Many people blame Andrew Friedman and/or Farhan Zaidi for the demise of the Dodgers bullpen in 2018. They surmise that they failed to adequately equip the pen with the requisite number and quality of arms. Actually, “demise” is a pretty harsh word. The Dodgers and the Red Sox, the two World Series teams, both finished the regular sesaon with identical 3.72 Bullpen ERA’s. The Dodgers did have the better WHIP…
Launch Angle – Fad or Fashion?
This article is put together quickly and is just intended to help tell the story of some of those behind the launch angle fad or fashion. That is, some of those who have helped develop the hitting technique which has been around for quite some time but has only recently come out as not being heretical in its opposition to long standing hitting fundamentals. “Launch angle” has become…
Dodgers Reportedly Hire Robert Van Scoyoc as Hitting Coach
Some eyebrows were raised when news broke that the Dodgers were contemplating hiring 32-year-old Robert Van Scoyoc as their new hitting coach. Perhaps those eyebrows are still raised and locked into position waiting to see how things play out. One argument expressing doubt is that he has never played major league baseball so perhaps lacks the understanding of hitting at that level. I’m not sure that makes much difference…
All Smoke and Mirrors
In case you have been hiding under a rock, we are now engaged in the Baseball Hot Stove League where fans talk about trading everybody and his brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandpa, grandma as the family dog. It’s fun and we all engage in it to some degree. But, there are two rules you have to go by: #1 Believe half of what you see and none of what you…
State of the Farm
I am sitting continuing to try to understand how the Board of Trustees and the AD at USC have chosen to retain perhaps the most over his head coach in all of NCAA Football, Clay Helton. Rudy mentioned that both Westwood and South Bend are cheering loudly, but my radar has all of the Pac 12 and South Bend laughing at this. Oh well, enough pity party for me. It’s…
What Is The Financial Truth?
I love this site. Without a lot going on in this so-called hot-stove league period, it is difficult to come up with topics that generate any interest. But then Dodgerrick provides an article that piqued my interest anyway. I have been harping that the Dodgers are in a cost control mode, meaning keeping payroll below the CBT threshold for reasons outside of the Dodgers operations. The article may give fans…
Pending Big Name Trades???
There has been no big player transactions and it is a holiday weekend, so pickings for material are pretty slim. However, as long as the Dodgers are mentioned in some big-name transactions, I will continue to think that something could happen. At the very least it allows for a lot of conjecture and good writing material. We all have our favorite Dodgers who we do not want to see moved…
The Dodgers Are Wealthy, But Are They Healthy?
The Dodgers are one of the Top Three wealthiest organizations in baseball. They rake in huge attendance money, immense concession money and have one of the most lucrative TV deals in baseball (nevermind that many fans can’t see them in LA – that’s on the cable idiots). Until this year, for the past 5 years, the Dodgers’ payroll has been at the TOP of all MLB teams. Depending upon how…
Happy Dodger Thanksgiving
Yes, next season marks 31 years since the Dodgers last won a World Championship, but Dodger fans have alot to be thankful for anyway. There’s some work to do, but we are not perrenial losers like the Padres… and now the Giants. I could go on… and on… but I won’t! I have to deliver a bunch of Thanksgiving meals before our own family Thanksgiving at 6PM. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, my…
Bryan Warzek: From Privateer Silver and Blue to Dodger Blue
The past number of days AC and MT have been on fire. I’m not sure a blog has ever seen such in depth analyses of Dodger needs and possible solutions. I doubt that AF has as much on the big board in his office. However, I do expect he has some ideas. If not, he should read LADT regularly. To try to follow in the path blazed by AC…