It is raining quite hard here today, so I am housebound and about to rant a bit. I love baseball. I love the Dodgers. I am in love with minor league baseball. However, the game now frustrates me. Every little move on the field it seems is a pre-calculation (if that is a word), before something even happens. Dave Roberts is ready to come striding out briskly to take…
In 2017, the Dodgers struck out 25.5% of the time and in 2018, it went up slightly as they struck out 25.7% of the time. They were not even close to being the worst in baseball in striking out, but they were in the bottom 30%. In 2016, the Houston Astros almost led the AL in strikeouts. Tampa Bay barely beat them. In 2017, the very next year, the Astros…
I was going to discus the State of the Pitching, but now I am going to wait until next week when we have a better idea what is happening with one Clayton Kershaw. That can change everything. Also, what follows is something that I think needs to be discussed. As most of you know, the Dodgers won the World Series in 1988 as heavy underdogs, and then did not again…
Before We Start… At least we now know that Clayton Kershaw wants to stay with the Dodgers, if possible, AND the Dodgers want Clayton Kershaw to be a Dodger for life, if possible. I think this is more than an “extension” – I think it may be a lifetime services contract. There’s a lot to discuss and decide. The fact that both sides agreed to postpone the deadline shows that BOTH…
OK, let’s get a bunch of things straight! Not a bad finish for a team that “was just trying to get under the luxury tax.” Yep, I heard that all year. It wasn’t about winning, it was only about Tax Evasion. Evidently, FAZ wasn’t too bad for guys who don’t care about winning. But, I do and it was a bitter end to a tumultous season. The Dodgers were beaten…
Do you Seriously believe that? If you really think that FAZ is really that stupid or if you believe that because it fits your own personal narrative, then you should probably stop reading right about now… because what I am going to say will really piss you off! My 9 year-old grandaughter knows that moving a runner, productive outs and sacrifices are most generally better than strikeouts. Only hitting into…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5anMTZjVsL8 The nearer your destination, the more you’re slip slidin’ away! Being down 2-0 in the World Series is not indicative of anything… except that you are two games away from being swept. I guess we are not surprised. It’s been this way throughout the season – these guys can look horrible and then come back the next game and score 15 runs. Somehow, I don’t think that is going…
A couple of days ago, Ken Gurnick wrote this: Corey Seager’s elbow blew out, and the Dodgers found a way. The entire starting rotation went on the disabled list, and they found a way. Kenley Jansen’s heart raced, and they found a way. They even found a way to overcome a nine-game deficit in the National League West. And on Saturday, the Dodgers found their way back to the World…
I used to own www.kershawshankredemption.com, and it may mean more to me than it does to you… or not, but Game #5 was a real redemption for one Clayton Kershaw from his previous bad outing. He’s now 9-8 with a 4.11 ERA in the postseason. IF he can keep that up, he can get his cumulative postseason ERA to below 4.00. This year, Clayton’s playoff ERA is 2.50 with a…
Never underestimate the power of focus. Conversely, never underestimate what happens when you lack focus. Case in point: Yasmani Grandal: For whatever reason, Grandal is at home with his wife (again)… at least in his mind. Three passed balls, 2 errors. Strikeouts, can’t advance runners. His head is somewhere else. There are no excuses – you do or you don’t do. I’ll talk about what I think the Dodgers should…