Legend has it that Sandy Koufax threw 100 MPH and had a 12-6 curve that was unhittable. He was so good that they called him the “Left Arm of God.”That was propounded by the master storyteller, Vin Scully. It all sounds plausible, but it wasn’t true. According to Charles Tips, Co-Founder of Star Maker Baseball Academy in Redwood City, “the highest speed Koufax was ever clocked at was 93.2 mph.” That is in…
Bobby Miller’s Season is Over!
It pains me to say this, but Bobby is just not quite right in the head. Oh, he’s not crazy—he’s just confused and has lost all his confidence. He has to learn either to throw another fastball with a different grip and better spin and to trust his pitches or start over. It won’t happen this year, and he needs to go to Camelback Ranch and work on rebuilding his…
Finally some good news
Last night’s game was a s___t show, but Yamamoto showed why minor league starts mean nothing. He’s ready and I expect to see him go five or six innings the next time. He will be a force by the playoffs. The Dodgers intentionally erred on the side of caution for the playoffs. I also believe they are doing the same with Tyler Glasnow. To those who say Shohei Ohtani should…
Well, It’s all down to this
Walker Buehler’s time with the Dodgers could be coming to an unceremonious end and he knows it. He has at least one more start to get it together… maybe two, depending upon Kershaw and Glasnow. He was hitting 95 and 96 MPH in the first inning, but the harder he threw it, the better they hit it. He threw Cody Bellinger a 96 MPH fastball, and Cody hit out at…
#1 in Standings and Power Poll
… and I still read the Legends (in their own mind) criticizing Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts: “Why did he leave him in for so long?” “Why did he take him out so early?” Why can’t Friedman admit his mistake with CT3 and cut him?” Blah, Blah, Blah. Bye! The Dodgers need to go 12-7 to get above a .600 win percentage for the season. If they do so, they’ll…
What to Believe
I am a fan of MLB Trade Rumors. I generally read them daily. For instance, if I go there today, I will read this: “The Braves have acquired infielder Cavan Biggio from the Giants, as noted by Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Giants are receiving cash considerations in return for Biggio’s services. Biggio is on a minor league deal and as such was eligible…
Cleveland is a Pitching Machine
I have been pretty vocal as to how the Dodgers are the best-run organization in baseball from top-to-bottom, but there is one area where they are admittedly not the best, and that is pitcher development as is evidenced by all the pitchers on the IL. At last count, the Dodgers had twelve pitchers on the IL, including the following: That’s a pretty good pitching staff on the shelf. The Indians…
Best Leadoff Hitter: Betts or Ohtani?
There has been a lot of conversation about this. Some fans think that Betts should lead off. Others think that Ohtani should lead off. Why not both? Here is something to think about. Let’s look at their splits against RH and LH pitching: In a perfect world, I want Ohtani leading off against RHP and Betts leading off against LHP. What’s wrong with that? They both still come up in…
What If?
What if, what if? I prefer “What Is?” One of my favorite sayings is this: You have to play the hand you are dealt. Yamamoto will be back next week. The Bazooka is also close. Clayton and Tyler Glasnow are farther away, and Bobby Miller is closer than you think. Many fans are calling him a head case because he is very demonstrable on the mound. Let me remind you…
Re-Launching LADT
Maybe it’s because I am seventy years old, but for quite some time, this website has been a haven for grumpy old men. Over the past few weeks, I have made a conscious effort to run off all the grumpy old men… as well as all the morons (sorry, Smitty). It cost me some friends, and some left because of the drama, but I am so glad that the morons…