77 posts
I swear that some of the incoherent ramblings I read from some Dodger fans should be prefaced with “ Here’s Johnny! ” First, we hear that the Dodgers need more pitching – of course, even Ray Charles can see that! Fans get excited when they hear that the Dodgers might be in on…
OK, whether Chris Getz (President and GM or the Chicago White Sox) knows it or not, they need to rebuild… and I think they will come to that conclusion. They lost 100 games last year, and they need to do it for a couple of more years so as to bank some more top talent. The…
Now the fun really starts. Every day the free agent list will grow as players are non-tendered or options are not picked up. The trickle becomes a deluge. And sometime over the next couple of weeks, after the season ending awards are handed out, players will begin the…
12-1 in August – I’ll take it, but be prepared for the next losing streak… and there will be one. Miguel Rojas – You cannot stop this beast! 4 RBI! Wow! 😉 The starting pitching looks much better right about now than it did in July. Urias is starting to pitch like an Ace and…
If you happen to think “this” is what Clayton Kershaw happens to be right about now, then you might as well pack it all up and go home. It’s hopeless. In April, Clayton was named the NL Pitcher of the month. Clayton had a great month, going 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 0.76 WHIP. He…
Yesterday, I wrote that it all starts with Freddie and Mookie, and right on cue, after that segue, Mookie and Freddie were both 3-5! They don’t have to do it all, but when they are doing well, the team seems to follow. I have been waiting for David Peralta to catch fire… and we…
What has been the Dodgers main issue over the last several seasons? A lack of consistent offense. Even though they waltzed through the NL last season, there were times when the offense took the day or a couple of days off. When they scored last season, they did it in bunches…
There were a lot of “firsts” last night: The first walk-off win was the kind of thing that can galvanize a team. Mike Grove pitched his first great game, and (someone else said this), “ Looked like Buehler .” Not bad for a guy who is just trade bait. Disclaimer: I don’t think…
I predicted that Will Smith would be a good backup catcher… and that was based on his defensive prowess at the time. No one, ZIP, ZERO, or NADA, ever expected him to become a feared power hitter. He has disappointed somewhat on the defensive side. Well, disappointed is not the…
The simple way to blame someone for last night’s debacle ‘er, loss, is to say it was on Dave Roberts for starting Chris Taylor at 3B after Max Muncy’s big night. However, that would be short-sighted as well. Max has not fared well against Alex Wood – having just one hit in 9…
The only question is where he has punched it to. So far, he has 31 ABs with nine hits in Spring Training. He has two doubles, two home runs, and 4 RBI. He is hitting .290 with a .389 OB%, a .578 SLG, and a .937 OPS. Of course, that is a small sampling, but he did nothing but…
Random News From Around Dodgertown Noah Syndergaard says he feels good physically but that his delivery is still out of whack. It may take him a few starts before he finds his delivery and/or release point (if he ever does). But never fear, Gavin Stone will ride in on his white…
It’s pretty obvious to me what Andrew Friedman is doing. I was going to say “ trying to do ” but no, he is actually doing it. He has all but PROMISED the 2B job to Miguel Vargas, and he has four older guys (Taylor, Peralta, Heyward, and Thompson) fighting for two positions in…
Almost Zero! Almost Zip! Almost Nada! In case you haven’t been paying attention to the Cactus League, the KC Royals have scored 110 Runs and given up 67 Runs. They have a 12-2 record, and if you think Spring Training means something, then march yourself right up to the nearest…
Disclaimer: What follows only applies to those that say this really silly stupid stuff. Do you really believe that the Dodgers will have a poor offensive lineup? With Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, and JD Martinez? That also means that you don’t think…
How can that be? Does Spring Training mean everything, or does Spring Training means nothing? Well, it depends… and if you are a person who sees everything as black or white, you may never understand how those two opposing statements can embody what Spring Training is all about…
The Dodgers’ hopes to win a World Series in 2023 hinge on a lot of things, including JD Martinez’s resurgence, J-Heys and David Peralta’s ability to come back, the pitching staff’s health, the ability of rookies to seize the day, and whether Freeman, Smith, Muncy & Betts can…
It appears that Andrew Friedman wasn’t not just posturing as I thought when he said he wasn’t worried about the CBT. After adding journeyman outfielder, David Peralta yesterday and another $6 or $7 Million onto the payroll, it’s clear Friedman is not concerned with re-setting…
Never doubt statistics. This is especially true when looking at minor-league players. You can always predict for a certainty how a player will perform in Major League Baseball by looking at what they did in the minor leagues. We don’t need scouts, GMs, Baseball America, or MLB…
I am fully resigned to the fact that Gavin Lux is going into Spring Training as the starting SS. I did not believe that he could play SS at the MLB level, but I will have to defer to Andrew Friedman, who knows “ a thing or two I don’t! ” Lux has added 15 pounds of muscle which…
I see similarities between Jason Heyward and players like Tyler Anderson, Andrew Heaney, Thor, JDM, and others. Anderson and Heaney came to the Dodgers hoping that the Dodgers could “fix” them. JDM didn’t come to the Dodgers to get “fixed…” maybe to get better, but in the past…
After the craziness of the past couple of days… we are moving on. I have my opinions, and I do not care if you agree or not. In fact, I put my opinions out there so that you can disagree. Disagree with them all you want, but if you have a take and do not suck , that is fine. If…
Well, he did not actually do that, and it is not my intent to disparage Justin Turner. He will always be a Dodger in my mind, but I think he should have just retired rather than go to Boston. Essentially by not signing JT and signing JDM instead, he made that trade. But like…
Lots of fans of the Dodgers, as well as of other teams, have said that the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series Championship was tainted somehow because the season was just 60 games. Of course, they conveniently leave out the fact that they had to play in empty stadiums and had no…
Dave Roberts Conventional Wisdom: Fire Dave Roberts The more things change, the more they stay the same. Many Dodger Fans blame Dave Roberts for the loss in Game 4 of the NLCS because he took Tyler Anderson out after five excellent innings. Anderson had only allowed two hits and…
Every Dodger fan has their own idea of how to “fix” the Dodgers or how to build them for the playoffs. First of all, the Dodgers don’t need “fixed” – they won 111 games and picked a horrible time to turn cold. After leading MLB in hitting with RISP with a .272 BA (Houston was…
Note: Bulldogs & Penguins has persuaded me that I should post once a week, so that is what I am going to do. It was a good idea. Thanks, B & P! Sunday will be my day to post… except for this week (since today is Saturday). Before someone tries and put words in my mouth, I do not…
I know it bugs him, so here it is. 😉 The Dodgers clinched the NL West in May… or they might as well have done it then. Right about now, sitting on 108 wins and knowing they will play the Rockies for six games at home and then be off for the next five days, they aren’t exactly…
I had already started this blog post when Whistling Ranger (welcome to LADT) posted this: “I look for the Dodgers to concentrate on roster management in the offseason. There is extreme competition for the 40-man roster. Look for them to trade older players for younger, promising…
Jim Brewer LHP Chicago Cubs On December 13, 1963, the Chicago Cubs, looking for a RHP, traded Jim Brewer and C Cuno Barragan to the Dodgers for Dick Scott. The trade would be very one-sided in the Dodger’s favor even though Barragan never played a single game in L.A. Scott spent…
