I will start this diatribe by saying that this epic fail will possibly cost Dave Roberts his job, but that is not the biggest part of the problem. The bigger problem lies in the office of Andrew Friedman. He is the President of Baseball Operations, and the buck stops with him. I have been a champion of Andrew since he was hired. I have defended him against many assaults on…
Everything is crystal clear! The Dodgers either have to win today, or the 2022 season is over for them. If the Dodgers win, they go back to Chavez Ravine for Game Five, where the winner takes all. If they lose, their best season… the season for the ages is over. It will be a shame if the season ends today, but that’s baseball. The baseball gods can be cruel. I…
First of all, the keyword is “Don’t Panic.” OK, it’s two words, but you get my drift. In both games against the Padres, the Dodgers have played like a team that has had a number of off days and is not sharp, and does not feel a sense of urgency. Actually, here are the four things the Dodgers need to do to beat the Padres. The Stars Need to Come…
Dave Robert’s selection to start Julio Urias in Game one of the NLDS was a landmark decision that essentially told the world that he had supplanted Clayton Kershaw as the ace of the staff. This was no slight to Kershaw, who continues to thrive as a Dodger starter and will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer after retiring. Urias’ durability is primarily the reason for the decision, as he…
Clayton Kershaw has said that he intends to play at least one more season. Most Dodger fans assume that it will be with the Dodgers. I don’t think that is a given. He could decide to be the Ranger’s Ace in 2023: Play at home, have his kids there every game, and go home to his own bed. Oh, and the Rangers would likely hand him a blank check. On…
The road to the ring just got a whole lot easier with the New York Mets getting embarrassed at home by little brother, San Diego Padres. The Mets were supposed to be the second Juggernaut in the National League as reporters and pundits backed the East Coast iconic team that replaced the Giants and the Dodgers after their diaspora from New York Baseball. Somehow along the way, they dismissed the…
We Have Nothing to Fear… But Fear Itself! In 1988, the Mets beat the Dodgers like rented mules during the regular season. If my memory serves me correctly, the record against the Mets was one win and eleven losses! However, that all changed come playoff time. We all know how it turned out. The Mets were smoked by the obviously outmatched (and undermanned) Dodgers. Maybe the Mets were overconfident. Maybe…
And all the other nonsense you’ll hear before we play our first postseason game… Momentum is defined as Mass X Velocity. In this case, the mass is the longest lineup and the deepest pitching staff in the game. Velocity is the 111 wins in a season. No one has more momentum than the Dodgers. And so it begins. As a Dodgers fan, it really irks me the negativity of the…
Orel Leonard Hershiser. Tommy called him “Bulldog.” Born in Buffalo, N.Y., on September 16, 1958. His name is etched in Dodger history alongside many of their greatest pitchers. Most of that praise comes from one magical season when the stars aligned, and he was the best pitcher in the game. His performance in the regular season, the playoffs, and World Series carried the Dodgers to their fifth title in Los…
The 162-game marathon is complete, and what an exciting season it has been, especially for us in Dodger land. Sure, we could have hoped for a record-breaking 117 wins, bet we’ll go ahead and settle for 111. What a great number! It’s so uniform and easy to remember. Clayton Kershaw just passed Cy Young on the all-time strikeout list. At this rate, he’ll get to the magic number of 3,000…