April 9, 2017 LA DODGER GAME TALK
Lineups Forsythe 2B Seager SS Turner 3B Gutierrez LF Puig RF Gonzalez 1B Hernandez CF Barnes C Maeda P GAME NOTES (Click on)
Kenta Maeda
DODGERS AND “THE ARM”
Disclaimer: This post is by DodgerRick. The opinions in this post are not necessarily those of Mark Timmons (it was fun to say that). However, you have to consider what he says. It is well-reasoned and thoughtful. Enjoy and praise him if you want more. Here’s Rick: I am a skeptic when it comes to the current age of the tissue-paper arm. Baseball babies pitchers like never before but there are more…
World Series or Bust!
A few years ago, a blog called The Post Game was published with the picture I just posted on the cover page. There is no photo credit, but they evidently photoshopped it, so kudos to them. I hope they don’t mind my using it. In the article they quoted Clayton Kershaw: “It’s funny that’s a headline story — World Series or bust,” Kershaw told ThePostGame. “I feel like every team…
State of the Dodgers Through Different Prisms
While I love to read Dodgerrick’s comments, I think that he and I look at the state of the Dodgers in different prisms, but he asked some questions earlier that got me to thinking. While I may have initially taken exception to the tone (my perception, not his intent) of the questions, they are nonetheless legitimate and fair. Anyone betting on which starting pitcher goes on the DL 1st? Now…
Some Bums Rap…
Today’s blog is written by Bumsrap. Thanks for a day off… Pitching Depth In 2008, Cole Hamels seemed unhittable for much of the season and the post-season. He was 24 years old in 2008 when he pitched 227.1 innings in the regular season plus 35 more in the post season. That was 63 more innings total from the previous year. His worst year of his career was 2009. Here is…
Some Players Are Not Going to be Happy
The 2017 version of the LA Dodgers has nearly 40 players who have shown that they deserve to be on the Opening Day Roster, but many won’t. I am not going to include Willie Calhoun, Alex Verdugo or Cody Bellinger because they will be ready soon enough, but I am talking about players who have demonstrated that they belong on the big league roster. I am not even considering Charlie…
Clowns to the Left of Me…
Jokers to the right; Here I am – stuck in the middle with you. Clowns: Scott Kazmir threw a 5-inning simulated game on Thursday and said he felt better. The only problem was that his fastball was at 82-84 which is 10 to 12 MPH off of what it should be. Of course, if he is pitching in pony league, he should do well. I don’t think he’s going to…
Chicken Wings and Broken Backs
Saturday was an eventful day for the Dodgers as Hyun-Jin Ryu and Trayce Thompson made their first official appearances of the season. Ryu is coming back from elbow and shoulder surgeries on his chicken wing and Thompson is only overcoming a broken back. I have to believe that Trayce will start the season at AAA, along with Andrew Toles – it won’t hurt either of them to play every day…
It’s All About Risk Verses Reward
Every Dodger fan knows that Zack Greinke signed with the D-Backs after the 2015 season for $200+ million. On Thursday, The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro wrote this about Zack Greinke: After his first pitch of the day on Wednesday afternoon – a fastball on the outer half for a called strike – Zack Greinke stole a glance at the video board at Salt River Fields: pitch speed, 88 mph. For the second…
I am Positive That it’s Negative
I told a buddy of mine yesterday that Scott Kazmir’s hip tightness was probably going to keep him out all season. He said “That’s negative – you have to think positive.” So, let me try to get over this negativity: “I am Positive that Scott Kazmir’s hip tightness is probably going to keep him out all season.” How’s that? This is the same problem he had last year which led to other…