FAZ Strikes Again!

February 11, 2017

In case you don’t know, FAZ stands for Friedman, Anthopoulos and Zaidi – the three-headed monster (or braintrust) that ultimately makes the Dodgers deals.  I have never been a great fan of sabermetrics, nor am I a fan of platoons, but FAZ is a huge fan of platoon splits… and I know why.  I get it – it just doesn’t mean I like it.  As most of you know, I…

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For Whom the Bell Toles

February 9, 2017

Ernest Hemingway published a book in in 1940 which was about a young man named Andrew Toles, who once was a top major league prospect that dropped out of baseball due to an anxiety disorder.  This book was certainly a work of fiction because young Toles wound up working the early shift (4 AM) at a Kroger Grocery Store in the frozen food department. That may sound like a cool JOB…

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Building a Dynasty!

January 29, 2017

Bluto had a good comment: The Grandal trade is borderline robbery. The Chris Reed for Grant Dayton trade is ridiculously good. OTHERS SAY: “They traded away Matt Kemp” “They sign injury-prone pitchers.” That got me thinking about FAZ has done, and I make no bones about it – FAZ has made their share of mistakes.  Olivera was a big one, but they recovered nicely and moved him.  However, I do…

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Dodgers Say Bull to Dozier

January 24, 2017

The Dodgers traded Jose De Leon straight up for Logan Forsythe.  Jose De Leon is one of the top right-handed pitching prospects in all of baseball.  Logan Forsythe is a second baseman who is entering his prime.  Personally, I think Jose De Leon’s future is in the bullpen, but I have been wrong before.  I liked Brian Dozier, but I also like Logan Forsythe a lot.  I just did not…

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Walker, Not a Texas Ranger

January 22, 2017

Not Ferris Bueller, either… I am not sure how much you may know about Walker Buhler.  Most fans know that he was a pitcher at Vanderbilt University.  As a Freshman he was 4-3 with a 3.14 ERA.  As a sophomore he was 12-2 with a 2.64 ERA as Vanderbilt won a College World Series.  He was drafted by the Dodgers as the 24th pick in Andrew Friedman’s first Dodger Draft and…

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The Rotation…

January 20, 2017

What goes around, comes around, so that is why a team’s starting pitchers are called “a rotation?” Get it… Rotation?  I say…  Rotation…  Son, Rotation? OK – I’ll stop. In 2016, the Dodgers used 109 different starting pitchers… well, that may be only a slight exaggeration, but they used a lot.  At one point last year, the Dodgers had seven (count ’em 7) starting pitchers on the disabled list at…

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A New Beginning…

January 19, 2017

The baseball season is right around the corner.  Spring is a time that hope springs eternal and optimism soars – there is not a better time of the year because life is in motion. “Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina “Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence. Winter passes…

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