I wrote a post on slow starts by the Dodgers, and while I did not predict there would be a slow start, history tells us to expect it. When the team got off to such a fast start (8-2), comments like “What slow start” were readily made. I indicated that I was happy with the fast first 10 games, but I also cautioned that it could not last because: a)…
Well… at least the pitchers do! All that most Dodger fans remember about Yasmani Grandal were the passed balls. He was regaled, reviled and ridiculed by many fans. “Sure he hit a lot of home runs, but they were in streaks and he struck out too much even though he had a good on base percentage. And on top of that he just disappeared in the playoffs last year”. He…
I told you a few days ago that there would be peaks and valleys. That was not some genius idea I had… that’s just baseball. One day, no one can beat you… a week later, everyone can beat you. It happens, it’s maddening, fans hate it, but it is just reality. I don’t get caught up in the “the game.” I look at the big picture and in the BIG…
We all know that life isn’t fair and it especially is not fair that Joc has to sit against four straight lefties simply because he can’t hit them. However, it’s unfair to the rest of the team to have Joc hitting against the lefty. So, Joc loses… while the team wins. Simple math… It’s way too early to pronounce that Robert Van Socyoc’s new age hitting direction a resounding success,…
The strength of the Farm system is unquestionably the pitching. It is not even close. The breakdown of the MLB Pipeline Top 30 prospects is: 12 – RHP 2 – LHP 4 – Catchers 5 – SS/2B 4 – 3B/1B 3 – OF Baseball America pretty much resembles MLB Pipeline’s prospect list except BA includes reliever Josh Sborz, and OF Carlos Rincon, replacing Braydon Fisher, Marshall Kasowski, and Leonel Valera….
I would venture that they could give anyone on this board 10 strikes against a MLB pitcher, and they would strike out every time. Hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things for a human to do. Puig could not hit LHP, although it was not always that way. Andre Ethier could not hit lefties very well. Joc has proven he cannot hit lefties. These things don’t go away…
It has already been established by Doc Roberts that left field, first base and catcher will be manned by a platoon. Well, actually, catcher is not so much of a platoon but rather a way to keep Barnes from being overworked, so Russ Martin will catch about 3 days a week or something thereabouts. Since Right-Handers make up about 70% of the pitchers, that means that at 1B, Max Muncy…
Dodger fans complained that the Dodger’s platooned too much last season, so Andrew Friedman got rid of the logjam in the outfield and announced that there would be less platooning. Of course many fans lost their minds because the Dodgers “gave away” Puig, Kemp and Wood and Kyle Farmer is a “Freaking All-Star! They conveniently forget about the two highly rated prospects the Dodgers got back… both Downs and Gray…
None of this counts. Idaho Al was wondering why 31 year-old Ezequiel Carrera was playing LF yesterday. Here’s the answer: I don’t know! However, since Taylor, Pederson or Verdugo did not play and Miller opted out, I would suspect that yesterday was a scheduled off day for the three players mentioned or maybe they had a little tweek… like Rich Hill. If it were the regular season one of the…
We all look at the stats and sometimes believe that the stats tell you “you are what your stats say you are,” and while that is sometimes true, players can grow in their skill set or regress. However, the progression (or regression) is not always linear. Witness one Enrique “Kike” Hernandez. About this time last year (March 15, 2018, to be exact) I wrote this, while referring back to a…