Dustin May may be the Dodger’s best pitcher before the season is over. He did not have his best stuff or pinpoint control last night, but even when he is “off,” he is still extremely hard to hit. His “bad stuff” is better than most pitchers’ “good stuff!” Actually, the entire starting staff is pretty good, with an ERA of 1.76! Dustin May’s stuff was electric, however., as he is…
By design, Bobby Miller has not pitched in a Major League Spring Training Game, and I do not think he has played in any minor league or B-Games either, as he allegedly had a “sore shoulder” when he arrived at Spring Training. Allegedly, it is OK now, but the Dodgers are ramping him up slowly. It seems unlikely that he will pitch in the Freeway Series as he did last…
If you are going to Spring Training, one of the best things is to go as far into the complex as they let you. I have not been there for a few years, but when I went regularly, I had Press Passes and was able to get everywhere, even the clubhouse, which I rarely did because these guys go there for some peace, and I am not the guy trying…
For the past several weeks, we have been discussing who is going to play where and how the rookies will fit in. Will Lux play SS or 2B? Will Vargas play 3B, 2B or LF? Will Outman start in CF? Will Busch play anywhere? There is a lot to be decided, and we are not going to solve all that today. That is why they have Spring Training. If I…
We have hashed and re-hashed the state-of-the Dodger’s pitching for what seems like a hundred years when it has only been a few weeks. I have maintained that the Dodgers do not need another starter, as that starter blocks Pepiot, Stone, and Miller. However, when a player wants to be a Dodger and takes less money than you would expect on a short-term deal, what are you going to do?…
Bluntly stated: “If you have one of the best farm systems in baseball, it is Felony Stupid to waste it.” We have repeatedly seen that buying expensive free agents is no guarantee of anything. Baseball executives are becoming painfully aware that youth and energy, and enthusiasm are really valuable things. I am not saying that age and experience are not necessary, but successful organizations need to blend them together. Andrew…
Every Dodger fan has their own idea of how to “fix” the Dodgers or how to build them for the playoffs. First of all, the Dodgers don’t need “fixed” – they won 111 games and picked a horrible time to turn cold. After leading MLB in hitting with RISP with a .272 BA (Houston was 2nd with a .270 BA), the Dodgers proceeded to hit .147 during their short time…
I have always wondered about the predictability of having a closer and why teams have simply gone in the direction of having a 9th inning man, no matter what the situation was. If you really think about it, throwing that “stopper” out there for the final three outs night after night is probably not the best managerial strategy. It may be for teams with limited bullpen resources, but not with…
I received an E-Mail yesterday from the Dodgers PR staff about getting media credentials for the NLDS. I used to get them but have not done that for about nine or ten years. Anyway, towards the bottom, it said this: “All individuals must be both vaccinated and boosted to receive access to restricted areas (clubhouse, field, interview room, photography wells) at Dodger Stadium in alignment with rules set forth by…
So, all season Dodger fans have ragged the Dodgers’ “Botton-of-the Batting Order.” Specifically, they have been critical of Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy, and Joey Gallo; however, that team they have been so critical of is poised to set a team record for wins. They are getting close, and the record should fall by next weekend. The question remains, “How much does it hurt the Dodgers to have Gallo, Bellinger, and…