Clayton Kershaw
What Do The Dodgers Know That We Don’t?
At the trade deadline, Dodger fans were generally underwhelmed by the acquisitions of Kike Hernandez, Amed Rosario, Joe Kelly, Lance Lynn, and Ryan Yarbrough. I have opted not to copy and paste what many of you said about the players Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes acquired at the trade deadline so as to protect you from being called a certified moron. A few of the commenters who mocked the acquisitions…
It’s Not the Drop-Dead Line
With a little over a week until the August 1st trade deadline, I do not believe that the Dodgers’ fortunes hinge upon getting a quality starter or two. I believe that the Dodgers’ fortunes turn upon what happens with their own pitchers. Of course, it would be nice to get another RH bat, but that is not essential. In fact, it is possible that the RH bat could already be…
A Transition Year!
That is what Andrew Friedman told us at the beginning of the season, and I (for one) believe it. This is a “transition” year. Clayton Kershaw, Noah Syndergaard, Julio Urias, David Peralta, Jake Marisnick, Max Muncy, Jason Heyward, and JD Martinez are all on one-year deals, meaning that the Dodgers have the ability to move on from each of them next year… if they want! The Dodgers have a half…
The New Paradigm
I am not going to belabor this point, but most of us grew up in an era where batting average was king. Von Joshua, who was a Dodger for a few years, had a ten-year major league career with a .273 Batting Average (BA), which is not too bad. However, his On-Base Percentage (OBP) was .306, and his On Base Plus Slugging (OPS) was .686. Actually, a new stat that…
Enjoy the Ride!
Julio Urias pitched about like I thought he would play in his first game back from the IL. He was rusty and gave up a lot of soft contact in the first inning. The Royals got just one extra-base hit, but Julio was not sharp. That was to be expected. He was using all his pitches but did not have command of them – kind of like what you would…
Like a Bad Penny…
For the uninitiated, the saying, “Like a Bad Penny” refers to the idea that if you get a penny that is damaged, spindled and/or mutilated, it comes back to you. A few days ago, I said that we were seeing the “tip of the iceberg” and that there is a story behind the Dodger woes. It turns out that it’s the same old story. Players on the Dodger’s major and…
The Iceberg Principle: What’s Below the Surface
When an iceberg is floating free in the ocean, only a small part of the whole is actually visible. Perhaps ten percent of the iceberg is discernible above the water line, while the rest is hidden below the surface in the depths of the ocean. Think about that, ninety percent of the iceberg is invisible. People are like that too. Many times they only share a small part of whom…
How to “Fix” the Dodgers
Step 1: You start out realizing that they do not need to be “fixed.” They may not even need “tweaked.” I think they could stand pat and still win it all… if things go right. Step 2: Go back and read Step 1! Now, I am not saying that Andrew Friedman may not make a trade or two. That will depend on whether certain teams make certain players available. However,…
Haven’t the Dodgers Learned Anything?
Tim Busch has been a practicing attorney in Orange County for the past 35 years and is the founder of The Busch Firm, which specializes in high net-worth estate planning, real estate and business transactions, tax, and Religious Organization representation. Tim is also founder and CEO of Pacific Hospitality Group, LLC a hotel development and management company that owns and manages eight hotels, including the Doubletree Hotel at Irvine Spectrum,…