Dodger fans are all aware of the fall and rise of outfielder Andrew Toles. I expect many of us are waiting patiently and perhaps impatiently for the team to assign him a permanent full time role at the MLB level rather than shuttle back and forth between the parent Dodgers and OKC Dodgers. During the 2018 First-Year Player Draft the Dodgers signed another Andrew in the 31st round of the…
I think the “trickle-down effect” of Manny Machado in the Dodger’s lineup will be significant. The Dodgers really miss Corey Seager and he replaces Cory with a stronger RH bat. This should help everyone in the lineup. Watch Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger’s stats improve. Depending upon what happens between now and the end of the season, the Dodgers offsense could be more potent than that of 2017… and I…
Well, if you never expected the Dodgers to trade for Manny, like me, then how in the heck do we know what to expect next? Just when you think you have FAZ figured out…. BOOM! You don’t! Roger Askew said it best: Still going to go on record that with the Machado trade, FAZ is signaling that they are all in for this year, DO NOT underestimate FAZ and their…
Well, I’ll be damned! I never thought it would happen… and it hasn’t actually happened, partially because the Baltimore Orioles medical staff is legendary for killing deals due to medical reports or actual physicals. It’s possible it could still unravel… remember Peter Angelos is the owner of one of the worst-run franchises in baseball. Hopefully it is finalized soon, so we can get on with it. When the Dodgers traded…
Yesterday, we discussed “standing down” at the trade deadline because of many problems with this 2018 version of the Dodgers. While they are officially in first place in the NL West, they look like a flawed team… and they are! But guess what? So is every other team. It is my opinion that this starting rotation is as good as any in baseball… from top-to-bottom, especially if they are healthy. …
Usually at the trade deadline, every team looks to get better so that they can make that special run and maybe, just maybe, catch lightening in a bottle. Me? I am becoming to develop a realization that the Dodgers problems are too complex and deep to solve with more deadline trades. Let’s consider what the Dodger’s problems might be: Kenley Jansen – His velocity is down… way down. If you…
Andrew Toles has a great story – out of baseball, stocking groceries and back to baseball. From the outhouse to the penthouse and even after that he has endured even more adversity in the form of injury. However, he apparently is healthy and ready to contribute. I am going to make the case that he can contribute to the Dodgers success in the biggest way by playing CF and leading…
NFL Attendance has peaked and is going the other direction. Baseball purists say that baseball is healthy and why change the game? The answer is really simple: while there are certainly some young fans, baseball is not as popular among the Millenials and Gen X as it was during the Baby Boomer Generation. I guarantee that in the next few years, there are going to be substantially fewer crowds watching…
…and you have two players below .600 OPS (Barnes and Forsythe) and one barely above it (Utley @ .621), it’s time for some new blood. It’s bad enough that the Dodgers have four other KEY HITTERS hitting .245 or lower: Pederson, Bellinger, Grandal and Hernandez. The diference is that their OPS are all .779 to .843. We all know what the definition of insanity is. Let’s face it: Barnes, Utley…
… AND SOME OF THEM MIGHT NOT BE POPULAR. It was said that the entire Dodger team watched Walker Buehler throw a simulated game yesterday – he’s not just another arm. His stuff is electric and he should ready to start next weekend against the Angels. I have heard that he likley will not have a cap on his innings this year (within reason). I expect to see him log…