51 posts
There are thirteen pitchers who love Austin Barnes . He is an “on-the-field-pitching coach.” He is not going anywhere, so get that out of your mind. Hunter Feduccia, who happens to be LH, may or may not be a better hitter, and maybe his arm is slightly better, but he is no…
Every now and then, it is all about random stuff: So, did Chris Taylor get a stay of execution, at least until Max Muncy comes back from the IL? Shohei Ohtani tries too hard with runners on (HR included). The Dodgers might sit Vargas for a game or two, just so he is not too…
Elly De La Cruz has stolen 30 bases in 35 attempts, so it seems logical to keep him off the bases… right? Nah, that’s too easy – let’s have him get on base all five at-bats! Tyler Glasnow will have an occasional bad game. That was one last night. The hitters either show up en…
As the Dodgers prepare to play the Padres in Slam Diego this weekend, it occurred to me that maybe there is a team sitting on a bad contract that the Dodgers might target to get rid of Chris Taylor. I have not had time to consider who that might be, but I’ll bet there is a…
Chris Taylor has always been a big hit-or-miss guy with the bat, but he has selflessly played all over the field and has done a very credible job at it. Need a SS? He can play there. 2B? No problem, 3B? Of course! Anywhere in the outfield? All three spots! Yes, he strikes out a…
Normally signing a utilityman to a $4 Million Dollar Deal is not newsworthy… unless you trade Manual Margot, who was making $10 Million along with Rayne Doncon for another prospect, namely Noah Miller, who is a true shortstop. Baseball America rated him as Minnesota’s #24…
Teoscar Hernandez hit the jackpot last Winter, as the Seattle Mariners signed him for $14 MM. That was an absurd amount for a player who should be in a platoon. I can make a case that the Dodgers should sign Hernandez to platoon with Jason Heyward… but only at a much-reduced…
We know what we know – that’s the easy part, but what about what we don’t know about what we don’t know? That’s the hard part. So, let’s just stick with what we know or maybe think we know. We know that Will Smith will be the starting catcher . That’s good. He’s likely one of…
All season, the Dodgers have touted that they have a clubhouse full of high-character players… and they really did. Most of these guys were Boy Scouts and have always helped little old ladies across streets. They have so many friends within MLB, and they cultivate those…
You ask 100 fans that question, you might get 100 different answers. One thing is for certain, bad defense is going to cost you games. It cost the Dodgers a game only yesterday. Max Muncy blew what should have been an easy double-play grounder, and the Giants won, 2-1. As of…
There are a couple of choices: Star or Journeyman. It’s hard to be a star, and it is just about as hard to be a journeyman. A year ago, I thought that James Outman was destined to be a 4th or 5th outfielder, and while some fans took exception, there really wasn’t anything that…
When the Dodgers signed David Peralta and Jason Heyward, Dodger fans were less than enthused. And I must admit, I was one of them. Heyward was coming off of a year where he was worse than horrendous. And the Cubs were willing to pay him for not playing. Peralta was coming back…
It seems like a large number of Dodger fans do not like the platoons. They want to see a lineup that rolls out there every day and is the same. What they fail to realize is that is part of what has made the Dodgers one of the best teams in baseball over the last ten years. Some…
When the season started, many fans worried where the offense would come from. Some worried that Heyward, Peralta, Martinez, and Muncy were past their prime and could not deliver. They worried there were too many rookies in the lineup. They worried about the bullpen and the…
The bad news is that the Dodgers lost to the Yankees, setting up today as the rubber match. The Good News is that last night was a “breakout” game for Michael Grove. In his best-pitched game so far in his young career, he was dominant… except for two bad pitches to the same…
For the record, it was discussed yesterday whether Clayton Kershaw was a #1, #2, or #3. I think the answer is d. Neither – Clayton is a #2.5. There. That’s my final statement on it. How many aces have 33 starts anymore? Only 31 pitchers in MLB had more than 31 starts last…
Unconventional thinking is the ability to imagine new possibilities and solve complex problems that have eluded other people . Being unconventional is an essential element in doing original work or creating original ideas. Right now, the Dodgers could use a heavy dose of…
Or… maybe it’s more like, “ Mookie looks good on SS .” Either way, I think this is one of those situations whereby Mookie could transition to SS seamlessly. The Dodgers play injuries very close to the vest, but I have to believe that there is talk within the Dodge Front Office…
There are a few things that drive me crazy. I’ll beat you to the punch: “ That’s not a drive… that’s a short putt!” OK, whatever! Things that drive me crazy are things that defy logic, so if you apply some logic, it won’t drive me as crazy! Being Resistant to Moving Will Smith…
What has been the Dodgers main issue over the last several seasons? A lack of consistent offense. Even though they waltzed through the NL last season, there were times when the offense took the day or a couple of days off. When they scored last season, they did it in bunches…
I don’t understand why it happens, but every time the Dodgers go on some kind of losing streak, the novice Dodger fans come out of the woodwork and proudly announce that Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts are the problems, and they proceed to solve all the problems by getting rid…
Ever since Andrew Friedman assumed the role of President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he has pushed the envelope and has the Dodgers on the “Cutting Edge” in a variety of areas of baseball operations. Despite drafting at the bottom of each round, Andrew…
Some of you thought this team was rebuilding and would be pretty mediocre. I tried to tell you otherwise! I don’t think anyone can say that the Dodgers made any bad moves in the offseason. It appears they made the right moves, So right about now would be a good time to just…
As I write this, the Dodgers have just beaten the Angels 3-0 in the Opening Game of the Freeway series. Then, they lost 5-4 in the second game. It’s still Spring Training, and wins don’t mean what they do in the Regular Season, but the Dodgers look ready, and then I read some…
So, I am writing this as I am digesting the news that I have to have back surgery for spinal stenosis and spondylolysis on April 24th. It’s pretty much what I had expected, but now it is real. Surgery is really easy… when it is performed on someone else ! The surgery is called…
Random News From Around Dodgertown Noah Syndergaard says he feels good physically but that his delivery is still out of whack. It may take him a few starts before he finds his delivery and/or release point (if he ever does). But never fear, Gavin Stone will ride in on his white…
You know the rest, but in case you forgot: It’s how they finish! Sometimes we get caught up in the hype, and we believe that small samplings mean something when in reality, they mean nothing. A lot of you have criticized me because while you believed that James Outman was the…
In 2008, my wife, son, and I were at the last game in Vero Beach at Dodgertown. It was a packed house. Clayton Kershaw was a wide-eyed rookie. Carl Erskine played the National Anthem on his Harmonica, and Tommy Lasorda addressed the crowd by saying, “ I know you will have…
It’s pretty obvious to me what Andrew Friedman is doing. I was going to say “ trying to do ” but no, he is actually doing it. He has all but PROMISED the 2B job to Miguel Vargas, and he has four older guys (Taylor, Peralta, Heyward, and Thompson) fighting for two positions in…
If Trayce Thompson can produce the same kind of year he did last year, then I’m OK with him, but he can’t! A player has to get about 150-200 ABs before you can really make a determination as to how well they may perform. Small samplings mean very little because of the “luck…
