Three Under .500 – Three Outta’ First. That’s part of what you should know… but there’s a whole lot more than that. The cream always rises to the top! Yes, up until the past couple of weeks, the Dodgers have played poorly… for a variety of reasons, some valid, some problematic. The cream always rises to the top! So far, the Season of 2018 will be known as the Season…
Many people, myself included, felt that Ross Stripling’s ceiling was as a #5 starter, notwithstanding the fact that he almost pitched a no-hitter a couple of years ago to start the season. Ross has been a nice piece in the bullpen and occasional spot starter, but in his last four appearances he has been the starter. He went 4.0 innings in his first start, 5.1 in his second start, 6.0…
So far, this year, Matt Kemp is the Dodger’s MVP! That’s quite a redemption for a player nobody wanted… who was supposed to just be a salary dump. Not many people even expected him to make the team this season. If the Dodgers couldn’t trade him (they couldn’t), it was expected that he would be DFA’ed (he wasn’t). I expected it and ever predicted it, not because I am clairevoyant,…
The photo is Justin Turner saying “It’s been nice knowing you, Joc.” In case you have been living under a rock, Joc Pederson is very polarizing to fans. People love him or hate him. With his new swing, he has cut down his strikeouts as well as most of his his power. He will not hit HR with that swing. No way, Jose! He’s an OK outfielder, not a centerfielder…
Some people will say “Wow. The Dodgers have only won one of their last two games and they are six games under .500. OMG! The sky is falling. The world is ending. The Dodgers suck!” I say: “The Dodgers have won five out of their last six games and are now only 4.5 games behind the first place Rockies.” I can’t tell you how to feel. I just know that…
Will The Dodgers Be In On Harper And Machado? Everyone assumes that only a few teams will in on Bryce Harper and Manny Machado as free agents next winter, but I think that a lot more teams will be bidding on their services in the offseason than many people think. Machado may get traded this year, but he won’t sign a long term deal and the Dodgers should not waste…
Kenley Jansen and Scott Alexander appear to be “fixed.” That bodes well for the bullpen, but I would still like to see more help there. Of course, I have always made no bones about wanting Raisel Iglesias. Let’s take it a step farther. Cody Bellinger is a great 1B, but what if the Dodgers had another 1B who could play the position as well and also hit? I have no…
Can the Dodgers Win The World Series? Well, stranger things have happened but to me it seems highly unlikely. In fact, I think it’s close to impossible. So, do the Dodgers just play as hard as they can and go as far as they can? That sounds easy, but when your stated goal is World Series or Bust before the season, it might be pretty hard to really get yourself…
I was a reading a piece the other day about how some basketball teams are built to win in the regular season, but not the playoffs. Case-in-point: the Toronto Raptors, led by Kyle Lowry, Demar DeRozan and Serge Ibaka. They shine in the regular season but cannot advance in the playoffs. Love or hate LeBron James, he steps up in the clutch. Of course Dodger Fans remember Kirk Gibson’s Home…
You can’t make an alcoholic stop drinking, you can’t make a heroin addict quit shooting, you can’t make these guys clutch hitters, you can’t make the bullpen guys quit walking guys and giving up hits. You can’t fix people. You can’t fix teams. You can’t fix these Dodgers. They have to fix themselves. Well, they may need a little coaching, but I have a couple of words of advice to…