The Tuneup is Over – It’s Time to Play Ball!

April 2, 2017

Opening Day for Baseball Season is today!  The Dodger have their opening day on Monday and it looks like they are firing on all cylinders.  Corey Seager could get out of bed and single on the way to the bathroom. I have just a few thoughts about the approach of the season: The Dodgers may not need a Brad Brach – before the season is over Yasiel Sierra could be…

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State of the Dodgers Through Different Prisms

March 30, 2017

While I love to read Dodgerrick’s comments, I think that he and I look at the state of the Dodgers in different prisms, but he asked some questions earlier that got me to thinking.  While I may have initially taken exception to the tone (my perception, not his intent) of the questions, they are nonetheless legitimate and fair. Anyone betting on which starting pitcher goes on the DL 1st?  Now…

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Watch and Learn

March 24, 2017

In last years’ amateur draft, the Dodgers took Mitchell White in the second round from Santa Clara University.  This prompted a response from a Dodger fan who said that they lived near Santa Clara, California and “had never even heard of Mitchell White.”  The purpose of this post in not to ridicule that person, but rather to emphasize that Andrew Friedman and his gang know a hell of lot more…

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Willie or Won’t he Calhoun?

March 22, 2017

Willie Calhoun is a very polarizing figure – you meet him you immediately like him!  You watch him hit – you love him.  You watch him run and you wonder, and you watch him field and you become nauseous.  Any manager would love to have his bat but very few could tolerate his fielding. Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi have shown repeatedly that they value defense.  I challenge any sane…

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Some Players Are Not Going to be Happy

March 19, 2017

The 2017 version of the LA Dodgers has nearly 40 players who have shown that they deserve to be on the Opening Day Roster, but many won’t.  I am not going to include Willie Calhoun, Alex Verdugo or Cody Bellinger because they will be ready soon enough, but I am talking about players who have demonstrated that they belong on the big league roster.  I am not even considering Charlie…

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Clowns to the Left of Me…

March 17, 2017

Jokers to the right; Here I am – stuck in the middle with you. Clowns: Scott Kazmir threw a 5-inning simulated game on Thursday and said he felt better.  The only problem was that his fastball was at 82-84 which is 10 to 12 MPH off of what it should be.  Of course, if he is pitching in pony league, he should do well.  I don’t think he’s going to…

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Life is Good!

March 16, 2017

It’s March 16th and Adrian Gonzalez will never play in the WBC again… so there is that.  He says Little League is ran better and he would be right – it’s mostly a joke! Julio Urias is pissed he’s going to extended Spring Training… and the Dodgers have more good players than they have positions.  Life is good!  Just to be clear, Urias is not going to the pen or…

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Logan Forsythe Could Lead the Dodgers to the World Series

March 13, 2017

Sabermetrics don’t value stolen bases and speedy baserunners as highly as some old time baseball fans eyes.  Logan Forsythe is not a speedster, but he is an exceptional baserunner with amazing instincts.  He is also a very good defensive second-baseman, but until Sunday, I had no idea how good, until he made a play I am not sure I have ever seen. On a ball hit just to the 2B…

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Chicken Wings and Broken Backs

March 12, 2017

Saturday was an eventful day for the Dodgers as Hyun-Jin Ryu and Trayce Thompson made their first official appearances of the season. Ryu is coming back from elbow and shoulder surgeries on his chicken wing and Thompson is only overcoming a broken back.  I have to believe that Trayce will start the season at AAA, along with Andrew Toles – it won’t hurt either of them to play every day…

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It’s All About Risk Verses Reward

March 11, 2017

Every Dodger fan knows that Zack Greinke signed with the D-Backs after the 2015 season for $200+ million. On Thursday, The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro  wrote this about Zack Greinke: After his first pitch of the day on Wednesday afternoon – a fastball on the outer half for a called strike – Zack Greinke stole a glance at the video board at Salt River Fields: pitch speed, 88 mph. For the second…

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