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 after a season in which he had been traded at the deadline. He did not impress anyone with…
I think the MVP Award for the NL will be partially decided in the last two weeks of the season. As of now, here is the comparison: The last two weeks will seal the deal. Right about now, Acuna is better in some areas, and Betts is better in others, but WAR, OPS+, and wRC+ are all “Advantage Betts.” This is “Mookie’s MVP to Win.” It shall be interesting to…
I am not going to be labor the point, but most Dodger fans thought the Padres would be the team doing the celebrating. Dodger fans were outraged and irrational that the Padres and maybe the Giants and D-Backs had passed the Dodgers in talent. This was the mantra before and even during the season, and at the Trade Deadline, many fans pronounced the Dodgers dead on arrival for their lack…
2023, according to many, it is supposed to be a transitional year. In some ways, it has been. In others, not so much. Nothing has played out as expected. The only starting pitcher who was a starter out of spring training left standing, well leaning a little, is Clayton Kershaw. Syndergaard, traded, Urias, placed on admin leave, Gonsolin, injured and out until 25, Pepiot, injured and just returned. Grove injured…
“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!” All Dodger fans know that was the best line from Vin Scully’s storied career, as we know that 1988 was nothing short of a miracle. But baseball is like that, and momentum is a tangible, fungible thing. Just about anything can happen, and Underdogs sometimes win. As the Dodgers go into Seattle, they are without a starting rotation,…
I have always said how much I love history. US history has always been a favorite subject. Right up there with that is the history of the Dodgers. I thought I would look back at some players we all might have forgotten. They were Dodgers at some point in time, they might have only stayed a season, or maybe a couple. But they are right there on the all-time roster….
I was somewhat surprised that Kyle Hurt was added to the roster, but there is no denying that he has the profile of a reliever… and maybe a “lockdown reliever.” I just did not expect to see him this year. I do not think Kyle will ever be a starter because his curve and slider are way below average, and his control is very erratic. However, his fastball moves with…
There is no way to sugarcoat this, so I will just say it: “Andrew Friedman failed the Dodgers by not having starters stacked at least twelve deep.” At the start of the season, the Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard was the guy that many (me included) thought would benefit from the Dodgers’ “Magic Fairy Dust” used to resurrect pitchers’ careers. It…
Here we go again! Sandy Koufax pitched 57 Post-Season Innings, while Clayton has pitched 194 iPost-Season innings to date (notice that I left the door cracked open for more). That is a lot more exposure; Sandy’s ERA was 0.95, while Clayton’s is 4.22. Clayton won 13 games in the playoffs while losing 12. Sandy won four while losing three. Somehow some belive that Koufax won 40 World Series games. However,…
… at least he is THIS year. Next year, he will have to contend with Walker Buehler for that role, assuming that Striker can come back strong from his Tommy John Surgery. Bobby Miller is having an excellent rookie season, but in all likelihood, it may be better than the statistics indicate. While Clayton Kershaw was younger, he pitched 108 innings as a rookie and allowed 109 hits; he walked…