On November 15, I started to write about the impatience some fans have with Gavin Lux, and it imploded into an overall generalization about many fans seeing MiLB stats and believing that those numbers will automatically translate to MLB numbers. And then when they do not, then many of those some fans want that player to suddenly drop to the bottom of the heap or at the very least banned…
Earlier in the week I had a dialogue with MT and Bluto regarding the lack of confidence I have in RVS as a competent MLB Team Batting Coach. I have no doubts that his methodology can and does work for some, but each batter is different and needs a different approach. At least that is the way it used to be. I concede that the LAD method of hitting is…
I got to thinking the other day about why baseball is my favorite sport. And I also wondered why others choose this sport to be their favorite. It is not the easiest game to play. And it requires a lot of skill sets to play at the highest level. The greatest are usually said to have had 5 tools. Hit for average, run well, field at a high level, hit…
Much has been written about the slow start of Gavin Lux’s MLB career. Mostly by impatient fans. Fans get excited about players when they read stat pages, and claim them to be a can’t miss player. Many are now talking about Andy Pages, Eddys Leonard, Miguel Vargas, Ryan Pepiot, and Bobby Miller in the same context today. And to a lesser degree, Michael Busch, James Outman, Brandon Lewis, Landon Knack…Many…
A few days ago, we celebrated Veterans Day. A day that we thank those who have served our country over the years. Protecting the freedoms we have all come to cherish. In a couple of weeks, the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor will be observed. There are not many still alive who remember that day and even fewer who survived it. What followed over the next 4 years was…
Andrew Heaney will not be the first low-risk high-reward pitcher signing. It is pretty common to hear things like “Andrew Friedman signed another pitcher off the scrap heap” and similar things. I think some fans believe that Andrew is sitting at his desk randomly pushing the button that determines the direction of the Dodgers. I think that is abjectly untrue! The following interview should give you a little insight into…
Well, let the bidding begin. A number of publications have put out their top 50 Free Agents list. MLBTR is one of my favorites to follow. They are no better with their prognostications than are any other publication. They run contests every year, and many of the readers have turned out better with picks than the writers. One year I got 12 out of 50. Not bad, but there were…
The 800-pound gorilla in the room is the CBA between MLB and the MLBPA. I think it’s way too early to predict what will happen, but you can rest assured that the Luxury Tax Threshold and salaries will go up. Everything is preliminary at this point. Ultimately, it seems like the DH will be implemented in the NL and there will be some additional time limits put on the game,…
There has been a lot of speculation about FA the Dodgers may want to re-sign or sign. We have no idea what the CBT will be, or what the penalties will be if a team exceeds that limit with the upcoming CBA. Currently the taxes can reach a maximum 50% for all salaries above the CBT, and can reach a total of 95% for all salaries greater than $40MM in…
Now that the WS is over, the MLB calendar is set (maybe). Maybe because we have no idea what will become of the CBA after the current CBA expires on 12-1. Tentatively, the MLB dates: November 3 – 160 players were declared Free Agents. The Dodgers have 11. November 3 – 7 – Free agents can only negotiate with their most recent team. November 7 – Options must be exercised….