2017-2018 Hot Stove

November 4, 2017

One of the positives about getting to the WS and extending it to 7 games, is that there is only 5 weeks before the Winter Meetings in Orlando.  We are going to have to pack in a lot of thought and suggestions about the restructuring of a 104 win team into a WS champion.  We are all so much smarter than Friedman and Zaidi sitting in front of a computer…

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Just Wait Until Next Year…

November 2, 2017

I hate saying that! It was a bitter loss… one that I am not likely to get over… ever! Early in Game 7 I blamed Roberts for leaving Yu Momma in for more than 3 seconds, and maybe that had an effect on the Dodgers psyche, but when you only score 1 run and are 1-13 with RISP, you can’t win.  End of story! Justin Turner hit .160 in the…

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Carpe Diem!

November 1, 2017

This Has Been Best World Series Ever…. Especially After Tonight! Justin Verlander was tough, very tough – he pitched 6 innings of 3 hit ball while striking out 9 and walking zero.  The three hits were timely and gave the Dodgers a lead that the bullpen would not relinquish! Morrow and Maeda were nails and Tony Watson held his own, but Kenley “Freaking” Jansen closed out the final six outs…

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If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It, Doc!

October 26, 2017

The box score said that Brandon McCarthy lost last night game.  I beg to differ.  It was the Dodger’s Manager, Dave Roberts who lost the game for the Dodgers and he lost it in the top of the 5th inning when he removed Rich Hill from the game.  Yes, the next six batters were RH hitters, but everyone knows that Rich Hill has reverse splits:  LH hitters are better against…

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Breakthrough!

October 25, 2017

Well, Clayton Kershaw did not go 9 innings last night, but he was very dominant over 7 innings and he likely could have went at least another innng or two, but that is not how this new version of the Dodgers works.  It was obvious before the game and during the game, that Clayton was intense, but not overly amped up.  He said he treated it like any other start…

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Loyalty Rewarded in a 2017 NL Pennant

October 21, 2017

As I am sitting in my Friday office chair at Starbucks, waiting for my two former Giant clients and our regular Friday coffee business/baseball chat, I just cannot stop smiling.  A lot of the regulars came up and congratulated me knowing how faithfully I have worn my Dodgers jerseys win or lose.  Today it is Kershaw, on back to back days.  It’s been raining all night in NorCal, so I…

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Kike Hernandez Had Clayton’s Back!

October 20, 2017

In what was a highly charged emotional interview after the game, a teary-eyed Clayton Kershaw reported that before the game started Kike Hernandez told him “I’ve got your back tonight!”  Boy, did he ever! The fact that the Dodgers won the NLCS is a testament to how deep the team is as they won without their All-Star Shortstop, Corey Seager who is part of the heartbeat of the team.  Just…

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Don’t Go Down With The Ship, Doc!

October 19, 2017

Early in the year, Chase Utley was mired in  a horrible slump and fans started calling for him to retire.  Dave Roberts had faith in him and after hitting .122 in April, he bounced back by hitting .314 in May, and he has been serviceable since then.  He plays great defense, is a wonderful teammate and at 39 years of age, he just looks to be over-matched at the plate…

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Just Win This Game!

October 16, 2017

The Dodgers are up 2-0 on the Cubs but it has been a tough series.  Except for 2 or 3 key plays it could just as easily be 0-2.  But that is the difference in this team… they are better, deeper and more experienced.  Think about this, last year the Dodgers relied on Adrian Gonzalez, Andrew Toles, Josh Reddick, Yasmani Grandal and Chase Utley to step up in the playoffs. …

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The Quick and the Dead

October 13, 2017

It was only a month ago that many fans and national pundits said the Dodgers were the biggest choke artists in the game The Diamondbacks and the Indians were the hottest teams in baseball and were everyone’s darlings, while the Nationals had the best 1-2 starting punch in baseball which should play well in a short series.  The Dodgers dropped to 4th or 5th in the power polls, even though…

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