Look, I am a big Positive Thinker. I believe that you get what you believe. A wise man once said: “As you believe so it shall be done unto you.” I have seen it work in my life (big time) , so I admire a guy like Willie Calhoun who is undersized and physically challenged in almost every aspect of the game of baseball… except hitting! When it comes to hitting,…
Yasiel Sierra: Of course, I did not see him pitch yesterday, but the announcers were impressed and so was Dave Roberts. They said he threw a “heavy ball.” His fastball is 97 and he has a heavy slider which he tended to use too much until the Dodgers told him he could not use it until he had two strikes. His problem has always been command. He was switched last…
I watched the Brewers feed yesterday. I sometimes do that just to hear what other baseball people have to say about the team and certain players. On e of the Brewers announcers said this: “The Dodgers have 10 legitimate Major League Quality Starting Pitchers.” “This is a team with a great deal of depth. They are built for the long haul.” I actually think it’s more than 10, because at…
Paul DePodesta once said “If it can’t be quantified, it’s not important!” I am sure that is part of the reason why he in no longer in baseball. He is now the stat guru for the Cleveland Browns. In the book Moneyball, in which DePo was one of the characters, you also heard that he did not value defense very much. I guess that’s why he is so comfortable in Cleveland…
In case you don’t know, FAZ stands for Friedman, Anthopoulos and Zaidi – the three-headed monster (or braintrust) that ultimately makes the Dodgers deals. I have never been a great fan of sabermetrics, nor am I a fan of platoons, but FAZ is a huge fan of platoon splits… and I know why. I get it – it just doesn’t mean I like it. As most of you know, I…
Ernest Hemingway published a book in in 1940 which was about a young man named Andrew Toles, who once was a top major league prospect that dropped out of baseball due to an anxiety disorder. This book was certainly a work of fiction because young Toles wound up working the early shift (4 AM) at a Kroger Grocery Store in the frozen food department. That may sound like a cool JOB…
A lot has been written about Yasiel Puig’s alleged “Knuckleheadedness” – I confess… lots of it by me. I have been the first to say that he has enormous talent, but his knuckleheaded ways may keep him from realizing his potential. If I could trade him straight up for Ryan Braun, I would probably do it (shoot, I’d probably trade Calhoun and Puig for Braun), because with that right handed-bat…
Dodger fans have been lamenting the fact that Dodger starting pitchers (not named Clayton Kershaw) are not pitching deep into games. I have listened to this so much it makes me want to puke. 200 innings used to be the landmark by which starting pitchers were judged. Shoot, in 1963, Don Drysdale pitched 315 innings and Sandy Koufax pitched 311 innings. Johnny Podres pitched 198 innings and between the three…
The thing is, we don’t have to trade for this player. He is already on the team, and while the Dodgers could go on to win if he plays poorly, they could easily win it all if he lives up to his potential. We all know who it is. “The Wild Horse” has as much talent as anyone I have ever seen play the game. He has shown plenty of…
Let’s just assume for a minute that the Dodgers are done. I mean done with deals this off-sesaon. No more acquisitions, trades or free agent signings. It’s over. This is the team with which they will start the season. Should we afraid or should we be excited? I guess it depends upon your perspective. Are a “glass half full person” or a “glass half empty” person? Before you answer that,…