I am very happy to announce that LAdodgerTalk will be back May 1, 2020 and that Mr. Jeff Dominique (formerly known as Always Compete, or “AC”) will be the man in charge. My only involvement will be as a consultant. I may write a column or comment occasionally. Jeff wants to do this and I believe he will do a great job. Some of the other writers may join him….
So… This is Goodbye!
It has been about 20 years that LA Dodger Talk has been a big part of my life. Good Times. Bad Times. All the Times. I have met some great people. I have had a lot of fun. This was the year it was all supposed to come together and win it all, but what a strange time we live in. This is not the place or time to go…
Four 2017 Prospects Revisited
I thought it might be fun to look back to 2017 and what Keith Law had to say about some Former Dodger Players. I like Keith Law a lot. He has a lot of insight into prospects… but he is not perfect. If he was, someone would be paying him $50 million dollars a year. Jose De Leon Born in Puerto Rico but drafted in the 24th round out of…
Odds and Ends – Bits and Pieces
The one that I do not understand even for a second is why it is not OK to bunt late in the game to break up a no-hitter. The sole purpose of standing at home plate is to get to first base. If it wasn’t, there would be no first base. A bunt is a legal, underused tool. If it is legitimate at other times in a game, then it is legit with two out in the ninth in a possible no-hitter. It is not the job of the batter to massage the pitcher’s ego. For heaven’s safe be prepared to field a bunt. Stop whining, you have the ball and can do whatever you want with it and you have eight players to back you up. The hitter is alone with a little round bat.
Who’s on First?
If you know how to cheat, start now.”—Baltimore manager Earl Weaver, to pitcher Ross Grimsley on the mound.
Ben Wade – 3.60 in Brooklyn
I really enjoy western type movies and I guess for their simplicity. I also enjoy baseball-type movies because of my love for baseball. Two of them came together for me in prompting this column. Who doesn’t love Clint Eastwood performances? I especially enjoyed his performance as Gus Lobel in “Trouble With the Curve”. I watched a re-run of it a while back and also watched a re-run of “3:10 to…
Can it Ever Be Normal Again?
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.
Fact versus Speculation
We have all seen statistical models of how this current pandemic is supposed to go. But, just like in sports, the computer-generated models are just that. The game is played by people… people who are capable of some really good or really bad things. So, I will not even speculate on what will happen. I learned a long time ago to control what I can control and quit worrying about…
This is a Troubling and Amazing Time
About a month ago, my 20-year-old (Stephen) son made a quick trip to NYC to rescue my 33-year-old son (Nick) and his two cats (Tango and Cash) from COVID-19 infested NYC. I let him take my Raptor F-150 (450 HP) and he made the round trip in 26 hours. No tickets that I know of! Steve is the model citizen and VP of sales for our company, while Nick was…