After losing the series 2-1 last weekend to the Dark Side the Dodgers are in fine shape. The hitters have been in a funk since after the All-Star Break, but it hard to keep focused when you are 20+ games ahead of the nearest team in your division and are about to clinch a playoff spot in August. Dave Roberts has dialed-down the intensity and is resting players as much…
THE INVISIBLE MAN
For those of us old enough to remember the 1959 World Series – it conjures up memories of Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Johnny Podres, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Jim Gilliam, and John Roseboro. We remember the WS MVP, Larry Sherry with his remarkable 2 wins and 2 saves (By the way there was nothing in the 1959 season that would have indicated that he would have done what he did). …
What Motivates Anyone?
I have lost my love for Football almost completely. The fact that it is a violent game that produces many devastating injuries is a big part of it. It started when my son was a Freshman in high school and won a State Championship. He was not a starter but was on the Scout Team and the seniors loved to beat on them like rented mules. He was 5′ 6′…
Live and Die by the Cutter
Kenley Jansen has blown six saves and broken Dodger fans’ hearts more than that this year. We can analyze until we are paralyzed but in essence, his problem has been the overuse of his cutter, which is still good, but maybe not as good as it used to be. It’s also likely that the advanced hitting coaches are helping hitters “key in” on what he is throwing. Most Dodger fans…
Rant & Rave Friday
I will start off by saying that Jeff Dominique (AC) and his family are in all of our thought’s and prayers. I have scanned the obituaries for Kristopher Stephen Dominique because I was going to send flowers from everyone at LA DODGER TALK, but all I can send are thoughts because I could not find it. Godspeed! At the All-Star Break, the Dodgers and Houston were rated the best defensive…
The Post-Season Bullpen Will Be a Strength
Last night’s bullpen was excellent…. except for the closer, who coughed up another hairball. All season long there has been an ongoing discussion about what many fans perceive is the Dodgers glaring weakness… the bullpen. Since Spring Training, I have consistently said that I had no problem with the Dodger Bullpen and I have repeatedly said that “The Bullpen you see now, will not be the bullpen you see in…
Walter Who?
What are the skills that a successful baseball manager must have? I suspect that there are many possible answers to that question, perhaps as many as those answering the question. No doubt each of us posting on LADT have different preferences or expectations. Some are happy with Dave Roberts, some not so pleased, some neutral. Perhaps each of us has a manager in mind that we think is or has…
Watch Those Knee-Jerk Reactions
It seems to me that just about every time a Dodger player has a bad play, bad game, bad inning, bad pitch, error, blunder or just a mistake, some fans have this automatic knee jerk reaction which often involves one of the following: Get rid of the bum Send him back to the minors Make him a reliever He has no business starting He can’t play that position He should…
For the Love of the Game and Family
I had planned on writing a post dealing with player development today. But the tragic and heartbreaking news of the death of AC’s son has caused my mind to wander in so many different directions and has brought back a flood of memories of my introduction to baseball and how baseball was a language that I and my sons regularly spoke and still do to this day. Today I truly…
A Case For Ross Stripling
Let me preface this by unequivocally stipulating that I believe that Dustin May has a much higher ceiling than does Ross Stripling. Dustin May has had a great start, but has not yet faced any good offensive teams to establish his 2019 bona fides. May is a career starting pitcher and a sudden move to the bullpen could prove to be as problematic as it was for Walker Buehler. I…