I am planning a series of blogs on each aspect of the Dodger team. Today we are going to talk about starting pitching. As it currently stands, Rich Hill and Hyun-jin Ryu are free agents. I would let Ryu walk unless he agreed to a 2-year deal under $38 million. Rich Hill is welcome back on an incentive-laden deal that would put him in the bullpen. Bottom Line: Neither will…
The off-season is fully here yet, but the banter about the free-agents we should sign or acquire by trade has already begun in full-force. I thought I might join in on the speculation, and throw out some names that haven’t been mentioned before, or at least not recently. Keep in mind that I have not made any in-depth statistical analysis of these players, I don’t have any of their medical…
Yesterday, I wrote that the Dodgers were a young team and what I was specifically referring to was that the “core” was young, especially if Ryu, Hill, Freese, and Martin are not back. The Dodgers had seven (7) rookies impact the team this year: Will Smith Alex Verdugo Gavin Lux Tony Gonsolin Dustin May Kyle Garlick Matt Beaty Next year they will also have a few. The Dodgers are built…
This past regular season, the Washington Nationals had the worst bullpen in baseball. Out of 30 MLB teams, they were #30 in ERA at 5.66. MLB average was 4.43 and the Dodgers were #4 in MLB in ERA. The Nationals bullpen was also worst in baseball allowing hitters a .266 batting average. To say that their bullpen was horrible would be kind. Yet, here they are on the way to…
As a youngster growing up on the east coast of Canada in the golden years of baseball in the 1950s, I fell into the Vin Scully trap on radio and became a lifer with the Dodgers even when they abandoned me for the far west coast in California. The memories of Duke, Pee Wee, Jackie, Campy and so many other stars still remain fresh in my mind. At the same…
I think it’s time to debunk some myths that have been propounded since the “Debacle of Game 5” (That’s what I call it). In the interest of full disclosure, I called for Dave Roberts firing… and still would fire him, but some of what you all believe about him is incorrect and I’m here to debunk it… among other things. By the way: I can still live with Doc and…
Before game 5 with the Nats, I admit I had periods of apprehension that Nats would win. By the time I turned on the TV, Kike had just hit his homerun. 3 runs of Strasburg in 1 plus innings. Now I was feeling pretty positive. But, as we all know, the Dodgers lost – – – I was shocked, to say the least. I was as disappointed as I could…
I first tuned in to a Dodger game on the radio – solely by accident – on April 19, 1952. I know the date as all three outfielders – Andy Pafko, Duke Snider, Carl Furillo – hit home runs which was the only time they did so in 1952. Also, as a youngster, I did know of the Bobby Thompson home run in 1951. I turned the radio dial looking…
Let me preface this with “I really don’t pin this EPIC FAIL on Dave Roberts.” I think the players did not execute and you may disagree… That’s fine! However, to lose two World Series in a row and then get bounced in the NLDS after you have dominated the season, may is certainly grounds for dismissal. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem….
I went to a blog that I am sad to say I was once part of yesterday and it sounded like the Dodgers were dead and buried. Even on this blog, fans are singing the song of gloom and doom. I really don’t get it! This is baseball… where anything can happen… and frequently does. Everyone was holding up Houston as a team that the Dodgers cannot bet, but here…