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Luke Raley

72 posts

Why Freddie Freeman Won't be a Dodger

There is no denying that Freddie Freeman is one of the best players in baseball. He is a stone-cold hitter and would really help the Dodgers, this year… but at what cost? Freddie Freeman will be 33 this season. Do you really want him blocking 22-year-old Miguel Vargas who really…

By Mark Timmons · March 13, 202247

They Aren't Really This Dumb… Are They?

The pandemic is winding down and a sense of normalcy is starting to return to this country. I am done beating this horse (unless you want to say something really stupid), and MLB Baseball has a “window of opportunity” to end the lockout and PLAY BALL! In general, pitchers and…

By Mark Timmons · February 10, 202255

LAD PROSPECTS – REAL OR HYPE

I continue to read about the sensational LAD prospects. Mark has the Dodgers as a top 10 MiLB organization while no major publication does. After the loss of Keibert Ruiz and Jo Jo Gray, the publications dropped them to mid-level (around 15). Certainly not bad, but also not…

By Jeff Dominique · December 9, 202134

MiLB Matters

https://www.milb.com/fans/2021-organization-all-stars On Monday MiLB released the 2021 Organization All-Star list for the Dodgers. The list was developed by Michael Avallone who apparently had some discussions with Will Rhymes, the Dodgers Director of Player Development. These…

By Mark Timmons · November 27, 202130

End of an Era?

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…

By Jeff Dominique · November 9, 202152

MLB Dates and LAD Roster Manipulation

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…

By Jeff Dominique · November 4, 202165

The Giants are Junkyard Dogs!

As I wrote that, I threw up in my mouth because it is true. The Dodgers shut out the Padres who have crashed and burned while the Giants won handily 6-1 in a bullpen game. What if on April 1st I told you the following: Dustin May would miss the seaon; Tony Gonsolin would miss…

By Mark Timmons · September 11, 2021117

Making it to The Show

About twelve or so years ago, I wrote a blog about Jason Repko, who was a prospect for the Dodgers. While I do not recall exactly what I wrote, I am sure that it was crass and inconsiderate. Well, Jason Repko s dad read this blog and took me to task (and rightfully so). He cut me down very eloquently and said that I had no idea how hard Jason had

By Mark Timmons · August 16, 2021141

My Baseball Conspiracy Theory

There are a lot of new commenters here since I first started writing for LADT in 2017, and I guess many do not know who I am. I will admit that this post is really out of my comfort zone. But I have been advised to push the comfort zone for better mental health. The other day, Mark intimated that I may have more contacts now than him. I have

By Jeff Dominique · August 5, 2021137

My Current Dodger Observations

First, to Badger. I love trade scenarios. I do not care how outlandish they are or how realistic they may be. I enjoy reading Bums trade proposals. I am not sure that I ever read one that was realistic, but they are fun. Bluto sometimes gives us scenarios from the baseballtradevalues.com site. They are fun for me. That is what blogs are for. Throw out ideas. To the best of

By Jeff Dominique · July 25, 2021158

You Guys are Like My Wife

I should say some of you guys. and I am glad you are not. No disrespect intended. 😉 For the uninitiated, my wife runs the Finance and Operations part of US Water Systems and I run the Sales and Marketing. She is a very hands-on micromanager, while I am a Big Picture person. She is very good at her job, but it does create some issues. at times. There are

By Mark Timmons · July 21, 2021131

Is Clayton Kershaw Declining?

Going into last night s game, Clayton Kershaw had the highest ERA I can remember at this juncture. His ERA was 3.33 before the game and 3.66 after he gave up 5 ER. However, his WHIP sits at 1.01 which is barely above his career average of 1.00. He is now 33 years-old and has started 369 games and pitched 2,403 innings with 2,603 strikeouts. He has 77 strikeouts in about

By Mark Timmons · June 6, 202133

There is No Reason to be Upset!

Well, the Dodgers lost last night for the first time in 10 games and of course, someone must be blamed. Dave Roberts should have never started Trevor Bauer is a theme that seems popular today. Second-guessers are never wrong! However, I guarantee the decision to start Bauer was done by committee. The Dodgers front office sends Dave Roberts all types of data about everything related to the game

By Mark Timmons · May 27, 202166

Why the Dodgers Should Trade Corey Seager

I have been a huge Corey Seager fan since he came into the league actually before he came into the league. I said that he was ready in 2014, but Andrew Friedman didn t listen to me and acquired Jimmy Rollins, instead! I said that Seager could remain at Shortstop and I still believe that he can stay there for the foreseeable future, but, if the right trade happens to come

By Mark Timmons · May 25, 202155

The Good, the Bad the Ugly

I have only two problems with Rob Manfred: (1) Everything he says; and (2) Everything he does! I hope Tony Clark comes to the bargaining table this offseason and says The MLBPA refuses to negotiate with the owners as long as Rob Manfred is Commissioner. He gets up and walks out! That would be the start of a very good day!

By Mark Timmons · May 17, 202174

Dodgers outfield prospect Luke Raley

“It certainly felt like a rivalry to me,” said Dodgers left fielder Luke Raley, whose first major league home run, a game-tying shot in the fifth inning, was almost lost in the crazy turns of a game that fell just short of five hours. “There was a lot of intensity in this game. It’s something I look forward to being a part of more.”

By Mark Timmons · April 18, 202161

I Love the Dodgers

After I went into the Army, it was hard to follow the team other than in the paper and the Sporting News. And especially when I went to Korea. Stars and Stripes was usually a couple of days or more behind in the scores. When I came home, and later got married, we would go to games whenever I came back to Cali on leave. Or we would go to the AA games in El Paso.

By Michael "Bear" Norris · April 17, 202178

The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same

LA DODGER TALK is not your normal Dodger blog site. Even Ray Charles can see that no other Dodger site has a Dodger historian like Michael Norris. Michael or Bear as we know him, is a National Dodger Treasure! What he lays down is not available anywhere else! Then we have 2Demeter2, who has committed to trying to write one blog a week wherein he will give his opinion from

By Mark Timmons · March 13, 202130

A Double Header

No, we are not talking about a couple of games, we are talking about a double post. Michael Norris (aka/Bear) has the first half on Lou Gehrig and Mark Timmons has the second half on last night s debacle. June 2. Now Lou Gehrig Day Bear When I was a boy, back in the day, my baseball hero was not Babe Ruth or Duke Snider. It was Lou Gehrig. Why? Well, I

By Michael "Bear" Norris · March 5, 202132

Game Two Analysis

Disclaimer: What we are seeing is through the microcosm of Spring Training. Current performance is not evidence of future prospects. It is a small sampling. Some of it is skill and some of it is luck. Take it all with a grain of salt. The Position Players It was great to see Gavin Lux get two hits in three at-bats. If anything, all he needs is confidence and he should

By Mark Timmons · March 2, 202140

The Times, They are a-Changin

I am sad to say that it appears to me that Street Smith s Baseball Yearbook has ceased production. Since I was a kid, I have always bought Athlon Sports Baseball Preview, Lindy s Sports Baseball Preview, and Street Smith s Baseball. It appears that Street Smith s has bit the dust and Athlon and Lindy s can t be far behind. Time marches on but the nostalgia seems to be waning. Print

By Mark Timmons · February 23, 202139

And the 2021 MLB Season Begins

Today is the day that pitchers and catchers are due to report to Camelback Ranch for the Dodgers. Tomorrow is the first day of workouts. Full squad reports February 22, with the first full squad workout scheduled for February 23. The Dodgers play their first spring training game on Sunday, February 28 against the Oakland A’s at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona. There will be some rules in effect that

By Jeff Dominique · February 17, 202146

Lemons or Lemonade? It s a Choice!

The closer we get to Spring Training the more likely Justin Turner is not going to continue his Dodger career. It appears that the Salary Cap. errr Luxury Tax is a real thing. Justin Turner had a great Dodger career, but without the DH and the presence of the salary cap, we need to prepare to move on. It sucks, but sometimes when you get lemons, you simply need to

By Mark Timmons · February 4, 202145

Has San Diego Caught The Dodgers?

There has been a lot of talk by MLB fans in general how the Padres may have caught the Dodgers. On the East coast, most in NY and Atlanta believe they have better 26-man rosters. Dodger fans of course take offense at such a charge. None of the four teams are finished completing their rosters, but I thought I would take a more in depth look at a Dodgers/Padres comp,

By Jeff Dominique · January 25, 202162

2021-2025 Payroll Projections (In Progress For Friday)

In a November 15, 2015 article authored by Matthew Moreno at dodgerblue.com, Andrew Friedman and Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten maintained that the extravagant spending for the Dodgers would not continue, and that the 2016 season would provide a small opportunity to make progress toward balancing the scale. According to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly recently echoed a similar sentiment, going so far as to

By Jeff Dominique · January 22, 202163

The Pen: Better or Worse?

A little premature to know if AF is finished yet, but the Dodger bullpen has already been overhauled some. Knebel, Cleavenger, Kahnle, the new kids on the block. Kahnle will not pitch this season, and Cleavenger has never pitched above AA. Wood and Baez have gone to SF and Houston respectively, and McGee so far has not been signed anywhere. And the roster sits at 40. There are all sorts

By Michael "Bear" Norris · January 20, 202151

Do You Want to Win the Battle or the War?

Even if the Dodgers do not sign Justin Turner, they are the class of the NL It s just that the gap has lessened! Position-by-position and pitcher-by-pitcher, it is my opinion that the Padres are not the equal of the Dodgers, but they are better than they were last season. The keyword right about now is: DON T PANIC!

By Mark Timmons · January 19, 202159

Dodger Prospect Chat with Kyle Glaser (BA)

Dodger fans are no different than other teams’ fans. They read what team personnel say about their prospects and build them up to be can’t miss. I like to watch them play, see videos, and read from objective baseball pundits. Baseball America is that kind of publication. In short scouting reports, they tell the fan all they want to hear. But in chats, the pundits can be more objective. Kyle

By Jeff Dominique · January 13, 202143