If Alex Verdugo can throw a 98.4 MPH seed from LF to Home Plate to gun down a poor defenseless runner, he can probably throw 103 MPH off a mound. The Dodgers should immediately convert him back to a pitcher. Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum of MLB.com anointed Dennis Santana as the Dodgers future closer. However, AC and I did that a year ago. He’s the Dodgers future closer unless…
RF Belongs to Verdugo
Lots of other blogs give you a game recap. There are billions of those blogs and they do a good job. I just try and give you another perspective, win or lose. When they win, they are’t this king of the world and when they lose, they are not the scum of the earth. I try and keep even keel and eliminate knee-jerk reactions. After sweeping the Reds, the Dodgers…
Meet Niko Hulsizer
Up until April 15 Niko Hulsizer was a name with which many, or most Dodgers fans were not familiar. He was selected by the Dodgers in the 18th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft as a junior out of Morehead State University in Morehead Kentucky. He has now burst upon the scene with his three-home run game against the South Bend Cubs on Monday evening. For some his outburst…
Dodgers Are Still Series Favorites
OK, this is going to be the last I ever speak of this.. well, that’s a lie – I probably will speak of it again. However, Las Vegas now has the Dodgers and Astros at +600 odds to make the World Series. The Yankees and Red Sox are next in line with +650 and +700 odds while the Phillies and Cubs are +1000. So, I have a problem when people…
Fair or Fowl?
Sunday afternoon Ross Stripling was not fair – he was just very good, so since his nickname is Chicken Strip, he is fowl and this should be a reminder of how very good he was before the All-Star Break last season. I would say his pitch tipping is behind him and he could be a very solid piece in the rotation all season. His ERA dropped to 2.92 as he…
Early Notes for MiLB
The Midwest League has a strong reputation for being a pitcher’s league. It is easy to get frustrated with lower batting averages in players. Gavin Lux is a great example of a player who could not get untracked in the Midwest League, but has been unstoppable since ”graduating” from low level A Ball. This is generally the first full season experience a player will get, and it is a tough…
After the First Two Weeks
I wrote a post on slow starts by the Dodgers, and while I did not predict there would be a slow start, history tells us to expect it. When the team got off to such a fast start (8-2), comments like “What slow start” were readily made. I indicated that I was happy with the fast first 10 games, but I also cautioned that it could not last because: a)…
The Dodgers Miss Yasmani Grandal
Well… at least the pitchers do! All that most Dodger fans remember about Yasmani Grandal were the passed balls. He was regaled, reviled and ridiculed by many fans. “Sure he hit a lot of home runs, but they were in streaks and he struck out too much even though he had a good on base percentage. And on top of that he just disappeared in the playoffs last year”. He…
It’s a Long Season
I told you a few days ago that there would be peaks and valleys. That was not some genius idea I had… that’s just baseball. One day, no one can beat you… a week later, everyone can beat you. It happens, it’s maddening, fans hate it, but it is just reality. I don’t get caught up in the “the game.” I look at the big picture and in the BIG…
Meet Meaux Landry
Landry is one of those guys who keeps us a bit off base with his name, which is Simon Meaux Landry. From all reports it seems he goes by Meaux, as in “Mo”. He was selected by the Dodgers in the 22nd round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi. He grew up in Ponchatoula, Louisiana and attended high school in his…