There has been considerable discussion on LADT regarding relief pitchers and more specifically what the Dodgers could or should do to strengthen the bullpen. It is a conundrum in that standing pat might fit the definition of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Yet with relief pitchers who knows. How many have that dominant year and then what follows is not nearly as dominant…
Rant & Rave Saturday
Rich Hill won the 2019 Tony Conigliaro Award, becoming the first Dodger to do so. The award has been given out every year since 1990 to a Major Leaguer who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of Tony Conigliaro. Rich Hill is a worthy recipient and I hope he will accept a reasonable one-year incentive-laden deal. Rich Hill exemplifies what power the…
What Box?
Most people have a great deal of difficulty thinking outside of the box. In most cases, the box is just a wall they have built around their minds. The past couple of days I have read some really dumb stuff from people I think are very smart, but somehow, when it comes to the Dodgers, they take out their brains, set them on the dresser and come to comment on…
2015-2016 Winter FA Revisited
Earlier in the week, I read an article from Dodgers Nation on the perceived struggles the Dodgers seem to have with signing elite free agents. There is no real answer, but a lot of potential scenarios. And then there was a comment during the week, “If the Dodgers do nothing much at all, is that good, are we glad that they chose not to try to improve the team, while…
Help Wanted
We have what I believe is the best Dodger Blog on the web. Of course, it’s the comments and even the readers who don’t comment (thousands a day), as well as the quality of the posts by 2Demeter2 (2D2), Dodger Chatter (DC), and Jeff Dominique or Always Compete (AC) as we have known him. 2D2 is employed full-time as an attorney (watch it or he will sue you, as will…
Rant & Rave Wednesday
It turns out MadBum was just using the Dodgers to drive up his salary for the D-Bags… or maybe Friedman was driving up the salary the D-Bags had to pay the Bum… Oh nevermind, he is still a Bum! The D-Bags could be pretty good in 2020. They won’t win, but Mike Hazen has done a decent job. On the other hand, the Giants and the Rockies are a trainwreck,…
Odds and Ends
Just a few tidbits with which some certainly will be familiar. Gavin Lux: Folks Gavin Lux isn’t going anywhere. He has made major strides in the past two years and there is no reason to think he won’t continue to do so. Work ethic and character do count for something. At what position will he play at the MLB level? According to the Dodgers he provides more than one option. …
Much Too Early Prediction Monday
Let’s assume that the Dodgers make no more changes to their roster. That’s not likely, but for the purposes of this exercise, we’ll make it so. These are my predictions for how the players presently on the 40 man roster will perform next year: Pitchers: W L ERA IP H R BB SO SV WHIP Scott Alexander 2 3 4.12 53 48 17 26 48 1 1.235 Pedro Baez …
MY RANDOM THOUGHTS ON – THE WINTER MEETINGS ARE OVER – NOW WHAT?
●Mercifully, the winter meetings are over. Lot’s of questions unanswered, but the main one for me is: Now what? As I wrote few weeks back, keep her steady as she goes. Also, remember, it was December 21, 2018, when the Dodgers surprised us with the Kyle Farmer trade. There’s lots of time between now and the start of spring training. ● It looks like Pedro Moura, of the Athletic, was…
How Best to Build a Sustainable MLB Organization
I am fascinated with people who believe that the best way to build a championship is by spending more than any other team. They contend that LAD ownership values profit more than winning. Hogwash. I understand how disappointed and frustrating it can be. I am the one who came on and stated the Dodgers need to go BOLD. What I did not realize is that to some only Cole/Strasburg/Rendon means…