From the time when Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi (“FAZ”) came to the Dodgers, I was their biggest proponent. I have admired what they have started and accomplished, including the hiring of Dave Roberts whom I believe is one of the best managers in baseball. I was never the biggest proponent of analytics and sabermetrics but I grew to see the value of using it. However, the past two games…
Some of you oldtimers will remember this: They don’t make ’em like that anymore, but I digress. The Dodgers are in Houston – hopefully for a sweep, but I’ll take 2 out of 3 and close it in LA. Really, this has the look of a seven game series. Tonight is a very critical game. The winning team will have momentum and that is important. Tonight, Yu Darvish faces the…
The box score said that Brandon McCarthy lost last night game. I beg to differ. It was the Dodger’s Manager, Dave Roberts who lost the game for the Dodgers and he lost it in the top of the 5th inning when he removed Rich Hill from the game. Yes, the next six batters were RH hitters, but everyone knows that Rich Hill has reverse splits: LH hitters are better against…
Well, Clayton Kershaw did not go 9 innings last night, but he was very dominant over 7 innings and he likely could have went at least another innng or two, but that is not how this new version of the Dodgers works. It was obvious before the game and during the game, that Clayton was intense, but not overly amped up. He said he treated it like any other start…
I started to write an analysis of the World Series, but what could I write that hasn’t been written and re-written? At one time, it seemed like it was me against the world as the FAZ-Bashers were relentless, but so was I, as I understood what they were trying to do, and I bought in early. Now, most Dodger fans are on the FAZ Bandwagon, but it’s extra sweet for…
In what was a highly charged emotional interview after the game, a teary-eyed Clayton Kershaw reported that before the game started Kike Hernandez told him “I’ve got your back tonight!” Boy, did he ever! The fact that the Dodgers won the NLCS is a testament to how deep the team is as they won without their All-Star Shortstop, Corey Seager who is part of the heartbeat of the team. Just…
Early in the year, Chase Utley was mired in a horrible slump and fans started calling for him to retire. Dave Roberts had faith in him and after hitting .122 in April, he bounced back by hitting .314 in May, and he has been serviceable since then. He plays great defense, is a wonderful teammate and at 39 years of age, he just looks to be over-matched at the plate…
The Dodgers are up 2-0 on the Cubs but it has been a tough series. Except for 2 or 3 key plays it could just as easily be 0-2. But that is the difference in this team… they are better, deeper and more experienced. Think about this, last year the Dodgers relied on Adrian Gonzalez, Andrew Toles, Josh Reddick, Yasmani Grandal and Chase Utley to step up in the playoffs. …
Let me remind you that the Dodgers only HAVE TO play three more games without Corey Seager. Think about that one. See, this is a team game. When Kershaw went down last year and again this year, they didn’t miss a beat. They are just a very talented team of Junkyard Dogs. Kershaw wasn’t himself, but he was OK. The bullpen minus el Gasolino was outstanding! They had to get…
If you didn’t know that quote was from Louis Pasteur, you would have no difficulty in believing that Clayton Kershaw said that. Clayton’s tenacity is his greatest strength – it also might be his greatest weakness. I know! I am wired the same way! While I was never a professional athlete, my best games came when I was under the weather or sick. I think that sometimes when healthy, I…