Bleacher Report ranked all 30 MLB teams playoff odds and of course, the Dodgers were #1 with a 95% chance of making the playoffs. The Twins were second with a 90% chance and the Yankees were tied for third with an 85% chance (of course they pay in a tougher division). Surprisingly, the Tampa Bay Rays were only given a 60% chance. The Asstericks were also tied for third with…
Rant & Rave Thursday
Tradewinds Are Brewing… This Dodger team for 2020 is the deepest in major league history and has no obvious holes. Cut to the chase: I think it’s time to make another trade like the “Salary Dump” to the Reds whereby the Dodgers ended up with Jo Jo Gray, Mookie Bettes and David Price. Well, that wasn’t “exactly” the trade, but it was effectively the trade as Jeter Downs was a…
Cody Thomas – the Other Cody
On Monday outfielder Cody Thomas made a bit of a splash with the Dodgers after entering the game in the sixth inning to replace Cody Bellinger, although he moved to right field. All Thomas did was drive the first pitch he saw to the opposite field for a home run and then rob Blake Rutherford of a home run with a catch that would be Bellinger-like. Granted it is an…
Get Off My Lawn!
Count this as my latest of the “Dodger Codger” series. The older I get, the more I look at myself and realize that I sound like an old man. And then I realize, “I am an old man.” I’m nearing 60. I have followed the Dodgers for 55 years., and I could cite to you incidents from every Dodger season back to my years as a young child. We are…
Random Thoughts on Spring Training
On Saturday, AC provided us with an amazing analysis of questions to be answered this spring. It prompted me to go back a few years and see what the pressing questions were in the spring for the past few seasons and how they were answered: Last year, the top questions facing the Dodgers heading into Spring training were: • Is Clayton Kershaw definitely in decline? I would feel safe to…
Progress is not Linear!
While you can’t place a lot of stock in preseason games… especially the first one, you can see that the Boys in Blue are motivated and eager to get this show on the road. This team as constructed is good enough to win the World Series, but you have to play the games to decide that. Some players will continue to grow, some will regress and some will stay the…
It’s Time For Dodger Baseball
Time for Dodger Baseball. I like the sound of that as we begin Spring Training games today against the hated Giants. We all know ST games are meaningless in wins and losses, but I still want to see a win in every game. If you compete, compete to win. Before I get into ST, I want to offer my response to the apparent skepticism about the Dodger pitching. Are there…
Julio Urias: Elite Starter
Clayton Kershaw was called up to the Show in 2008 at the age of 20. In 107 IP, he allowed 109 hits, struck out 100, with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.495 WHIP. Of course, he went on to build a Hall-of-Fame Career! Julio Urias was called up to the Show in 2016 at the age of 19. In 77 IP he allowed 81 hits, struck out 84, with a…
Get Ready for the Greatest Dodger Season…Ever!
If everything comes together as planned, 2020 could be the magical season we all hoped for since 1988. 2017 looked to be that season, but the cheating Astros stopped it. 2019 was elite, but they just lacked something more… 2020 it is! This could very well be epic… one for the ages. It’s a great time to be a Dodger fan! The Dodgers didn’t get Gerrit Cole, but Plan B…
His Name is Spoken More Than Virtually Any Other in the History of Baseball
Other than perhaps Jackie Robinson this player’s name is spoken more than any other in the history of baseball. Not a day goes by where you don’t read his name, or hear it spoken on TV or the radio. He’s not in the Hall of Fame(though a strong argument can be made that he should be) and he’s not normally mentioned among the great players of his time or of…