It’s not a secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers catchers have not been successful in throwing out runners trying to steal bases for quite some time. This year, Will Smith has given up 13 stolen bases while throwing out 10 of the runners, which isn’t bad, but in 2023, he allowed 72 stolen bases while throwing out just 19 runners. So far this year, Austin Barnes has allowed seven stolen…
When the Dodgers traded Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca for Tyler Glasnow, the naysayers were quick to call Glasnow “Fragile” and “Injury Prone” because they thought they knew what they didn’t know. As it turned out, the pitcher they thought was a dog turned out to be a Workhorse! Tyler Glasnow had one misdiagnosed injury that cost him almost four years of his career. His UCL was not properly attached…
As the Dodgers prepare to play the Padres in Slam Diego this weekend, it occurred to me that maybe there is a team sitting on a bad contract that the Dodgers might target to get rid of Chris Taylor. I have not had time to consider who that might be, but I’ll bet there is a longer, bigger, bad contract that the Dodgers might take a flyer on. Have fun!…
Miguel Vargas, Gavin Stone, Diego Cartaya, Gavin Lux, James Outman and many other prospects prove that the old adage, “Progress in not Linear” is so true. Miguel Vargas had succeeded and mastered every level where he played… except on the MLB Level. Of course, he could play the “broken finger excuse card” but there are no excuses. It is what it is and your stats tell who you are. Miguel…
Chris Taylor has always been a big hit-or-miss guy with the bat, but he has selflessly played all over the field and has done a very credible job at it. Need a SS? He can play there. 2B? No problem, 3B? Of course! Anywhere in the outfield? All three spots! Yes, he strikes out a lot… a whole lot, but he is reported to be a very good teammate. In…
For all the flack that Yamamoto has taken, here he is with a 3-1 record with a 2.01 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Not bad for a guy who is just starting to pitch up to his capability. Knack went back to OKC so that the Dodgers could have a couple of fresh arms in the bullpen, and both Feyeriesen and Varland did their jobs last night. JP i not a…
Well, as much as I like Gavin Stone (and I like him a lot), I confess that I mostly saw him as a high-leverage bullpen piece… until yesterday. 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. OK, yes, he was a bit lucky, but he went seven innings and allowed one earned run ! WOW! JUST WOW! In my defense, I have never seen Gavin Stone throw a…
Of course, that is a generalization that is not always true, but it is true enough of the time that I am concerned. Last night, the Dodgers scored 11 runs on 20 hits. Betts and Smith had 4 hits each, while Ohtani and Pages had 3 each. Muncy and Lux had two each. It was quite an offensive explosion, but I question why. Why is it frequently feast or famine?…
Singer Ray Stevens is given credit for writing the phrase “There is none so blind as he who will not see” in a line from the song “Everything Is Beautiful” which was released in 1970. I actually think someone said it long before Crazy Ray. Now, I am not proclaiming that everything is beautiful in Dodgertown, but it is looking better. Houston Mitchell said it best: My name is Houston Mitchell, and…
A lot of Dodger Fans are writing off Walker Buehler because the velocity of his four-seamer topped out at 95.9 MPH in his last start and probably averaged 94 MPH. They remember the Walker Buehler (or is it “misremember”?) who threw 99-100 MPH and walked on water, but of course, that isn’t true. After his Rookie Year, Walker rarely threw over 97 MPH. Yes, early in his career, he could…