126 posts
Tonight’s game against the Giants could likely prove to be one of the most important… if not THE MOST IMPORTANT START of the season for a Dodger pitcher. Why? Simply because in his last start, Mitch White gave up ten Hits and six Earned Runs, raising his ERA from 3.38 to 4.20…
Maybe I am just the overly-sensitive type, but David Price just rubs me the wrong way. Of course, we all know that he was part of the Mookie Betts trade and his first season with the Dodgers was 2020. I had COVID-19 twice that season at age 67, but he opted out of the season…
Squat, Zilch, Nada. For guys like Tomas Tellis, Andy Burns, Eddy Alvarez, Jason Martin, and Stefan Romero, this is like a playoff game. They know that they have no chance… but who knows – it feels like it might (this is their thinking), so they are all in. In reality, they are…
With Dustin May, Trevor Bauer, and Clayton Kershaw all out of the picture, at least for the time being, the Dodger starting rotation after the All-Star Break looks like this: Striker Buehler Julio Urias Tony Gonsolin David Price JoJo Gary Yes, I said JoJo Gray. He will get another start or maybe two at OKC, and hopefully, be built up to at least four innings by then (hey, it s better
What? You thought I was talking about Gonsolin, McKinstry, Alexander, Pollock, Graterol, and Bellinger? No, I am talking about Michael Bear Norris! What else would I be talking about? Bear will be back soon and then this place will return to normal. OK, so it s not normal who cares? Oh, and all those players will likely soon be back and things will be normaler for the Dodgers. Here s was OKC s
Let s get one thing straight: Andrew Friedman is the President and GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is his responsibility to oversee anything that is connected with Baseball Operation. For the sake of this blog, Andrew Friedman is responsible for building the Dodgers Bullpen. To date, most Dodgers fans are saying that he built a deplorable bullpen. I have heard one fan say it was an average bullpen. They
This is my 20th year in blogging. I registered LA DodgerTalk.com in January 2006, so this has been a thing for 15 years! There has been a theme EVERY YEAR with Dodger fans since I started and that is that when things start to get rough and things do inevitably get rough at times, many simply take leave of their senses. After a torrid start, the Dodgers are 4-6 in
2021 could shape up to be the most unusual season on record and that is saying a mouthful since COVID-19-2020 was absolutely Bat S___t Crazy! Here s why: It was a 60 game season some players struggle for 50 games only to shine for the next 100. Other players shine for 50 games and struggle the next 100 games. Some minor league prospects grow by two or three levels and
The photo is of Kim Ng and De Jon Watson at Camelback Ranch.
def: short·stop/ˈSHôrtˌstäp/ noun BASEBALL a fielder positioned between second and third base. The position is called a stop, the word short merely describes his physical stature; stops are always short Of course, that is not the real definition of shortstop, but since I am on such a sarcastic roll, why stop? Corey Seager is a 6 4 tall, 215-pound shortstop, and after all, everyone knows that players that tall can t
Dodger’s Offseason Plans The Dodgers won the World Series in 1988 and it only took thirty-two more years to win another Championship. I guarantee the next ones (notice I did not say “one?”) will be much sooner. Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman got the proverbial monkey off their backs and both can now rightly take their respective places as “baseball icons.” I do want to say a few things about
Today, the Dodgers face off against the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the 2020 NLCS. The Dodgers have never faced the Braves for the pennant before. They have faced each other three times in Divisional Series play. 1996 NLDS – Dodgers lost to Atlanta 3 games to 0 2013 NLDS – Dodgers beat Atlanta 3 games to 1 2018 NLDS – Dodgers beat Atlanta 3 games to 1 Before
The Los Angeles Dodgers have reported to Dodger Stadium; or at least some of them have. There are some who have apparently tested positive for the coronavirus, while others (so far only David Price) has opted to sit out the 2020 season. I am perfectly comfortable with any player or management personnel deciding that it is in their best interests to opt out for the season. I just hope that
Players are expected to report to camp beginning today and there are a couple of topics that have caught my attention. It has been close to 50 years since MLB moved from a four man rotation into the current five man rotation. However for 2020, in an abbreviated season, the six man rotation is being considered. There are now a couple of teams coming out indicating that they are going
We are on the eve of the one meaningful positive news event thus far for the 2020 MLB season. Even the event has warts as we have reduced the number of draft picks from 40 to 5, but it still lends to something good to look forward to. We have all read and heard what a throw of the dice the draft is, and with 6 picks, how does that
Every year I get excited about the MLB baseball draft. The selection of young players is akin to bringing home a new puppy from the shelter. You’re never quite sure what you’re getting. You may have that special family pet that for years to come, or you may have a yapping dog that, no mater how much training you provide, never stops peeing on the carpet. In addition, I have
Time for Dodger Baseball. I like the sound of that as we begin Spring Training games today against the hated Giants. We all know ST games are meaningless in wins and losses, but I still want to see a win in every game. If you compete, compete to win. Before I get into ST, I want to offer my response to the apparent skepticism about the Dodger pitching. Are there
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
One thing that I have come to realize is that when AF and the other Dodger baseball FO personnel determine that there is a weakness in their organization, they address it head on. Most everyone has come to realize that the current Dodgers have a significant weakness in their bullpen, and they went full on in last year’s draft. I know DC is working his way through the recently drafted
It is time for a little Devil’s Advocacy. I have been an unapologetic fan of Andrew Friedman and what he has accomplished, and just as critical as to what he has NOT accomplished. I was critical when AF did not beat out the Astros offer for Gerrit Cole before the 2018 season. The Astros traded a #5 SP in Joe Musgrove, a decent but unceremonious 3B, Colin Moran, a RHRP
The Dodgers Farm System produced nine new Dodgers last year, three of whom are still on the Baseball Prospectus Dodgers Top 20 Prospects (Lux, May, and Gonsolin): Gavin Lux, SS Dustin May, RHP Josiah Gray, RHP Miguel Vargas, 3B Keibert Ruiz, C Tony Gonsolin, RHP Diego Cartaya, C Jeter Downs, SS Kody Hoese, 3B Gerardo Carrillo, RHP Michael Busch, 2B DJ Peters, OF Jacob Amaya, IF Omar Estevez, IF Mitch
Most people have a great deal of difficulty thinking outside of the box. In most cases, the box is just a wall they have built around their minds. The past couple of days I have read some really dumb stuff from people I think are very smart, but somehow, when it comes to the Dodgers, they take out their brains, set them on the dresser and come to comment on
If in response to the above question, you said Not Much! I will say you may or may not be right. See, indecision may or may not be part of my problem, and no one knows what a bullpen guy will do from year-to-year, but I will say that you cannot look at the past and predict what a bullpen pitcher will do in the future. You can guess even
With the addition of DJ Peters (OF), Mitchell White (RHP), and Zach McKinstry (Utility), the 40 man roster is set. We can all debate as to who we think would have been a better choice to be protected, but I have no quarrel with who was ultimately protected. AF could have influenced by a number of calls for a specific prospect or lack of calls for a specific prospect to
So many of us have been looking at FA possibilities and trade possibilities that most have not paid any attention to the first date that will impact the 2020 Dodgers roster. The 40 man roster needs to be set by November 20, 2019 with all Rule 5 eligible prospects protected. The actual Rule 5 draft will take place on Thursday, December 12, 2019. That gives AF and his staff less
Since I started blogging, I have used this as a forum to give my own personal views about certain prospects. I think I have an eye for talent and I have not been shy about picking out certain players and predicting greatness for them. Right around the time I first started posting on Dodger blogs, I was in Vero Beach and became enamored with an 18-year-old prospect who played 3B .
In case you have forgotten, the 2019 LA Dodgers are a young team (overall), with a very deep and very god farm system and accomplished the following: Most Wins in LA Dodger History 106 Best Team ERA in MLB Yes, it has been 32 years since the Dodgers have won the Worl Series. Yes, 2019 was a bitter pill to swallow. Yes, it is way past time for the
The Arizona Fall League started nearly a month ago and Tonight they will have their All-Star Game and the Dodgers will be represented by one player, namely Brett de Geus, who has blossomed into an excellent prospect since signing for $75,000 as a 33rd-rounder from Cabrillo (Calif.) JC in 2017, developing a 93-98 mph fastball with running action, a hard slider and a power curveball. He excelled in his full-season
Forget About the Game for a Minute! Some of you are losing your minds about the one Dodger loss. There s no need to cuss and dis-cuss it. Sunday, we will have more information good or bad. We will talk about that when it comes but right about now it s time to think about something else. I was born in 1953 and the only reason that is significant is that
First of all, I want to again thank everyone for their kind words and prayers for our family at this time. I have bad days and worse days. I do have good moments. I thought that I could get back to writing sooner, but I just can’t seem to get the motivation to do so on a regular basis yet. With a little of your indulgence, I also want to
