Andrew Friedman characterized 2023 as a “Transition Year” long before the 2023 season started. I do not think that Dodger Fans fully understood what that really meant. In 2022, the Dodgers won 111 games, but in 2023, they “only” won 100 games as they utilized sixteen (count ’em, 16) rookies in their transition year. Here are the rookies who debuted in 2023: Not all of them are impact players. Shoot,…
I don’t think any Dodger fan (me included) has any idea what kind of effort goes into prospect evaluation, player development, and everything involved with that. How much time do you spend each week on things related to the Los Angeles Dodgers? 40 hours? No way! 20 hours? What would your boss (wife) say? 10 Hours? Maybe… That might be what I spend each week… and that’s a lot! The…
Why Shohei Ohtani is not Coming to the Dodgers It is fun to think about Ohtani in the Dodgers lineup. There is a lot of talk about marketing opportunities, reaching the Japanese population, and jersey sales. However, let us not forget that the Dodgers put more butts in seats than any other team and already are a marketing dynamo. I seriously doubt that signing Ohtani will improve the bottom line….
The only constant is change. Nothing could be more true than what is going to happen with your LA Dodgers this offseason. I am sure that Andrew Friedman has a plan that is better than mine, but I am willing to share my plan, and he is not. He just does not play well with others, and I do. So here is my plan for 2023. Here’s my rationale. If…
All season, the Dodgers have touted that they have a clubhouse full of high-character players… and they really did. Most of these guys were Boy Scouts and have always helped little old ladies across streets. They have so many friends within MLB, and they cultivate those friendships. They have charities, and they are active in the community. They visit sick children in the hospital and encourage cancer survivors. They don’t…
I really do. I also have an irrational fear of them. The Dodgers begin their postseason quest on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are fresh off of the Wild Card sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in what could likely be Craig Counsell’s last game for the Brewers. It is widely speculated that he will leave the Brewers for the Mets, as his contract is now up. There are two…
Well, here we go again. 11 straight years going to the playoffs. 9 years of disappointment, and 1 of elation so far. And last season was probably the most disappointing of all. Yet, we have experienced a time unlike any other in Dodger baseball history. People harp a lot that they resemble the Braves of the 90’s with all these trips and not much success. Yet I look on all…
In a season that has been so improbable, it has been a fun ride! But, now we are all dying to get to the Legends of the Fall (one of my favorite movies, BTW). Hopefully, some more legends will be made then. Bobby Miller has been anointed as the Dodgers Ace… a year or two earlier than anyone could have predicted. The only question is whether he starts game one…
There is no way to sugarcoat this, so I will just say it: “Andrew Friedman failed the Dodgers by not having starters stacked at least twelve deep.” At the start of the season, the Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard was the guy that many (me included) thought would benefit from the Dodgers’ “Magic Fairy Dust” used to resurrect pitchers’ careers. It…
… at least he is THIS year. Next year, he will have to contend with Walker Buehler for that role, assuming that Striker can come back strong from his Tommy John Surgery. Bobby Miller is having an excellent rookie season, but in all likelihood, it may be better than the statistics indicate. While Clayton Kershaw was younger, he pitched 108 innings as a rookie and allowed 109 hits; he walked…