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 Corbin Burnes or Dylan Cease, but some are not excited about Burnes because he will be a free agent…
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 Dodgers have plenty of young talent to trade, and I think the Dodgers would…
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 negotiation process with teams that are interested. There has been one trade so far involving a major league player as Mark Canha…
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 allowed opposing batters to hit just .175 off of him and struck out 41…
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 are seeing signs of that. Jason Heyward is also hitting the ball very well and playing…
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. That trend has continued early this year. At 8-9, they are off to their worst start in several years….
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 that, and most baseball people don’t think that. Watch his interview after the game. Shelby Miller, who has been…
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 right word, but he is not the best defensive catcher in baseball… though he isn’t bad. Austin Barnes is a…
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 career at-bats against him, and it could be that Max Muncy is becoming a platoon hitter as…
