296 posts
It seems that a large number of Dodger fans are seemingly enraged when Austin Barnes catches. Yes, he is no Will Smith. “ Will Smith is an All-Star who hits and throws out baserunners .” They go berserk whenever Will Smith is not in the lineup. In their minds, every time that…
I have to confess that when I hear this, I don’t just chuckle; I erupt into crazed laughter. I mean, how do you construct a team for the playoffs? Maybe you just need to commission someone to make a cyborg for all nine positions? Many fans who read here have been around for…
It’s not a secret that the Los Angeles Dodgers catchers have not been successful in throwing out runners trying to steal bases for quite some time. This year, Will Smith has given up 13 stolen bases while throwing out 10 of the runners, which isn’t bad, but in 2023, he allowed…
A glass containing water to the half-way point is often used to point out the difference between optimists and pessimists: The optimist sees the glass as half full. They focus on what is there. “ So much that can be done with half a glass of water.” The pessimist sees the glass…
Everyone thinks that Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman are the key to the Dodgers’ offensive success in 2024. I beg to differ. Of course, the Dodgers need the three former MVPs to step up and do what they do, but there are a few other players who could also be the…
What do I make of the game two debacle in Seoul. Very little! We know that the pitchers are better than that. Now, I realize that some Dodgers fans are so skilled in their analysis of players that after one game or one inning they can make a determination as to whether that…
I am just going to jump right into this one: In 2023, the best Caught Stealing Rate by Catchers was +9. That means that the best catcher was good for +9 Runs Over League Average. Will Smith was -1 Run Below Average and Austin Barnes was -4 Runs Below League Average. If Austin…
Under Andrew Friedman’s leadership since 2015, the Dodgers have a winning percentage of . 623 (845-512) , including a franchise record 111 wins in the 2022 season as well as a club-best . 717 winning percentage during the shortened 2020 season (43-17).There is a lot more to the…
Is that even possible? It’s never been done. Seven players on one team with at least thirty home runs? That’s not possible… is it? The Dodgers had four players with 30 HR once, but the 2019 Twins and the 2023 Braves are the only clubs in history to have five players reach the…
IF Spring Training were an audition and IF the backup catcher spot were up for grabs, Chris Okey might have a leg up after his two-hit game yesterday, which featured a 3-run home run. However, Austin Barnes is the backup catcher and it will likely stay that way for the rest of…
We know what we know – that’s the easy part, but what about what we don’t know about what we don’t know? That’s the hard part. So, let’s just stick with what we know or maybe think we know. We know that Will Smith will be the starting catcher . That’s good. He’s likely one of…
I heard some commentators on MLB.Radio suggesting that the Dodgers may hit Ohtani with a deal like this: 2023: $45 Million 2024: $50 Million as long as he pitched a certain number of innings 2025: $55 Million with a higher number of innings and an opt-out You could continue on…
No one has ever seen a 30-year-old Shoehei Ohtani play because Shohei will not be 30 years old until July 5th, 2024. However, we did see a 29-year-old Ohtani play, and we saw him tear his UCL and then go on the IL with an oblique strain, which would have likely kept him out of…
I feel somewhat incredulous about the responses regarding Clayton Kershaw yesterday. I am not going to quote what many said word-for-word, but I am going to say that I don’t buy it. Many of you are talking like Clayton is just finished, and we should just accept that. To make…
I really do. I also have an irrational fear of them. The Dodgers begin their postseason quest on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are fresh off of the Wild Card sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in what could likely be Craig Counsell’s last game for the Brewers. It is…
You ask 100 fans that question, you might get 100 different answers. One thing is for certain, bad defense is going to cost you games. It cost the Dodgers a game only yesterday. Max Muncy blew what should have been an easy double-play grounder, and the Giants won, 2-1. As of…
Well, the Dodgers do not play a game until next Saturday (a real game, I might add). So, there are only so many things to talk about. Yesterday, many started talking about what the Dodgers might look like next year. Before we discuss that, I would just like to congratulate the…
When the season started, many fans worried where the offense would come from. Some worried that Heyward, Peralta, Martinez, and Muncy were past their prime and could not deliver. They worried there were too many rookies in the lineup. They worried about the bullpen and the…
As most of us old guys remember, Paul Harvey was an American radio broadcaster for ABC News Radio. From 1951 to 2008, his programs reached as many as 24 million people per week. He broadcast News and Comments each morning and mid-days on weekdays and at noon on Saturdays. His…
I am not going to belabor this point, but most of us grew up in an era where batting average was king. Von Joshua, who was a Dodger for a few years, had a ten-year major league career with a .273 Batting Average (BA), which is not too bad. However, his On-Base Percentage (OBP)…
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…
Unconventional thinking is the ability to imagine new possibilities and solve complex problems that have eluded other people . Being unconventional is an essential element in doing original work or creating original ideas. Right now, the Dodgers could use a heavy dose of…
This saying has a very deep metaphysical meaning which, over the years, many of the ancient mystics sought to understand and explain in terms that the common man could comprehend; however, the real meaning has been obfuscated until recently during the cultural revolution when I…
There are a few things that drive me crazy. I’ll beat you to the punch: “ That’s not a drive… that’s a short putt!” OK, whatever! Things that drive me crazy are things that defy logic, so if you apply some logic, it won’t drive me as crazy! Being Resistant to Moving Will Smith…
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…
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…
I was traveling to San Francisco yesterday, so I was pretty out of the mix, although I did watch most of the game yesterday. I overdid it big time with my back – so much so that I am not able to fly to LA tomorrow. I walked over 5 miles and paid for it last night. It is slightly…
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…
Yesterday, Dave wrote this: “Last year you posted your stats predictions for the season. As it turned out they were pretty accurate. So looking forward to that again. But I think we need to wait until end of Spring training for that.” So, I am going to do it a little differently…
Pinkie Problems The first casualty of Spring Training occurred a few days ago when Miguel Vargas took a bad hop to his right pinky finger, which caused a hairline fracture. Since he is a RH hitter, his right hand is not his bottom hand, and he would likely play if it were the…
