Relief Help On The Way?

May 18, 2019

I have not been shy about stating how I feel about the bullpen.  And I do understand that recognizing that there may be a problem and doing something about it can be and often is two different things.  Maybe with the way the starting pitching is performing, this will become less of an issue, but I prefer to plan rather than to react. I have never disagreed with Mark about…

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Dodgers 22-13 on Cinco de Mayo???

May 5, 2019

Where or where would the Dodgers be without Cody Bellinger? The last time the Dodgers were north of .500 after April was 2017 and was LARGELY due to Justin Turner and his .404/.465/.562/1.026 April metrics. Although, JT only had 1 April HR, he hit 20 from May on, so there is hope for JT’s power to resume when the weather warms up. Those of us who believe that the Dodgers…

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The Dodgers Need to Start Looking for a New Closer

April 22, 2019

The sky is not falling and the end is not near, but I think the Dodger Brass should have a new “End Game” and that end is to figure out who to close games instead of Kenley Jansen… and before we even get started, don’t say “Craig Kimbrel” because he could be a step down from Kenley. Kenley’s latest blown save and subsequent win is a microcosm of his last…

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Josiah Gray – Unlikely Path to Dodgers Prospect Status

April 20, 2019

The following is from a recent interview by Loons play-by-play announcer Brad Tunney with Dodger prospect Josiah Gray. He was the first Division II player selected in the 2018 First-Year-Player Draft out of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York. His path to becoming the Dodgers No. 17 prospect by MLB Pipeline is indeed unlikely as he came out of high school with no real outlook for a career in…

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Just Rants… and Raves

April 19, 2019

If Alex Verdugo can throw a 98.4 MPH seed from LF to Home Plate to gun down a poor defenseless runner, he can probably throw 103 MPH off a mound. The Dodgers should immediately convert him back to a pitcher. Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum of MLB.com anointed Dennis Santana as the Dodgers future closer. However, AC and I did that a year ago. He’s the Dodgers future closer unless…

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After the First Two Weeks

April 13, 2019

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)…

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Potpourri and Minor League Report

April 7, 2019

I wrote about the possibility of a slow start for the Dodgers but did not predict one. I know Mark liked to chide me with that after the first two series. But 5-2 against arguably two of the worst 3 teams in the NL was nothing to brag about. The Padres played the same two teams and went 4-3. And now LAD gets to face the Rockies without having to…

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Positional Gaps in the Organization

April 6, 2019

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….

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What About the Platoons?

April 2, 2019

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…

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Pitching – Depth vs Stars

March 24, 2019

I drove down to LA this weekend to visit a very close family friend and sharing in his surprise 75th birthday. At the hotel, I turned on the TV only to see SportsNet LA and watched Access Dodgers. I do miss LA for Dodger TV and Dodger Talk Radio. One comment I heard from Pedro Moura was that the Dodgers are not flashy and have a ton of depth but…

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