The Dodgers do not need Mookie Betts! Let me start by saying that. However, the NL West will not be a cakewalk. Colorado will likely be better than last year. The Padres and the D-Bags are also better. The Dodgers, most likely, will not run away with the NL West. However, the Dodger’s depth on the offensive and pitching side will prevail. That said, I would really, really love to…
A short Super Bowl Sunday, busy at work weekend, random thoughts post. • My last post was replaced by the tragic news of the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and the 7 others who lost their lives in the crash of the helicopter in Calabasas, California • This is written on Saturday morning, and I wouldn’t mind at all if this post is replaced by one, announcing the happy…
It’s not a subject that fans often pay any particular time or attention to, but starting next Monday (Feb. 3) arbitration hearings will begin for those arbitration-eligible players, who were unable to negotiate a contract with their team prior to the date to exchange salary figures. The last time the Dodgers went to arbitration was in 2007 with Joe Beimel. The last time the Dodgers went to arbitration with a…
One of the problems the Dodgers have of going “big game hunting” is that in order to get someone special, one needs to give up someone special. More than most teams, the Dodgers are very reluctant to give up their top prospects. Is it any surprise that teams are requiring Gavin Lux or Dustin May for an elite difference making pitcher (or Lindor or Mookie)? There is a big gap…
In 1988, the Dodgers won the World Series with a rag-tag bunch of bench players, junkyard dogs, and stuntmen, including Mickey Hatcher, Rick Dempsey, Mike Davis, Danny Heep, and Dave Anderson. The bench was important to the last world championship and I believe that this year’s bench is immensely better. Hey, these guys aren’t starters, but many of them would be starters on other teams. Due to arbitration and the…
Despite the frustrating end to this past season, the Dodgers provided me with some memorable moments in 2019. Opening day with the 8 home runs was a nice start to the season. Bellinger just going insane for the first 2-3 months of the year. Ryu going 6-0 in May. Buehler’s 16K complete game against the Rockies. The rookies’ 3 successive walk-off homerun weekends. Will Smith’s first major league home…
●Mercifully, the winter meetings are over. Lot’s of questions unanswered, but the main one for me is: Now what? As I wrote few weeks back, keep her steady as she goes. Also, remember, it was December 21, 2018, when the Dodgers surprised us with the Kyle Farmer trade. There’s lots of time between now and the start of spring training. ● It looks like Pedro Moura, of the Athletic, was…
All off-season I have hoped the Dodgers would go BOLD. Of course I was disappointed. I thought this would be the year. But unlike some here, I am not about to concede the WS to NYY (or LAA) this year or any time in the future. NYY CBT is already at $245,341,667 with holes still to fill. $2.5MM more in spending and they exceed the top penalty. The tax is…
Mark is often criticizing many of us who seem to propose what he believes to be dope fiend moves. Now granted, there are some very silly FA signings, and perhaps dope fiend is a proper description. But just because a change is recommended and one does not agree with it, does not automatically qualify the transaction as being dope fiend. Per an Andy McCullough article in the Athletic, In December…
Joc Pederson hit 36 HR’s in 2019. That’s a lot. In fact, it was the most of any player not named Bellinger for the Dodgers. Joc has 123 HR in his short career. Duke Snider, of course, holds the Los Angeles All-Time Home Run Record at 389, but in a season and a half, Joc should be in the Top 10 in LA Dodger All-Time Home Runs. That’s pretty dang…