I have many memories of Maurice Morning Wills. Most of them involve his stealing a base. He was one of my favorite Dodgers in my childhood. He inserted energy into an aging team and helped them towards a pennant, and World Series wins. And the journey to that first year was a long one. He was born on October 2nd, 1932, in Washington, D.C. He was the seventh of thirteen…
Or, the more things change, the more they stay the same… This year was supposed to be different. After all, we had the highest payroll in the universe, (The Mets certainly tried), the deepest team, a ton of pitching and a 40-man roster just oozing with talent. Overflowing actually, since stashing guys on the 60 became an art for this front office. And it all comes crashing down… Please excuse…
It’s a day later, and I have moved on. I am resigned to waiting until next year. Many of the fans on LADT are of the “older variety.” They remember when the winner of the National League and the winner of the American League played for the World Series Championship. If you had a good team and got there, you had a decent chance of winning. Today, you have to…
I will start this diatribe by saying that this epic fail will possibly cost Dave Roberts his job, but that is not the biggest part of the problem. The bigger problem lies in the office of Andrew Friedman. He is the President of Baseball Operations, and the buck stops with him. I have been a champion of Andrew since he was hired. I have defended him against many assaults on…
Everything is crystal clear! The Dodgers either have to win today, or the 2022 season is over for them. If the Dodgers win, they go back to Chavez Ravine for Game Five, where the winner takes all. If they lose, their best season… the season for the ages is over. It will be a shame if the season ends today, but that’s baseball. The baseball gods can be cruel. I…
First of all, the keyword is “Don’t Panic.” OK, it’s two words, but you get my drift. In both games against the Padres, the Dodgers have played like a team that has had a number of off days and is not sharp, and does not feel a sense of urgency. Actually, here are the four things the Dodgers need to do to beat the Padres. The Stars Need to Come…
Dave Robert’s selection to start Julio Urias in Game one of the NLDS was a landmark decision that essentially told the world that he had supplanted Clayton Kershaw as the ace of the staff. This was no slight to Kershaw, who continues to thrive as a Dodger starter and will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer after retiring. Urias’ durability is primarily the reason for the decision, as he…
Clayton Kershaw has said that he intends to play at least one more season. Most Dodger fans assume that it will be with the Dodgers. I don’t think that is a given. He could decide to be the Ranger’s Ace in 2023: Play at home, have his kids there every game, and go home to his own bed. Oh, and the Rangers would likely hand him a blank check. On…
The road to the ring just got a whole lot easier with the New York Mets getting embarrassed at home by little brother, San Diego Padres. The Mets were supposed to be the second Juggernaut in the National League as reporters and pundits backed the East Coast iconic team that replaced the Giants and the Dodgers after their diaspora from New York Baseball. Somehow along the way, they dismissed the…
We Have Nothing to Fear… But Fear Itself! In 1988, the Mets beat the Dodgers like rented mules during the regular season. If my memory serves me correctly, the record against the Mets was one win and eleven losses! However, that all changed come playoff time. We all know how it turned out. The Mets were smoked by the obviously outmatched (and undermanned) Dodgers. Maybe the Mets were overconfident. Maybe…