The optimist sees bubbles and thinks of champagne. The pessimist thinks Alka-Seltzer. The fact of the matter is that everyone thinks the Dodgers are the richest organization in baseball and should sign an All-Star at every position because that is the recipe for a World Championship. If you believe that, you are either naive or very dumb… or both. First off, what is the Luxury Tax? Actually, it’s called the…
The Dodgers are coming off of one of the all-time great seasons in the history of Major League Baseball. Only the 1906 Cubs had a season in the Senior Circuit with more wins and only 4 teams have ever matched or exceeded 111 wins. There’s no doubt about it, last year’s team was great, tainted only by an early postseason exit against a team they dominated all season. That’s not…
At the time the Dodgers traded for Mookie Betts, there was a lot of conversation as to who was the best player in baseball – Mike Trout or Mookie Betts? Sadly for both players, we do not hear that much anymore as both have slipped… and it does not appear that either player will continue to get better as Trout is 31 and Mookie is 30. Both ended the 2022…
If I were to write AF, the following is probably what I would say. Mind you, I pull no punches, and I am pretty blunt. Don’t get me wrong, I think Freidman took a rebuilding organization and infused it with even more talent. And he did that while drafting low. But he has also had the luxury of pretty much-unlimited resources at his disposal. You cannot argue too much with…
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…
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 was listening to a conversation a couple of days ago where Person A was arguing that it was “crazy that baseball was making all these changes. The game is just fine – Don’t go changing everything!” Person B had a different take, “Other than the DH and lowering the mound, baseball is the last sport that has changed, and it’s way past time!” What was most interesting about this…
On a night when no other Dodgers drove in any runs, Max Muncy and Joey Gallo, the true “Live by the HR, Die By the Strikeout Guys,” went yard three times and drove in all six Dodger runs. They didn’t have to get the Home Runs out of the ocean as Max did to Baumgarner, but they did have to get them in the grandstand. Don’t you dare say the…
I had already started this blog post when Whistling Ranger (welcome to LADT) posted this: “I look for the Dodgers to concentrate on roster management in the offseason. There is extreme competition for the 40-man roster. Look for them to trade older players for younger, promising players that they don’t have to protect. If they don’t, they will lose some through the rule 5 draft or have to DFA them.”…
There’s not a lot to play for right about now… except pride, and hopefully, the Dodgers have learned that trying to win the division or having the best record is not the path to a World Championship. The Dodgers are resting players and peppering the IL with pitchers so as to have them rested come October, so wake me up when September ends. There’s nothing to see here, folks; move…