Right about now, lots of Dodger fans are in PPM. That stands for Pure Panic Mode! They think that Cody Bellinger is a bust and will strike out 700 times this season. They are worried about Craig Kimbrel who sports a 72.00 ERA. Let me assure them: Craig Kimbrel has never had an ERA above 6.53 – there that should make you feel a lot better! They worry about Max…
I have been wrong more often than not this offseason: I thought Clayton Kershaw would retire; I thought the Dodgers would re-sign Kenley Jansen; I did not believe the Dodgers would sign Freddie Freeman; and I was surprised they traded AJ Pollock. I also hope I am wrong about Gavin Lux, but right about now, he does not pass the eye test. Too often, I see a “deer in the…
This is the fourth straight Spring Training where Gavin Lux has an opportunity to win the 2B job and for the 4th straight season, Gavin Lux has failed to seize the day. In Spring Training of 2018, Gavin had no chance at winning a job, and he had only 4 ABs but he did have 2 hits. In 2019, he would have been a longshot to win a spot, but…
Charles Lenard Neal was born in Longview Texas on January 30th, 1931. After WWII the Dodger system churned out infield prospects like weeds. Many went to other teams, Chico Carrasquel, Bobby Morgan, Bob Lillis, Chico Fernandez and Billy Hunter to name a few. Robinson, Reese, and Gilliam were impossible to dislodge. But Neal was a keeper. His game was speed. But he was the invisible Dodger, overshadowed by a roster…
Dodger fans have watched Cody Bellinger for the past couple of seasons now and many have concluded that “he doesn’t listen to his coaches,” “he is not coachable,” “he is stubborn,” and many other superlatives that may come to mind. After less than 30 at-bats, they have condemned Cody Bellinger to the baseball bone pile. The same is true with Andrew Heaney – he is already being counted upon to…
Alfred Bluford “Rube” Walker was born on May 16, 1926, in Lenoir North Carolina. He was the son of Alfred and Buelah Walker, the oldest of three boys. He was raised in a typical middle-class family of the era. His father was a semi-pro catcher in his younger days. He would bring string home from his job at the cotton mill to wrap around golf balls until they were as…
Yesterday was a day where the Dodgers collectively could not jump out of a boat and hit water. Never speak of this again – Move along… nothing to see here folks. It’s just like that some days. Did you know that the other Max Muncy who is the Oakland A’s #4 prospect is not related to the Dodgers Max Muncy, but they share the same birthday – August 25th? You…
Stanley Wilson Williams was born on September 14, 1936, in Enfield New Hampshire. His dad Irving, was a construction worker, and his mom a housewife. The census showed that by 1940 they had moved to Denver. Stan was the baby of the family with older brothers, Irving and Gordon, and an older sister, Doris. He grew up on Denver’s East side. He starred in baseball and football for Denver’s East…
Let me start this by saying “You can NEVER have enough starting pitching”. That much is true, simply because you never do have enough starting pitching. There will always come a day when you could use another one. That is because of injury, especially issues related to repetitive stress injuries and just the dangers and problems associated with throwing a baseball. I just ain’t natural, I tell you. Do the…
Today’s profile is former Dodger first baseman Norm Larker. Norman Howard John Larker was born on December 27, 1930, in Beaver Meadows Pennsylvania. A small mining community. His father, Lewis Larker, worked in the mines. His mom was Susan Zalaznock. He was of Slovak-German descent. His dad played second base and pitched in the county semi-pro leagues. His brother, Melvin, was a year older than he, and Lewis was born…