As we contemplate who the Dodgers will select in the MLB Players Draft next week – let’s take a journey back and ponder how well they did in the past 30 years. Looking at each year, I’ve listed the first overall selection, any significant players taken in the lower rounds, and how many players made it to the majors. In some years, I also list players that were used in…
Meet Jair Camargo
There are always players at the minor league level that come along without the fanfare of being a high draft pick or a highly ranked international signing. In fact, the majority of players fit that description yet, as my Dad would say, they soldier on and force us to pay attention. Catcher Jair Camargo is one of those players with the 2019 Great Lakes Loons. It was a bit of…
Cody Bellinger: Gold Glove, Silver Bat, Laser Arm – Best Player in Baseball?
Let me start this by saying that Cody Bellinger is one of the best First Basemen I have ever seen. Ever! That said, he will not be playing first base for a long, long time, because he happens to be an elite Right Fielder. Cody Bellinger anchors an outfield that is quite likely the best defensive outfield in MLB. Here’s a quote from The LA Times: “Our outfield defensively, collectively,…
Who Do You Believe In?
Let me start this by saying that very little surprises me anymore. I would not be surprised if Joc Pederson hit 40 HR, nor would I be surprised if he hit .190. It would not surprise me if Kike Hernandez hit 25 HR and batted .290. I also would not be surprised if he hit .240 with 12 HR. CT3? It could be boom or bust. I don’t have my…
The Final Pieces
There has been a lot of conjecture as to who might get traded and who the Dodgers might target in a trade. Frequently the target is bullpen help and a RH power hitter. There are lots of relievers the Dodgers may target: Greene of the Tigers, Vasquez of the Pirates, Leclerc of the Rangers and many others. Most Dodger fans are focused on the bullpen as that seems to be…
A Father and a AAAA Player
First, I want to say how appreciative my wife and I were with the kind words, thoughts, and prayers that were written last week. I say my wife, because she read them all to me while I was waiting for the next doctor to poke and prod. Suffice to say, I had a scare that has dissipated since my Tuesday ER visit. I had my last follow ups on Thursday…
The Bullpen: Fact & Fiction
It has been suggested by some that Craig Kimbrel is the solution to the Dodger’s bullpen woes. Just to be sure that I understand it, this is the Craig Kimbrel that Boston (who needed a closer) parted ways with and 28 other teams have passed on? No one wants him for a reason, but the Dodgers should sign him anyway with some silly “knee-jerk” reaction because he just happens to…
So Whatever Happened To . . . ?
One of my favorite times of year is the time leading up to the MLB player draft. I enjoy both college and high school sports, and while I don’t follow them as fervently as I did when I coached, I still get excited about the draft considering who the Dodgers may or may not select and I follow the prospects from my local area. According to Baseball America, approximately 1,200…
The Game is Evolving
On a number of occasions Mark has advised that the game is evolving and we should get used to it. It is difficult to argue with either point. The game has evolved out of necessity to offer a sense of fairness in competition and to, as they say, level the playing field with a standard set of enforceable rules. Actually, if you Google it, there are ample sources following the…
Hindsight: 20/20
Looking back today on the trade that brought Rich Hill and Josh Reddick to the Dodgers for Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes and Jherel Cotton, I thought it was a good bet at the time, but if Friedman had it to do over, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t, not because it was bad deal, but he wouldn’t because it did not win a Championship. Holmes may be toast and Jharel Cotton might…