Bluntly stated: “If you have one of the best farm systems in baseball, it is Felony Stupid to waste it.” We have repeatedly seen that buying expensive free agents is no guarantee of anything. Baseball executives are becoming painfully aware that youth and energy, and enthusiasm are really valuable things. I am not saying that age and experience are not necessary, but successful organizations need to blend them together. Andrew…
Happy Thanksgiving! Count Your Blessings…
I am thankful to be a Dodger fan at the best time EVER in their storied history. It ain’t perfect, but it’s close! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
That Emotional Attachment to Players
When I was a kid, Wes Parker was definitely one of my favorites. The guy was absolutely the best defensive first baseman in the game, (Gold gloves for six consecutive years, 1967-1972). In 1970 he came into his own and hit .319 and knocked in 111 runs. He was popular, had movie star looks, and was public relations minded. Heck, he even played the teacher’s boyfriend in an episode…
It Is So Much Fun Watching Fans Meltdown
If you want to see fans lose their collective minds there is one place you absolutely have to visit. TWITTER. My foster father would have referred to it as a place where real twits go to meet. There are some intelligent posts there, don’t get me wrong. But after awards, series, trades, and even when nothing is happening in the baseball world, you will see some of the most idiotic…
You Can’t Make This %$#@& Up
Just how good were the Dodgers in 2022? Well, of course, they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, so that is all many of us remember. However, a lot went wrong throughout the year. Consider this: How many teams could win 111 games and have their ACE pitch in just 11 games before losing him for the season? How many teams could survive having their closer implode…
The End of an Era Again
It’s always frustrating losing good, home-grown players to free agency especially when they’re well-liked and have put up huge numbers for the club. Cody Bellinger meets this criteria for some and doesn’t for others. He burst onto the scene in 2017 while arriving a year early by most accounts. He didn’t disappoint. He crushed 39 homers that year and on the way to winning the Rookie of the Year award,…
Player Profile: Reggie Smith
Carl Reginald Smith was born on the 2nd of April 1945 in Shreveport Louisiana, His parents were Lonnie and Nellie Smith. His dad had played one year in the Negro American League as a catcher for the Jacksonville Red Caps. Both of his parents were capable musicians. The family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child. Their new neighborhood, known then as Zone “61”, is now South-Central LA….
The Status of Bauer?
I was all ready to post this piece and then came to realize that I miscalculated a major portion of it, which goes to show you, always do your research “before” writing. Initially I believed that Trevor Bauer’s suspension of 324 games would be retroactive to the date of his suspension of July 2, 2021, which would mean he would be back in action by the end of June this…
The Last Chance for Pete Rose
Within the past few days, 81-year-old Pete Rose wrote this letter to Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred: I became a baseball fan in 1963 when I was nine years old (FYI: I will be 69 next week!). I grew up near Dayton, Ohio (about 50 miles North of Cincinnati), and my father was a Cincinnati Reds fan. Therefore, I went to quite a few Reds games every year. “Charlie Hustle” (aka…
Payroll and Roster Planning – Still Early Edition
The first cuts are in and The Dodgers are letting go around the fringes of the payroll by not exercising club options on some lackluster players, insurance policies and one fan favorite. They’ve seemingly cut ties with total bust, Danny Duffy, mostly bust Jimmy Nelson, an underperforming clubhouse pet Hanser Alberto and roster stalwart Justin Turner. All of this adds up to about a $26 million dollars in savings and…