Time for Dodger Baseball. I like the sound of that as we begin Spring Training games today against the hated Giants. We all know ST games are meaningless in wins and losses, but I still want to see a win in every game. If you compete, compete to win. Before I get into ST, I want to offer my response to the apparent skepticism about the Dodger pitching. Are there…
I was in the middle of a meeting with our outside CPA’s discussing tax strategies last night when a colleague busted in and told me the Dodgers just traded for Mookie and Price. That is all he knew at the time. Unsure who went in the deal. He just knew that I wanted the Dodgers to get Mookie. My meeting broke up shortly thereafter and I went back to my…
One of the problems the Dodgers have of going “big game hunting” is that in order to get someone special, one needs to give up someone special. More than most teams, the Dodgers are very reluctant to give up their top prospects. Is it any surprise that teams are requiring Gavin Lux or Dustin May for an elite difference making pitcher (or Lindor or Mookie)? There is a big gap…
It is time for a little Devil’s Advocacy. I have been an unapologetic fan of Andrew Friedman and what he has accomplished, and just as critical as to what he has NOT accomplished. I was critical when AF did not beat out the Astros offer for Gerrit Cole before the 2018 season. The Astros traded a #5 SP in Joe Musgrove, a decent but unceremonious 3B, Colin Moran, a RHRP…
In 2018, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. hit .381 over 4 minor league levels with a .437 OB%. He hit 20 HR and 29 doubles to go with 37 walks and 38 strikeouts in 357 AB’s. His OPS for the year was 1.073. He was the 2018 Minor League Player of the Year. In 2019, Gavin Lux hit .347 across two minor league levels with a .421 OB%. He hit 26 HR…
So many of us have been looking at FA possibilities and trade possibilities that most have not paid any attention to the first date that will impact the 2020 Dodgers roster. The 40 man roster needs to be set by November 20, 2019 with all Rule 5 eligible prospects protected. The actual Rule 5 draft will take place on Thursday, December 12, 2019. That gives AF and his staff less…
Yesterday, I wrote that the Dodgers were a young team and what I was specifically referring to was that the “core” was young, especially if Ryu, Hill, Freese, and Martin are not back. The Dodgers had seven (7) rookies impact the team this year: Will Smith Alex Verdugo Gavin Lux Tony Gonsolin Dustin May Kyle Garlick Matt Beaty Next year they will also have a few. The Dodgers are built…
The Arizona Fall League started nearly a month ago and Tonight they will have their All-Star Game and the Dodgers will be represented by one player, namely Brett de Geus, who has blossomed into an excellent prospect since signing for $75,000 as a 33rd-rounder from Cabrillo (Calif.) JC in 2017, developing a 93-98 mph fastball with running action, a hard slider and a power curveball. He excelled in his full-season…
One of the many female artists (and trust there were many) on whom I had a boyhood crush, was the great country-western singer, Skeeter Davis. I loved her name, I mean how could you not love the name Skeeter? After reading some of the comments on Saturday and Sunday, I was reminded of her and her biggest hit song “The End of the World”, which goes in part(with apologies to…
It may seem like last night’s loss added some games to the number of games the Dodgers have to win, but it’s still the same. What shocks me is how some people absolutely lose their minds in a game like that. If you look at the boxscore, Kershaw doesn’t look great, but it’s not bad: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s. If you watched the game,…