Going on the Offensive

February 22, 2019

I often border on the offensive… however, that picture is pretty cool: Orel Hershiser and Russ Martin. How many teams have two starting catchers who can play several other positions? Russ Martin is a catcher who can also play LF, 3B, SS and 2B… probably 1B as well. Austin Barnes, who is also a catcher, can also play 2B or 3B. Now, I am not saying they are Gold Glove…

Read More >>

Let’s Play Twenty Questions

February 19, 2019

So, since Bruce Bochy has announced he will retire AFTER this season, will Bill Hanselman be hired now or wait until the next off-season? That is, if he really will be the next Giants manager and I have heard he will be.  I guess you never know, but it makes sense. Andrew Toles has been his own worst enemy in the past with getting kicked off teams, etc. Is this what is happening again or is it really something…

Read More >>

What Will Be…

February 18, 2019

There are about a 100 Free Agents who are not signed. That seems like a large number, but less than ten are really top players. The rest are likely minor league contract players. This is the list I have: Bryce Harper Manny Machado Dallas Keuchel Marwin Gonzalez Gio Gonzalez Josh Harrison Clay Buchholz Ervin Santana Evan Gattis Certainly, not all are even starters, in fact, I could make the argument…

Read More >>

Questions and Perceptions

February 16, 2019

I do not look at skeptics as a negative.  I think we are all skeptics.  I think everyone is asking what the Dodgers could do “IF”…  The difference is that while the questions are the same, it is how most of us perceive and respond to those “IF” questions.  MT, 59inarow, and Bobby do not see many negative outcomes of any of the questions, if any at all.  MT sees…

Read More >>

What Can We Expect From Dodger Hitters in 2019?

February 11, 2019

Everyone here has already heard that Robert Van Scoyoc, a 32 year-old punk who has really never played baseball beyond college (and was never very good there) is the Dodgers Hitting Coach for 2019. Aaron Bates is the Assistant Hitting Coach… and by the way, he has never coached… except in the minor leagues. If you add Robert Van Scoyoc (RVS) and Aaron Bates (AB) ages together, you will be…

Read More >>

Being a Dodger

February 10, 2019

Per JT on the Suits: “We trust them,” said the third baseman and team leader. “The front office has done a great job. They build a 40-man roster, not a 25-man roster, and that’s the biggest difference between the Dodgers and other teams.” I have been saying that for 4 years running.  AF is a master at building the 40-man roster to play in a 162-game season.  The Dodgers should…

Read More >>

12 Seconds

February 9, 2019

I was listening to MLB.RADIO yesterday morning and one of the commentators was talking about when he worked as an intern for the Pirates under Syd Thrift. Allegedly, Thrift commissioned a study to determine how long the human brain took to “re-set” or adjust after seeing a 97 MPH fastball followed by a 89 MPH slider. Well, not actually that exact pitch sequence, but he wanted to determine how long…

Read More >>

Change Is In The Air… And It’s About Time!

February 7, 2019

I told you all about 6 months ago that the DH was coming to the NL. As usual, that was met with a lot of skepticism (maybe some mocking as well), and I have to confess that since there was nothing mentioned about it this offseason (until yesterday), I thought that maybe it was a dead deal. Well, it still may not happen THIS YEAR, but it turns out that…

Read More >>

I’m Just Sayin’

February 5, 2019

There is so little movement in the Hot Stove and yet, so much to talk about, so here goes: TOP FARM SYSTEMS Someone here a few days ago opined that they wanted Logan White back as the GM. Of course, Logan was never GM for the Dodgers before – he was Director of Amateur Scouting, and while I love Logan White, I cannot remember when the Dodgers Farm system was…

Read More >>

So How Was Your Hot Stove League?

January 27, 2019

Well now that the Dodgers have signed AJ Pollock, what comes next?  Maybe something.  Maybe nothing.  Is JT Realmuto on the horizon.  Apparently, the Pads are very much in on JTR, but they are insisting on extension talks before they consummate the deal.  Obviously, either Francisco Mejia or Austin Hedges will be going back in a package.  The Pads have ML OF’s available as well a bucket load of high-level…

Read More >>