baseball in 2020 or not, but I am well past tired of waiting. We have had short seasons in the past and we have all come back to continue to watch and cheer. Other than with WWI when seasons were cut to 126-128 games in 1917 (from 154 games) and 140 games in 1918, all other shortened seasons were resultant…
A New Era for LADT
I have been writing for LADT for more than three years, but beginning tomorrow, May 1, I am undertaking a larger role. I have doubts about the eventual outcome, but not about my zeal in taking over this great site. To be clear, LA DodgerTalk is still owned by Mark, and that my role will be as the primary administrator. I think that I am up to the task, but…
R U Ready?
As I write this right about now, even the Haters have been forced to shut up. The Dodgers have been the best team in MLB over the past 5-years. They have a Top 3 Farm Systems and Major League Depth that is the envy of every other team. Many other team executives complain that “it’s just not fair” how the Dodgers operate their franchise.
Contraction of the Minor Leagues Could be a Good Thing
We can analyze until we are paralyzed and we can come up with all types of dream scenarios, but I am more pragmatic about it. Baseball will contract those teams. It will happen. Get used to it. It’s what comes afterward that is up for debate.