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 of players such as Muncy, Taylor, Peralta, Heyward, and others. It’s actually comical to see how little many of them…
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 Friedman has built one of the TOP TWO FARM SYSTEMS in all of baseball. Under Mark Prior and Conner McGinnis, and several others,…
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 dispense with all of the wild imaginings between your ears. If the shoe fits… I have not…
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 comments that make me question why I should continue to do this. Really! When have I ever…
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 Lumbar Decompression and is the most common back surgery done by my surgeon. I saw three other…
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 horse. BTW, he has faced 27 batters and struck out 14. The Dodgers assigned Jake Reed, Gavin Stone, and…
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 second coming, I believed that his fantastic start (in 13 ABs) was more like “Lucky.” And while I am…
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 another Minor League team here soon, but if you don’t root for the Dodgers, you won’t get into heaven.” Vero…
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 the Outfield. I believe that he believed that introducing one rookie at a time was the way to…
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 factor” – both good and bad! Consider this: Trayce hit .292 in June (25 PA) with 11…