COVID-19, Balls & Strikes

Since I had COVID in October, my doctor advised me to wait until May to get it due to the fact it can have a deleterious effect if you get the shot when you still have a high amount of antibodies in your system. So, I waited until Tuesday to get my first shot (Moderna). It was almost 7 months and we felt that it should be fine. In fact,…

May 14, 2021
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That’s more like it!

May 13, 2021

Maybe Monday’s comeback win and Kenley Jansen’s dominant save was what the Dodgers needed to turn around their sinking ship. Last night, the Dodgers won 7-1 behind a dominant seven innings by Julio Urias and 6 up and 6 down by Jimmy Nelson, who is now taking to the bullpen like a fish takes to water. It’s not going to be all fairy dust and ponies right away, but you…

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Bullpen Building in Progress

May 12, 2021

I am of the opinion that most of us know nothing about building a bullpen. Garret Cleavinger was a pitcher most of you wanted to go bye-bye. He has had up and downs, but I see his stuff plays up to major league hitters. Last night, he pitches a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, including two strikeouts. He is learning to trust his stuff… and that is how a bullpen…

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What was Andrew Friedman Thinking?

May 11, 2021

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…

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Logan Boyer Makes Professional Debut

May 10, 2021

Right-hander Logan Boyer was selected by the Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of San Diego State University. He was an interesting selection but fit the Dodgers pattern of trying to get what we might call a steal in the 11th round having signed the 10th rounder for a small signing bonus. He, in fact, signed for $297,500 which was $172,500 above the slot,…

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Stop the Corey Seager Bashing!

May 9, 2021

We all have perfect 20/20 hindsight, but lest we forget, bullpens are not only built in the offseason but they are built during the season. To say that the bullpen almost blew the game last night would make you Mr. Obvious. Even Ray Charles can see that. The Dodgers are just going to have to suck it up for a few more days or weeks until pitchers and Bellinger become healthy. Oh, he might make a signing or two – Shane Greene comes to mind, but I would not expect anything major until at least July. This is not panic time – they are only 128 games left!

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It’s Getting Comical

May 8, 2021

If you don’t laugh about it, you would probably cry, so I choose to laugh about the Dodgers woes. Some day, we will look back and say “Remember when we thought they were done?” During this 4-14 losing streak, the Dodgers have only have three problems: They can’t pitch; They can’t hit; and They can’t field. Last night, the fielding was OK, so the only problems were that they could…

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Stop the Insanity!

May 6, 2021

Generally, LA Dodger Talk does not cover each game play-by-play… at least during the regular season. The reason why is that after a few games you have no idea how a team will hit, field, pitch, or how bad or good the bullpen will be. Oh, many fans think they know, but it is just their own necrotic (hopefully not psychotic) thinking. I can’t stop you from going insane after…

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Dodgers outfield prospect Luke Raley

April 18, 2021

“It certainly felt like a rivalry to me,” said Dodgers left fielder Luke Raley, whose first major league home run, a game-tying shot in the fifth inning, was almost lost in the crazy turns of a game that fell just short of five hours. “There was a lot of intensity in this game. It’s something I look forward to being a part of more.”

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Be Careful of What You Read

December 10, 2020

A few weeks ago, in their zeal to break a story, several news outlets and Dodger blogs reported that the Great Lakes Loons were out as the Dodgers’ Low-A Affiliate and that Spokane would essentially take their place. It was even reported that Rancho Cucamonga would become the Low-A Affiliate while Spokane was to be the High-A Affiliate. This rumor may or may not have started with J.P. Hoornstra, but…

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