The Key Word is Don’t Panic!

Lots of people are believing the Giants are for real… and they may be. They have been consistent up until now, so we have to say that they are real… but will they stay real? Time will tell, but you can’t help peruse the roster and statistics and ask “They did this… how?” The fact that they are in first place does not really compute, but if we break it down to it’s simplest form, I think the reason is that because they pick each other up. When one guy doesn’t get a hit, the next guy does. It seems that with the Dodgers, everyone hits or no one hits. Consider the following:

  • Kevin Gausman, who has been very good is having his best year ever, at age 30, but has not pitched this many innings since 2018.
  • Anthony DeSclafani has 126 IP and is showing signs of tiring… big time!
  • Alex Wood with nearly 100 IP, has seen his ERA rise as it has been 4.70 over the past 28 days… and we know his injury history.
  • Also with nearly 100 IP, Johnny Cueto has not pitched this many innings in 5 years.
  • Logan Webb is also approaching his most innings pitched in his young career.
  • At age 34, Jake McGee is having his best year ever! EVER!
  • Tyler Rogers has a 1.98 ERA, but it was 4.50 last year.
  • A variety of other pitchers have pitched well out of the bullpen, but their press clippings are largely unimpressive.
  • None of their outfielders would start on the Dodgers… yet go figure!

Can the Giant starters keep it up? Maybe, but the odds don’t favor them. Their infield is old and Crawford, Longoria, Posey, and Belt are playing better than they have in a long time. There are still about 2 months left in the season. Lots can happen. A couple of days ago, Jeff Dominique touched upon what I think is the problem with the Dodgers. It’s the TOTAL LACK OF HITTING SOME GAMES. Robert Van SuckSuck is the Dodgers hitting guru. . I call him that because THIS YEAR ESPECIALLY, the Dodgers score a bunch of runs or none. Initially, his hitting philosophy was modeled after the Ted Williams Method of Hitting: Hunt for pitches you can damage and keep your bat in the hitting zone as long as possible to damage them.

RVS

That’s a solid foundation, but I think the Dodgers have deviated from this plan. I think they are more focused on working the count than looking for a pitch they can damage. Of course, that method does work much of the time. Make the pitcher wear himself out and then murder him. This is not true with every player. Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, AJ Pollock, Justin Turner, and others are his disciples and have recently faired well. Andrew Friedman said this after hiring Van SuckSuck:

We’re trying to avoid games in which we score zero, one, or two runs. Scoring three or more as consistently as we can should put us in position to win a lot of games. What we’re striving for is to individualize our offensive approach and put our guys in the best position to succeed.”

That is a worthy plan and they did it in 2020, but they haven’t done it in 2021. Technically, Robert Van Scoyoc (OK, I’ll quit calling him SuckSuck) is technically the co-head hitting coach with Brant Brown (whose title is “hitting strategist”). They are aided by assistant hitting coach Aaron Bates. So, I have to wonder: are there conflicting theories at work here? I have no idea, but I have to ask. Sometimes too many cooks can… well, you know the rest.

Many of the Dodgers have been so intent to work the count this year, that they often take the first pitch… or two… or three. Pitchers have wised up and have started throwing strikes on the first and maybe the second pitch, and then suddenly, if the hitter is 0-2, he is in a defensive mode. I have always been of the opinion that you look for a pitch in a certain zone and if you can see it, you hit it… no matter what the count. RVS evolved the game, and now other team’s pitchers have evolved to accommodate the Dodgers’ hitting style. If you want a Revolution, the only Solution is to Evolve!

It’s time for the Dodger’s hitters to evolve: See the ball, hit the ball. It ain’t complicated! It’s time to get with it. When you look at the Dodgers players OPS and the Giants players OPS, it’s hard to understand why they are in first place, but it’s all about timing. Look around the diamond and what Giant player would you take over a Dodger player?

Let’s look at it and you decide:

  • Catcher – Will Smith or Buster Posey ?
  • First Base – Brandon Belt or Max Muncy?
  • Second Base – Chris Taylor or Donovan Solano?
  • Shortstop – Corey Seager or Bradon Crawford?
  • Third Base – Justin Turner or Evan Longoria?
  • Left Field – Alex Dickerson or AJ Pollock?
  • Centerfield – Cody Bellinger or Steven Duggar?
  • Right Field – Mookie Betts or Mike Yastrezemski?

If you were building a team for today and the future, you would likely not take one Giant Player over a Dodger Player, even though a couple are having great years (Posey and Crawford). Yet they are ahead of the Dodgers in the standings! The whole is greater than the sum of the parts! The Dodgers are better position-by-position, but the Giants are a better team… at least right about now. It’s like the men’s 4 X 100 race. The American sprinters were all faster than their opponents, yet they finished sixth! Why? They did not work together as a team. Simple as that.

It’s gut-check time! Are you a team or are you just trying t pad your stats? This story is heading into the final chapters. The history is yet to be written. Will the 2021 Dodgers be Champs or Chumps? The stretch run starts TODAY! What will be this teams’ historical record? Will they pull together and pick each other up or will they just keep on doing the same thing they have done all season. The Giants have been consistent bu playing .600 or better baseball EVERY month! The Dodgers have had one month when they played over .600 baseball, but they are capable of so much more. With the team Andrew Friedman has assembled, they can run off two months of .700 ball. They are that good, but they have to play like it… and they haven’t… until now.

WHAT FOLOWS IS STRICTLY MY OPINION: They have traded for Max Scherzer and Danny Duffy. They have signed Cole Hamels. Why? I think the signs are that Clayton Kershaw is going to need Tommy John Surgery. They are holding him out to see if his elbow can hold on by a thread and hope he can be a factor in September and October, but deep down, they know he is finished. Sherzer, Duffy, and Hamels are insurance. It would be a shame to lose Clayton, but the Dodgers are prepared, Clayton will be in the Dugout and will not get surgery, but will rather, retire as the greatest Dodger Pitcher of All-Time. I hope I am wrong about most of this, but I have a feeling I am not!

Sometimes You Have To Act the Part to be it!

Tt’s Time for You to Wake up, Cody Bellinger. Let’s Ride!

From Bluto on the Last Thread:

Cartaya and Pepiot made Kiley M’s new top 50 Prospect list:
https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/31958336/kiley-mcdaniel-midseason-top-50-mlb-prospects

The great Eric Longenhagen has this to say about Dodgers righty Hyun-il Choi

He’s experienced a little bit of a velo bump (more 92-95 than 88-92, where he was in 2019) and shown remarkable strike-throwing ability; he’s only run three 3-0 counts all year. A plus splitter, at least plus command, and viable fastball velocity makes him a high-probability big league starter.

Longenhagen also put former Dodger prospects at #1 and #3 in terms of those traded at the deadline:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/ranking-the-prospects-traded-during-the-2021-deadline/

Don’t look now #1, but Andy Pages has been on a tear since mid-July, slashing .380/.494/.761 in his last 20 games. Despite his occasional strike zone deficiencies, he hit his 22nd homer for Great Lakes, 101 mph off the bat, 396 feet, and he went 2/3 with 2 walks tonight overall.

Dodgers signed an undrafted player, Jack @Dreyer from Iowa. Lw-90’s fastball with a curveball, slider, and a changeup. In college he struck out 23 batters in 21.2 innings, limiting them to a .171 batting average.

Don’t look now, #2, but Cameron Gibbens’ 4is promoted and still rocking! Now in AA Tulsa, he had a perfect 2.0 IP debut. Ascending from Low A to AA in a single minor league season is always noteworthy!

Don’t look now, #3, but from FutureDodgers:
The move is not official yet (should be tomorrow), but SS Eddys Leonard is heading to High-A Great Lakes.

He’s been arguably Rancho’s best hitter all year, hitting .295/.399/.544 (146 wRC+) with 14 HR. 11 BB%, 24 K%, 11.6 SwStr%.

Still 20 years old, won’t turn 21 until December

This article has 173 Comments

        1. Why are the Dodgers losing so many close games? Why have the surprising Giants, with a clearly inferior roster, outplayed the Dodgers all season long?
          Charlie Steiner cited some “glaring red flags” in the broadcast today. One is that Dodgers lead baseball in allowing unearned runs. Another is that they’ve allowed the most stolen bases by far. I think there was a third, but I can’t remember it now.
          So scoring runs isn’t nearly as big a problem as run prevention–something that low-payroll clubs like the Rays do well. ( The Dodgers actually lead MLB in runs scored, but they tend to do it bunches.)
          And now let me harp once again on what I would say, with 20/20 hindsight, is the second biggest blunder AF made in the off-season, after signing that colorful pitcher we’d like to forget about.
          This was AF’s failure to retain the services of Jake McGee and let the Giants nab him–at the bargain price of $5 million for two years–that is, $2.5 million per year. That’s less than the $5.25 million AF agreed to pay Knebel for a single year.
          Last time I checked, McGee had only two blown saves and Kenley had five which doesn’t include all those times he has recorded nerve-wracking NBS, or Nearly Blown Save.) Some very crude math suggests that the Giants lead over the Dodgers now boils down to McGee>Jansen. To be fair, McGee has outpitched EVERY Dodger reliever.
          I understood why AF let Alex Wood walk, given the Dodgers’ SP depth, but I never have understood why he let McGee get away. From a purely baseball perspective, McGee had an excellent season for the Dodgers–and, importantly, he is a lefty power pitcher on a team that always seems to be looking for lefty relievers–as VGon’s injury shows, once again.
          Plus, “Jake McGee” might be the best gunslinger’s name in baseball. The Lefthanded Gun.
          Maybe, as Mark has suggested, Farhan could promise McGee the closer’s role and AF and Roberts wouldn’t. But I don’t think McGee would turn down, say, an extra $1 million (or whatever) to leave a championship team. Kudos to Farhan, I guess. AF invested a reported $17.5 for two years of Treinen, and he even a reported $4.75 million for Kahnle, knowing tht Kahnle wouldn’t even pitch in 2021.
          Then he really splurged big time on He Who I’d Rather Not Name…oops.
          We tend to lavish praise on AF for smart deals–I sure think he did great on Scherzer and Turner–but his blunders are often ignored. And while it’s hindsight, there is really a lot more reason to bring McGee back than throw money at Kahnle and Knebel.
          Anyway, it’s good to see that Roberts isn’t counting on the Giants fading. Sitting Belli against lefties in favor of Pujols is something I expected–but not this soon.
          But very concerning that Mookie was pulled….

      1. I certainly would add one more name that has had even a worst drag on our team being successful……….Bellinger. He has had 50 games/180 ABs to improve his offense and the results (as almost everyone knows) have
        been a resounding failure. He cannot even make a productive out. Nothing but KKKs and pop-ups. I have been a Dodger fan since 1958 and this has been the most frustrating season yet. The reason being is that we are not even coming close to getting the production out of this team as we should be. You don’t have to be a hitting savant to know that Bellinger’s biggest problem is his swing path. He absolutely refuses to eliminate his big dinger swing. Instead of having a more flat swing which will keep the bat in the hitting zone longer, he insists on a batting approach which gives him only a 20% opportunity for his bat to make contact. So who is at fault that allows him to repeat the same defective swing e-v-e- r-y AB. I am sure the hitting instructors (aka: strategists) have tried. After all of his strikeouts, he always looks so mad and so hurt. If you are that pissed off, why not try something new for a change ??? What really angered me tonight (8-6) was tha t Roberts announced he was still going to allow CB to start against all right handed pitchers !!! He said he is also going to play Tres Turner at 2nd base. T Turner has already said that of all the 3 positions (SS, CF and 2b he has played in “the show”, that 2nd base is his last choice. He has only made 31 starts at 2nd base. So here we have a potential MVP and we not even going to utilize him where his talents will shine the most and where he can give the team the biggest lift. DR also said tonight (as a part of the pre-game show) that he is going to make out the line-up every day which will give the club the best chance to win.
        Roberts is just killing us. Does putting CB in the starting line-up really give us the best chance to win ? We a-l-l know what the correct answer is to that statement. If you are Tres Turner, is this the team that you want to resign with after the 2022 season ? I’ll bet the other GMs are laughing their ass off at us. What an absolute waste of talent……. Maybe we an trade Roberts, Jansen & CB to the Orioles.
        Batman, over and out………back to fighting crime.

  1. Mark, when I look at that lineup side by side you could argue the Dodgers are better but that is not who has been playing. Posey clear winner, Crawford clear winner(Seager hasn’t played sub lux) bellinger has not been better than Duggar or the combination they have used, wade and Ruf have been equal to better than Muncy (belt weakens lineup) Flores and Longoria equal or better turner, Betts is better than yaz but hasn’t played, we have been better in lf and 2nd while their bench has been superior.

    I know why AF let Peterson and kike get away but it has killed us due to injuries. Mckinstry was good but hasn’t recovered from the oblique, Rios gone, so the bench has not performed. Raley, reks, neuse, peters, have not only not helped but hurt us.

    The starting pitching has been great but so has the giants. The bullpen is another area where we have failed. AF did not provide a quality bullpen for Robert’s. Dotted with guys who should not have been in Mlb games. If u say he did provide enough then u have to say Robert’s mishandled the pen. I think u could make a case both have been lacking. Couple that with the giants and pads improvement and what might have been ok in the past won’t cut it this year.

    Defense and fundamental breakdowns. Holding runners, base running, defensive miscommunication have reared it’s head this year. I blame Robert’s and the coaching staff for this.

    If healthy the Dodgers are a better team now but have pissed away enough games to be ahead. They should get in so we just wait and c if they can catch fire and win the division or not.

    1. All valid points on the comparison between the two teams. Both teams have had injury issues. But, the Giants bench has be much more productive. In the past this is what the Dodgers were able to provide. Not this year. With all players healthy on both teams the Dodgers are a superior team. The injuries to Seager and Bellinger have lead to much longer IL stints than the team initially suggested. Then there have been other position players and pitchers that have played injured and have been in and out of the lineup. With the realities of what has gone so far it’s difficult to actually compare the two teams. So, even with all the games missed by the position players, it’s the failure of the BP with 23 blown saves that is the main culprit in the position the Dodgers are currently in.

      The defense and fundamental breakdowns that you mention are, also, a big concern. I know the team likes position flexibility, but at times Roberts (FO) seems to do it just because he can. It should be used in emergencies in dealing with injuries. This year’s Dodger team defense is the worst I’ve seen in years. The Dodgers always had emphases on fundamentals (The Dodger Way to Play Baseball). That doesn’t seem the case anymore. Hardly any player can even attempt to bunt let alone actually bunt the ball.

      Anyway, good post and observations Therealten.

        1. I second that tedraymond! Mark makes a convincing argument that indeed the Dodgers on paper are a better team than the Giants. But defense and 23 blown saves by the Dodgers have tipped the scales in the Giants’ favor. Let’s hope talent and execution these last two months of the season go the Dodgers way.

    2. “Wade and Ruf have been equal to better than Muncy

      Flores and Longoria equal or better turner”

      On what planet? Surely you jest!

      Muncy and Turner are in the MVP Discussion.

          1. Tombstone, one of my favorite movies. Most impressive thing about that clip is the no look flip of the gun he makes when tossing it to the saloon owner, Milt ! Russell was a second baseman in the Angels system for a while. He hurt his shoulder and had to retire. But he was a pretty good hitter. Turner time is almost here. CK now most likely not returning until September. Billy Bob was indeed heavier in this movie and it was before he was a star in his own right.

          2. Yup Bear on Kurt Russell. I played against him and he was a good second baseman. Nice gut too we had fun flipping him crap over some of his movie and TV characters. One time I was playing golf during the day with Kurt and 2 other players. When I got back in the hotel I was watching “Then Came Bronson” with Michael Parks. In that episode, Jim Bronson rides his motorcycle to a small town that has a baseball team. Jim hooks on to play. The pitcher on the opposition was a guy called Buzzy, if I remember. Sure enough, Buzzy was played by Kurt Russell. I got our whole team to quickly tune in to the show. You might imagine the reception “Buzzy” got before and during our game. God, those were good times.

          3. Phil, when I was in the Army and stationed in El Paso at Ft.Bliss, their farm team was AA. It was a Dodger farm for a little while called the Sun Kings. But when the Angels took it over, it remained the Sun Kings until 1974 when they changed the name to Diablos. In 1973, Russell was playing second base for them, and their manager was Norm Sherry, the former Dodger catcher who turned Koufax’s career around with a little advice in a B game. Just throw to the glove and do not try to throw the ball past every hitter. Norm was my neighbor for a while when I lived in Highland Park. We used to shag balls for them before they went to Vero. Larry lived on the same block 3 houses away from Norm. Anyway, I saw Russell play a few times. Before he was injured, he was hitting over .500 and () this close to being called up. Several guys from that team made it to the show, including Frank Panik, Ron Jackson, Sid Monge, Frank Tanana, Dan Briggs, and Bruce Christenson

  2. Who’s better Dodgers or Giants? This doesn’t even need any sort of in-depth analysis. It comes down to luck.

    We’ve been a very unlucky team, both on the injury front and our record in one run games. As Mark pointed out, the talent isn’t even close. Sure, in a single 2/3rds of a season, you can compare stats and make a case for some of the Giant’s players over ours, but can this be sustained through the remainder of the season? Buster and Crawford are having career years, as are DeScalfani and Gausman. Buster has a Babip of 373 which is completely unsustainable and Brandon Crawford in just 3 HR off his career high. That is the foundation of their House of Cards offense that will certainly fold under the weight of a full season.

    Kenly is a freaking train wreck and he’s playing his way off of the post season roster if he doesn’t get it together. I can see why the Dodgers are being patient with him since his velo is the best it’s been in the last couple of years. But, he better start getting some clean innings if he’s to keep his job once Knebel comes back.

    The bullpen at full strength is a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, is hasn’t been full strength all year. This is the reason why it’s been the subject of so much disdain all season. You can see the talent. Having three guys that can tough 100 is a rare feat. You just don’t see that very often. It seems that Treinen is the only one bullpen arm has been healthy all season. This has forced us to use guys that weren’t ready for high leverage roles to pitch in high leverage situations. Hence, that horrible record in extras.

    So, yes. The bullpen has sucked at times, and has been dominant at times. When they’ve been healthy, they’ve been dominant. When they haven’t, they haven’t.

    The Giants would be buried right now if Kenly could have just done his job and if we had won just half of those extra innings games. Baseball is weird. It’s full of statistical anomalies. That’s why you see a 34 year old shortstop who never hit more that 21 HR’s in a season suddenly look like A-Rod. That record in extras is a statistical anomaly and the Giants can’t count on the Dodgers to choke away extra innings games for the remainder of the season.

    I still think Kershaw’s injury isn’t as concerning as it looks. Her’s Doc’s quote when it happened…

    “This is something that once it came about, it made sense to cut some of the season off, and save some bullets for the rest of the season, and the postseason,” Dave Roberts said.

    We’ll see how it works out, but it didn’t seem very concerning at the time. They most likely saw that Kershaw was pretty effective at the beginning of the season and just want to get him back to that point before a sprint down the finish line in September.

    Moving on to the Minor Leagues, it sure looks like there’s reason to be optimistic. Eddys Leonard, Bandon “Fat Boy” Lewis, Diego Cartaya, Andy Pages are all very legitimate top of the talent pool types that could be potential All-Stars or “Game Changers”. Miller, Beeter, Pepiot and Knack all have tools that can develop into mid-top of the rotation guys. Hoese and Busch could just be having off years after being pushed up to AA after having their development stunted due to COVID. Outman’s star is rising and Nodo looks like he’s capable of breaking out. Vargas is just 21 and he looks like a pure hitter with solid number across the board at AA.

    The future is bright, we’re getting ready to reload and backfill a talented MLB roster. I fully expect the Dodgers to leap frog the Giants and Padres systems as early as the beginning of next year.

    1. I think that the Giants CAN expect the Dodgers to choke away extra inning games if they continue to trot out Jansen in those games. Having the runner start on second exponentially screws LA with Jansen on the mound with his inability to hold on runners, seemingly freaks out with a runner on 2nd/signs, way too many walks, and overwhelming lack of swing and miss (for a closer).

      Its just too easy to score off him. Seen time and again.

      1. I don’t think “bad luck” fully explains the Dodger’s subpar defense or the fact the Dodgers give up more stolen bases than every other team.
        The Dodgers have many strengths, but some glaring weaknesses–and they get exposed in close games.

    2. Seems to me that KJ has increased velo only to sacrifice movement.
      Almost ANYONE in the MLB can hit a down the middle 96mph fastball IMO.

      1. I don’t see too many guys hitting the 96, it always seems to be a cutter that doesn’t cut. Time to give it up and go with a more traditional mix. Use the cutter sparingly instead of it being the main offering and get those hitters off balance for a while.

        1. I will try to pay attn next time they put him in, maybe I just spend too much time being scared shitless when he is in to notice. 🙂

          1. Jansen gets hammered when he leaves that cutter in the middle of the plate. If it is moving, and on the edges, he is much more efficient. He seems to lose control when he tries to go high in the zone.

  3. Just checking stats this morning and it’s easy to see the differences between the giants and Dodgers. Obviously their defense is better, they rank third, we rank 21st. That’s in fielding percentage which tells me they make the plays, we don’t. Their bullpen appears to be better too. Fewer blown saves, better BABIP, better ERA, better xFIP and the most important one to me they rank #1 in WHIP. Their bullpen is best in the league and not putting runners on. We’re 11th.

    Unlike so many in here I don’t blame the manager. He hasn’t blown a save or walked anybody. As I’ve said many times the best managers in history have only been worth roughly 2 wins. Last year alone 21 batters and 7 pitchers were worth more to their teams than nearly every manager in the last 100 years. That said, I know many of you will continue to believe whatever it is you choose to be true. Blame Roberts and miss the point if you must, but the stats say our bullpen needs to be better going forward. Sure, it would help if SF’s bullpen starts showing some cracks but I’m not going to count on that. Having Trea Turner on the field will help our defense. I hope we see Duffy, in the pen, as I too have doubts about Kershaw.

    This team has a less than bullpen and defense, is without 3 starters and it’s All Globe closer is among league leaders in blown saves and they are still at this time a playoff team. Personally I find that remarkable.

    1. “Personally I find that remarkable.”

      That pretty much sums up where we are at.

      Here’s what I know:

      The Dodgers brass and coaching staff believe that both Kenley and Cody will recover their mojo. They have their reasons and they have more inside info than we do. I hope they are right!

      1. Kenley hasn’t had “mojo” since…….2017ish?

        Some brief flashes over the years since then but Jansen hasn’t been “solid” in years.

        I think that there is a difference between “believe” and “hope”. There is nothing that trends that Jansen somehow gets better.

        Kind of the same with Bellinger (at the plate). Maybe the bulb will come on with someone that coaches him but its been a while now……early 2019……that Belli was a force at the plate. Like I said the other day, there comes a point where he just isn’t good enough for this team and is the man out. As players return from the DL and T Turner joins the team from his 10 day bout with death, Belli is that guy.

        1. I think what Belli needs is a moment like Mookie had the last game. Granted Mookie had already clearly fixed a lot of his issues, but did you notice & Orel correctly identified when MB crushed that 2nd bomb that he kind of looked at the bat & gripped it like he wanted to remember that feeling? The feeling that says “THAT is how it is supposed to feel”? I think Cody needs one or two of those.
          cheers
          pb+

      2. Kenley will never get his mojo back. He’s just too inconsistent. His ERA won’t see under 3 again, let alone under 2. It’s past time to figure out how to finish games effectively without him. Ok, he’s still in the mix, but it has to be a mix. We’ve already determined no back to back games, not over 20 pitches and no multiple innings. If he’s not throwing nasty in warm ups then just don’t use him, or only use him in certain situations, like there’s one left to get. I’d rather see him against the bottom of the order in the 7th than the middle of the order in the 9th. Loyalty is one thing, and it’s admirable. But being smart is better for the the team.

        1. Absolutely spot on, Badger. And quickly analyze that cutter. If it’s flat and horseshit like it is about half the time now, stay with other pitches. Don’t be stubborn proving a point.

  4. Dodgers: Cody Bellinger Could Be the Odd Man Out Once Trea Turner is Acivated
    by Brook Smith
    The Dodgers have some pretty big decisions coming up this week. Not only do they need to sort of figure out things in their location, but they also seem to have a glut of talent this coming weekend against the Angels. The hope is that recently acquired Trea Turner is set to join the team,

      1. It’s Brook Mark, not Brooke. Brooke is Brook’s sister? Why is suggesting that a .165 hitter could be odd man out be a crack influenced comment? He’s not saying definitely or has to be or must be benched. All he is saying is could be benched.

        1. I could be Brad Pitt IRL

          “could” based journalism is uninformed content making, IMO.

      2. He’s an idiot. What does this sentence even mean?

        Corey Seager is fairly supplanted at shortstop and it doesn’t sound like the Dodgers want to change that But Dave Roberts noted to media this week that there was going to be a lot of movement.

        Fairly supplanted? Supplant mean to replace. How is the guy a “Senior Editor”? “With several years of experience in sports journalism”. Several? More than 1?

        So he starts the article saying that Cody “could” be the odd man out, then quotes doc…

        “I think it’s going to be a whole group of players making sacrifices. That’s how I’ll start. There are going to be days where I’m just going to use off days and workload as a way to get other guys in there. I think pretty much most players are going to be affected.”

        Does that sound like there’s one guy that’s going to be the odd man out?

        Shameful writing. He needs a career change. That site is becoming more unreadable by the day. I get more information from the comments section on this site.

        1. Yep, apparently did not spend as much time as I did as a pup reading Readers Digest “It Pay to Enrich your word Power”. I was addicted to that as a young-un’.

          1. My favorite was Humor in Uniform. Especially when I was in the Army. Some pretty entertaining stuff.

          2. Another great one. My mother got RD my entire life that I Iived there & I was a voracious reader as a kid & could never get enough to read. I read it cover to cover every month.
            cheers
            pb+

        2. You see writing composition like that and you just want to say WTF? I had to read that Seager supplant line a couple of times. Then I laughed. You can’t be serious. I’ve never heard of this guy until AVF quoted his headline. He’s probably a SR Editor with several years experience because he’s the only employee.

          If those are correct quotes from Roberts then I’m somewhat concerned. This is pre 2020 thinking for the Dodgers .It’s time to put the best eight players in almost everyday and maximize their talents. Like I have complained about in the past why is it necessary to give inferior players playing time at this point in the season? It doesn’t make any sense to me.

          Earlier in the week someone mentioned there was two months left in the season and plenty of time to catch the Giants. I mentioned 57 games were left. Today I read there are a little less than two months left. Now were down to 53 games. Note that the Giants and Dodgers both have 53 games remaining. If the Giants go 27-26 their record will be 96-66. The Dodgers will need to play at a .600 clip and go 32-21 to claim the National League West title with a record of 97-65.
          Dodger record for 2021:
          April 16-11 .593
          May 16-11 .593
          June 17-9 .654
          July 14-12 .538
          August 2-1

          The Giants record for 2021
          April 16-10 .616
          May 18-10 .643
          June 16-9 .640
          July 15-10 .600
          August 4-1

          So, if the Giants match their worst month of July at .600 (32-21) in the remainder of the season they end up with a 101-61 record. For the Dodgers to exceed that then they need to go 37-16 which is about a .680 clip. Can the Dodgers accomplish that? Absolutely!! They need everyone to stay healthy and play almost everyday to maximize their talent to winning. A day off here and there. No need for getting the bench playing time. If a bench player is needed to fill in for a starter then they will get playing time on a regular basis. How many times have we seen the FO (or Roberts, who knows anymore) bench a player after he has a successful and productive game? This is not the time for those kind of moves. Panic time? No. Sense of urgency time? Without a doubt. Months and weeks don’t matter at this point of the season. It’s the number games we have left and how many we need to win to move ahead to the playoffs. It’s not going to be easy even with all the excellent talent we have added to the team in the last week.
          Carry on. Go Dodgers!

  5. I too am concerned we may have seen the last of CK in Dodger blue. He’s made a lot of money and wants to be a full time dad and mentioned that he does not want move his kids to LA to attend school. I think he retires.

    With KJ and CK’s salary obligation off the books, with TB’s salary/contract potentially being voided I think AF will be a big player in the FA market this off season, but for now lets get this season together and track down the Giants. A one game wild card scares the crap out of me.

    Lets be pigs every year.

    1. Unless Bauer is convicted of something, there’s no way his contract can be voided!

      1. Still no charges filed almost 3 months later. Why? There isn’t any evidence that supports her claims.

      2. Got that right. And the MLBPA would scream bloody murder. It would make for a hell of a mess and probably screw with the upcoming CBA meetings.

  6. I haven’t heard anything that says Bauer’s contract can be voided.

    The Nationals organization allegedly had 12 positive Covid tests. 4 players tested positive. Martinez said all but one of those who tested positive have been vaccinated. Was Turner vaccinated?

  7. Great to see all baseball talk because this weekend is going to be crazy.

    The Angels always give us fits so I’m still on the edge of my seat (I think only playing Arizona makes me lean back in my seat.)

    Giants have 3 games on the road with Milwaukee which is also a very good team. At the very least I’m hoping we win at least 2 and Milwaukee wins at least 2. That would cut their lead to 3. That is my worst case scenario. You know what my best case scenario is, but I would be shocked to see the Giants lose all 3. But you never know.

    I hope we see Trea Turner tonight. I’ve not read anything about this. Anybody?

    TM

    1. He is supposed to be in LA today. No word on that yet, and I would be surprised to see him in tonights lineup. But Saturday or Sunday if he is activated, probably.

  8. I’m sorry, but I don’t think lucky or unlucky is what is happening.
    I’m not used to blaming Roberts for what happens in the game, but I have disagreed with some decisions.
    And I don’t believe what they say about Roberts having the best record or winning percentage in LA’s history as a manager, or whatever.
    I am totally sure that if he were the manager of Detroit, Miami, Kansas City, Colorado, Baltimore and some others, I doubt that he would have that record or percentage, the fact that the Dodgers are a winning team for years, it is not because of him, it is because the team is complete and full of good and excellent players, so don’t say that Roberts is an excellent manager and blah blah blah…

    1. “I would have won the Lottery but they picked a wrong number.”

      “If I were better looking, I’d have been an actor.”

      “Yeah, he’s got a lot of money, but he was lucky.”

      “Yeah, he beat me but he cheated.”

      There is always a “but if”

      1. I could have won the lottery but I didn’t buy a ticket. I bought a burrito instead.

        I AM better looking but I’m not any good at pretending I’m someone else.

        If he’s got money it proves he was lucky. It certainly isn’t lucky to be broke.

        He beat me fair and square.

        But if’s are everywhere, that is true. But if none of the above were true other things would be.

      2. “Yeah, he beat me but he cheated.”
        Geez, must you really bring up politics again?
        Maybe when the Dodgers lose the the seventh game in the World Series, Stan Kasten should call up the official scorer after a game and say, “I want you to find me three runs.”

    2. Would Roberts have the same winning percentage if he managed Detroit, of course not. Casey Stengel is a HoF manager. He was great then he managed the Mets. Roberts has taken the team to the WS 3 out of 4 years. He must be doing something right.

      1. He actually was pretty bad before he managed the Yankees. He was 208-252 as the Dodger skipper for 3 years. 373-491 after 6 with the Braves, and he finished 175-404 after 4 years with the Mets. So his record sans the Yankees is 746-1147. He went 1149-646 with the Yankees. His teams won 10 pennants and 7 World Series. He was only a genius in New York. His genius was sending the same 8 guys out there every day and he let them do the heavy lifting. Both Stengel and Roberts had the good fortune to manage some very loaded teams. Bochy was not a genius until he came to SF. His Padre teams for the most part were mediocre.

    3. Percentage wise he does Jorge. Alston’s win pct. is .558, Lasorda, .526. Roberts is at .612. That is their career marks. Tommy won 1599 games, Alston, 2040. Roberts is at 501.

      1. Tommy talked with his mouth and Alston talked with his eyes. Don’t mess with the quiet man. Alston had one or two good players on his teams.

  9. Dodgers To Sign Nick Tropeano
    By Steve Adams | August 6, 2021 at 10:48am CDT

    The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with veteran right-hander Nick Tropeano, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Tropeano, a client of the Bledsoe Agency, rejected an outright assignment from the Mets in favor of free agency earlier in the week.

  10. The but if is the Giants are four games better than us so far and if the offense doesn’t get more consistent run production we won’t be catching up! That’s not on Roberts!

    1. So who do you think makes the late inning pitching decisions and the lineup card? Who has the luxury of managing a team loaded with all stars year after year? It is up to the manager to put the players in the right position to be successful. Well…guess what?? Roberts hasn’t done that and it is supported by our record in one run and extra inning games….13-19 in one run games and 1-11 in extras. Did he make the right decisions in those close games?? Obviously NOT!! Just keep bringing in Jansen in key situations and watch our team continue to lose the close games or continue to put Bellinger in the lineup with all his struggles….that is not a good indicator for us trying to overcome the 4 game deficit we are now facing. We can no longer wait on those who are struggling to produce…only 53 games left to turn things around but with POS roberts making the same in game decisions he has been making we are certainly facing a uphill battle to reclaim 1st place and win another WS.

      1. “We can no longer wait on those who are struggling to produce…“

        Ok. What do we do?

        1. Bench Bellinger and start Taylor in CF and Trea playing 2B. Or the other way around.
          All day everyday.

          1. That’s seems to be pretty the plan–except they started Pujols against a lefty today.
            Assuming Mookie returns to health, he’ll go back to RF and Trea Turner will play 2B. Looks like Belli might be platooning with Taylor in CF. The other option, shown today, is to play Pujols at 1B, Muncy at 2B…and maybe have Trea in CF?
            At any rate, Belli has become a part-time player. Even if his slump continues, he has value as late-inning defensive replacement and a pinch runner. He’ll need to play to get out of his funk, so I’m a bit surprised he didn’t start today.
            I’m as guilty as anyone thinking, in spring, that this Dodger team was so loaded that it could win 110 games, maybe more. To me, the biggest question was whether Lux would zoom off that runway and, if not soar, at least achieve league-average latitude. Oh well…. So much has gone wrong, on and (especially) off the field. And yet the Dodgers, I think, should still be favored to win the division and reach the WS.
            As for today’s game, I prefer to congratulate the plucky Angels. We can’t blame Kenley this time, and Price delivered 5 solid innings. I don’t see any glaring mistake by Roberts. Defending against steals was again a problem. There’s some consolation in watching the Dodgers put up a fight in the end.
            But geez…. 1-11 in extra-inning games.
            Knebel is expected back soon and will help, basically replacing Nelson for the remainder of the season.
            The way the Dodgers are burning through pitchers, perhaps we’ll see Pepiot sooner rather than later.

    2. Yes it is on Roberts if he keeps playing the strikeout man…………i don’t even need to type his name……………everybody already knows who that is………..the truth speaks volumes……

  11. Longoria has been out for quite a while and is not expected back soon. So the Giants have been using Flores and others over there. Bryant has played there the last few games. All we can do as fans is sit back and watch.

  12. This is interesting. Nick Tropeano is a failed starter whose best pitch is a changeup. His fastball is low 90’s but his change-up is killer. He has been around with the Astros, Mets and Giants (that’s all that come to mind). Who get’s DFA’ed?

    1. Seems like a dope-fiend move.

      Maybe the constant roster churning is something that irritates Mr. Manfred? (I’m only kidding. Trying to add levity to AC’s conspiracy theory, which, though necessarily imperfect, is built on a foundation of truth.)

      1. Can someone explain to me the current usage of “dope-fiend” move?

        When I hear the phrase, I think it’s used to describe moves that are irrational or coming from a place of artificial and extraneous need.

        But this usage seems to be totally afield of that.

        It’s like when some ding-dongs used to clamour for more “junkyard dogs” or “Gritty” players.

        Terms that are vacuous, but still used.

        1. CT3, Muncy, and Turner were also dope-fiend moves.

          The Dodgers need more dope-fiend moves for junkyard dogs with grit!

    2. Looking at Baseball Reference, he actually has been pretty decent as a starter. Check it out….

  13. Nick Tropeano came up with Houston and traded to the Angels early in his career. Plagued by injuries. Great nickname Nitro. I hope he has some gas left in the tank!

  14. Catcher – Will Smith or Buster Posey ?
    First Base – Brandon Belt or Max Muncy?
    Second Base – Chris Taylor or Donovan Solano?
    Shortstop – Corey Seager or Bradon Crawford?
    Third Base – Justin Turner or Evan Longoria?
    Left Field – Alex Dickerson or AJ Pollock?
    Centerfield – Cody Bellinger or Steven Duggar?
    Right Field – Mookie Betts or Mike Yastrezemski?

    Don’t forget Trea Turner

    1. Posey over Smith, but only for now, Muncy much better than Belt, Taylor large over Solano, and when Turner comes and plays there, huge advantage LA. Crawford simply because he has been healthy, Turner over the 4 guys who have played 3rd for SF with Longoria out. But a push with Bryant there. Pollock over Dickerson, Giants 3 man rotation over Belli offensively, he gets the nod with the glove. Betts over anyone SF can run out there. Bench, clear advantage SF, Starters, slight edge to the Dodgers with Scherzer now in there. BP edge to SF, two closers instead of one. Bench gets better when Turner is in the starting lineup with Taylor back in the super sub mode. But if Taylor plays CF for Belli, advantage LA again. One more point about Posey, I believe he controls a game better than Smith does at this point in his career.

      1. Of course the Dodgers lineup is superior to the Giants–and that now includes Bryant. And I don’t think it’s very close.
        Is this really up for debate? And I don’t think the Giants have a superior rotation either.
        And yet the Giants keep winning while the Dodgers are 1-11 in extra innings. If our guys were .500 in extras, they’d be in first place, right?
        So it seems that the Giants are better at finding the tipping point that turns losses into wins. This is often a matter of defense. It’s Tauchman robbing Pujols of a game-changing HR. It’s Crawford making the play at SS that Lux/Taylor/Seager don’t. It’s Posey throwing out a runner that Smith/Barnes can’t get (though that maybe more the pitchers’ fault).
        And have I mentioned that Jake McGee has been really good?

  15. You can sum it up in one word: “You never know.” Courtesy of Joaquin Andujar.

    1. Blast from the past. Andujar was one of those guys who one night would totally shut you down and the next time, it was batting practice. But he had some nasty stuff. If Tropeano gets added to the 40 man, I see someone like Reks or Raley getting the AXE. Dope fiend move..hmm…….well, there are still a lot of addicts in this country, as far as dope fiends, that would describe someone who goes off the rails when under the influence. Too much sugar and a two year old can be terrifying.

      1. Good memory, Bear — my recollection of Andujar is the same: anywhere from awful to brilliant. I was actually being a little bit of a wiseass in bringing up that comment. “Don’t Panic” is not “a word” and that reminded me of Andujar’s three-word “one word” statement from back in the day 🙂

        1. In his wins his ERA was 1.78. In his losses, 5.95. In his no decisions it was 4.10. 127-118 career record. Struck out 1032. Dodgers were 11-6 against him. He passed away in 2015 at 62.

  16. Any news on whether Trea Turner plays today?

    It will be interesting where he plays and who sits and where in the lineup he is at. Any thoughts?

    I’d like to see him in an RBI spot in the lineup. 3rd/4th.

    1. No word yet, I think today is his last day in Covid protocols. But he is supposed to arrive in LA today. He is going to hit at the top of the order, 1 or 2. He and Roberts are expected to have a sit down when he arrives and work out a plan. With his speed, he is a top of the order guy. Muncy, Turner, Taylor and Smith have been the big RBI guys so far. It only matters the first at bat anyway. After that, the leadoff man or # 2 guy can be in an RBI situation. Turner is not a typical 3 or 4 hitter. We will know more this afternoon I would think Eric. Sandoval going for the Halos, means Pujols will most likely be at first. Bellinger actually has good numbers and a homer off of him.

  17. Interesting post Mark comparing the Giants and Dodgers and the Dodger’s hitting philosophy and approach.
    I find a couple of things interesting that your post made me think about:
    One involves pitch count. One way to look at it is each pitcher has a finite number of bullets in their gun belt and when they are used up, either during an individual outing or in a season, they will begin to fail. When the x number of bullets are fired, they are done. Effectiveness is lost and injury can occur. There are certainly lots of variables involved with using those bullets.
    Four Giant pitchers are getting close to maximizing their previous inning totals. So, the assumption is they will start to fail due to the workloads. That is pretty standard thinking – but WHY? I have somewhat of a different view of pitch counts and innings pitched. I can’t understand why a pitcher who has started building arm strength in March is still restricted in August to the magic 100 pitch benchmark. Or X number of innings. If a guy is healthy why isn’t usage building arm strength instead of weakening it? Everybody starts getting real antsy when a guy get to 100 pitches. Guys are conditioned to start looking in the dugout or have emotional conversations when the magic 100 pitch mark is reached. I realize all pitch counts aren’t the same. A 40 pitch inning surrounded by a couple 10 pitch innings isn’t the same 50 pitches. And a red flag goes up. The same with inning totals. The rule of thumb has been viewed as a 30% spike in innings from one season to the next is a red flag.
    Maybe the reduced innings from last season is the reason for the concern. Every pitcher is being extended beyond last year’s levels. But to me the same thinking was prevalent in 2019 and before. Concerns about inning restrictions and pitch restrictions have been the norm of a long time.
    I have read extensively on this subject. Jeff Passan’s book “The Arm” is good. It covers lots of territory. What I’m looking for is some solid medical evidence on pitch counts and innings. I can’t find any scientific evidence that can put a cap on pitches and innings. I remember well when pitch counting started. It started at a about 150. Then it went down to 125 and now has settled at 100; the magic number. Why 100? I think it’s because it’s a nice round, super safe. number.
    If somebody has some solid evidence supporting these restrictions, I’m all ears. But I need more than the fact that’s how everybody’s doing it.
    Next is the new hitting approach and working pitch counts. Many of us have commented plenty on our distain with taking fat pitches and hitting in disadvantage counts to run up the pitch totals (ironically to 100 pitches generally). It is no longer a “sin” to take a called third strike as many of us had pounded into our heads as kids. It’s now considered to be a better at bat to take a close strike 3 than to swing at a ball that’s barely out of the zone. For my old school thinking of “hitting anything close” is out the window. Better to strike out than to get a hack at a pitch out of the zone. Hey, guys swing at balls way out of the zone all the time as chase pitchers. So, why not get a hack on a close one? Vlad, Yogi and many others were good bad ball hitters and didn’t stand for a called 3rd strike. Back when contact mattered. The batting average pitches taken is 0. At least swing at a close pitch offers a chance.
    Everything changes but not necessarily for the better. Pitchers are having more success with pitches up in the zone now against the lift and separate swings. Hitters will adjust. Which will put the once effective sinker back in vogue. It’s an always evolving chess match but I have never warmed up the the 3 Outcome Approach to hitting.
    * Hey, Anthony M did you get a chance to check out the Athletic article on salary and conditions in the minors. Good on your grandparents, by the way, for being a host family for minor leagues.

    1. Good analysis phil. I’d add that in yesteryear pitchers were better at getting guys out by pitching to contact, pulling the string and using command instead of velocity. Not possible to throw full speed for 150 pitches just like it isn’t possible to run full speed for a mile. Think Greg Maddux. Heck, think Sandy Koufax. He didn’t get great until he backed off a little bit.

      I was actually taught how to foul off close pitches. I don’t see anybody doing a lot of that now. It was easier to do on the outside pitches and the outside pitch is missed by the ump more often than those inside because umps set up on the inside. My philosophy was always stay alive until you get the pitch you want or he walks you. I think Muncy has the same approach though he’s been pressing lately.

      1. I love that Koufax story. Headline on the NYT obit: “Norm Sherry, 89, Dies; Gave Koufax a Tip, and the Rest Is History.” (Looked it up because I worried I might confuse Norm and Larry.)
        As for batting strategy….
        I help coach my 11-year-old’s Little League team, the Eagles. With two strikes, I always call out, “Protect the plate” regardless of batter. (Hate it when a batter gets called out on strikes and then whines about the ump. If it’s close enough to be called a strike, swing the damn bat.)
        My boy has more desire and grit than natural ability–and he’s become pretty good at protecting that plate, fouling off a few before he gets a hit or a walk. This being 2021, we use an app called GameChanger for our volunteer official scorer to record every pitch. Last season, my boy was basically the 10th man on a championship team loaded with strong hitters. When I dove into GameChanger’s advanced data, I was surprised o see that he ranked No. 3 in QAB–“quality at bats.”
        And since I know you are all wondering, my favorite Eagle batted an even .400. (Well, OK, we are pretty generous about what we call a hit versus an error.) But on this team, a .400 average was only 9th best on this powerhouse.
        Most of those teammates have now graduated to Juniors and now it’s my boy’s turn…

    2. Hey Phil. Yes indeed I read the the Athletic article and it drives home the point on how shameful the living conditions are for, dare I say most minor league players. It’s a tough ask but MLB needs to require team owners to support a certain standard of living for MiLB players. Right at the top of the article, “the Cardinals’ High-A site in Peoria, Ill., it’s not uncommon to see players walking along the side of the road to the stadium about a mile away, or 40 minutes to the two best food options: Culver’s and Steak ’n Shake. Any walk for a minor-league player doubles as a treasure hunt, where discoveries have included discarded food, a projector and the holy grail: a mattress.” Horrible!
      I posted at the site that a lot of the players are making around 15k a year. That would mean in this scenario the cafeteria workers would be better paid than the players, based purely on minimum wage.
      There’s no doubt in my mind teams who pay players thousands of dollars per swing or at bat could come up with a reasonable solution for minor league payers. Think of all the good will gained in such a program. .
      Let’s hope in the future MLB teams and the owners view their minor league teams as an investment, rather than an expense. Unfortunately I fear we will get more of the same from big league clubs going foward.

      “It is no longer a “sin” to take a called third strike as many of us had pounded into our heads as kids.” So true in my young playing days taking strike three got you a seat on the pine next to the coach. I dig the Vlad and Yogi approech to at bats. And there is little doubt in my mind it makes for a better game.

      1. Anthony, I;m glad you got to the article and had a chance to read it. What else stuck home is that except for some players who were about to be finished anyway, players were afraid to rock the boat. How’s living in fear that your dream could be ended by asking for a fair salary and conditions? How many violations would this be in any normal workplace. They have these kids over a barrel and using that to the club’s advantage. You can figure they might be more tolerant and accommodating to a high draft pick but the regular kids grinding to make it, can’t complain. How about the latin players who have poor parents who can’t supplement their housing and food costs? Shameful.
        I made $2.50 a day meal money on the road. How far do you think that went? And we had to tip of the clubhouse guy out of that.

        1. Phil, Yes a hundred times yes to your comments. How can this be? It doesn’t seem possible. I feel hopeless reading their stories. I never made it to their or your level, but I can imagine signing that first pro contract and thinking I’m on my way I’m getting paid to play baseball and then the reality sinks in…….the baseball part becomes secondary to trying to survive on next to nothing. I imagine the players learn to adapt an all for one one for all mind set and make do. It’s still not right by any stretch of the imagination. $2.50! It almost feels like an insult to me. Anything else jump out at you when you think about your playing career? No pressure!! Ha!

    3. Love this topic philjones. I think it was you who brought this up last year as well. It’s beyond me how someone decided 100 pitches was the one size fits all number. It doesn’t make sense to me. I see starters throwing at the top end of their velocity in the 6-7-8th inning and then they are removed. I remember 30+ years ago watching games and Vinny would comment that whoever was starting and doing well still had their velocity late in the game so no need to remove them. It’s not all about velocity. It’s pitching skills (i.e. Greg Maddux). The muscles in the arm should get stronger with more use, but baseball takes the opposite approach. Why? That’s the approach the Japanese use in their training with starters only pitching once a week. I’m going to get Passan’s book.

      Like many things in today’s society expectations have been lowered to be more inclusive. That includes baseball. Do even think about throwing more than 100 pitches. Pitchers mentally begin to shutdown as they approach that number. Can’t make contact? No problem, strikeouts acceptable as long as you hit a HR every 40-50 AB’s. Hitting to the opposite field is hard. Don’t worry about it. Just continue hitting ground outs to short RF or linedrives amongst six players. Bunt to move a teammate into scoring position? Why do that when I have less than a 5% chance of hitting a HR. Come on man!

      1. Passan’s book is worth reading. There is a lot about individual, psychological struggles with TJ, sometimes twice. He covers Japan and the lack of quality research in the area of pitch counts and workload. He states that there have been many research attempts by qualified folks to compile information in a large database for study. What’s gotten in the way? Individual teams, hire the researchers to work exclusively with their teams, to keep the information to themselves. So, instead of combining resources for the general good of the game, there’s 30 teams all doing their own research. The Dodgers, to no surprise, were one of the first to snap up a top researcher. And maybe they have founds some answers to back up their organization’s decisions and development. But we’ll never know. They aren’t quick to offer much information on anything.
        It’s Spy versus Spy.

  18. Talk about a tough stretch. The Angels next 5 opponents, Dodgers, Jays, Astros, Yankees and Padres.

  19. Klawchat 8/5/21:
    Dark Knight: Dodgers have been giving Gavin Lux opportunities for couple years… do you see him more as a Carter Kieboom/ Biggio? or still someone who will be an above avg regular?
    Keith Law: Chance to be a star. Way better than those other two. Not even in the same league in tools or ability.
    Dark Knight: Andre Jackson just pitched well in AA and promoted to AAA. LA has Pepiot & Miller/Beeter that looks like they’ll be ready soon. Will LA use the Gonsolin model for these guys?
    Keith Law: I definitely would with Jackson, who is still ‘young’ in pitching experience (but not young for a prospect).

  20. I had to work today so I couldn’t respond to marks rude remarks:

    Ops Ab Ave. Hr. RBI
    .892. 161. 280. 9. 30 Longoria
    779. 296. 253. 14. 39 Flores
    877. 372. 293. 20. 65 turner

    952. 312. 272. 22. 62 Muncy
    952 166. 277. 12. 29 Ruf
    862. 172. 244. 13. 32 wade

    When you add the stats here u can c the production at first and third base are very similar to ours. Farhan platooning like he did for dodgers puts a powerful production in place. They may be playing over their head but these are the current stats. Can they keep it up I don’t know. Our lineup only clearly wins at second and left. With tturner coming in and our guys like Seager, bellinger, Betts, performing we would be better. It is not hard to c why the giants r in first they have simply outperformed us in most areas. I did not use pujois because of 2 teams but this helps us.

    1. The big difference is that Turner and Muncy are having normal year. Longoria and Ruf and Wade are all having career years, as are Crawford and Posey, DeScalfani and Gausman.

      Even with all of that, we would have been even in the standings if Kenley just did his job and converted his first three saves after the break and if we would have won just one more extra innings game.

      I know there’s a couple of ifs in there. But, I also find it hard to believe that as a Dodger fan, you fail to see or recognise that the talent on this roster is far and away more impressive than there’s. Instead you want to spill ink defending that crappy team and acting like Farhan is some kind of genius.

      If you were in a fantasy league, there’s no freaking way you draft any of those players at the beginning of the season ahead of anyone on our roster. I bet you haven’t even heard of half of them before this year. It seems like you just want to win the argument. Unfortunately, you can’t win it until 162 have been played.

      Here’s another thing to consider. The Giants and Dodgers have played the same number of games now. We have allowed less runs and have scored more runs than that team. So your analysis is as useful as a safe word in Bauer’s bedroom.

      Enjoy complaining about not catching the Giants while you can. I wonder if you’ll follow them as closely after this year when most of those guys cash in on career years and they’re left to fill those spots on more retreads and mid level minor league system. We’ll see how lucky Farhan gets next year, and later this year when they face a one game elimination in the Wild Card.

      1. I am a lifetime Dodger fan and I hope the giants finish last. I don’t have any use for Farhan or anybody on the Giants. I currently think we have more talent but why are we not winning? I am not on crack or any substances. I don’t know why a person can’t express a view without being trashed.

        I hope the Dodgers catch them before next week is over. I don’t follow the Giants except to check the standings. I just posted some facts. The current situation can change but each day that passes without gaining ground makes it that much tougher.

        What I said may not be useful but the standings are what they are. Hopefully that changes soon.

  21. Was it someone on this board who has convinced him/herself that Seager is going to the NYY?

    1. I read an article that showed how Corey has always been a huge Yankees fan and that the feeling was NYY would make a pitch to acquire him this off-season. I don’t believe anyone could say that is a done deal, but it is something to keep your eyes on. I would hate to lose Corey…Mr September (clutch in the pressure zone). Why would we not want to resign him? He and Turner can both start quite easily….just like we will see tomorrow.

      If you need to save money, Kershaw may retire; don’t resign Jansen; ask Cody to give back most of the 16 million for his weak performance. You can start there.

  22. PhilJones, like clockwork, brings up a great point about pitch counts. I too believe that pitchers are conditioned to plateau at that magical mark.

    But there are other driving factors. Starting pitchers used to “save some” for the end of the game and pace themselves for the long haul. They are now encouraged to go with their good stuff as a long as they can. Bullpens are very deep these days, so there’s a tendency to trust the fresh arm instead of trying to get all you can from the best arm. After all, you have to keep them healthy while you’re paying for that long and guaranteed contract.

    Then you have the geeks that decided you can’t go through the lineup 3 times, much less 4 times. And I’m sure some bonehead published a study somewhere that said high pitch counts are the reason for all the surgeries, which might no longer be applicable due to newer trends and data showing no correlation. After all, it seems every pitcher gets TJ nowadays.

    I watched an MLB Tonight video earlier today on Trea Turner. They were comparing him to Paul Molitor. Very high praise. They expect him to bat leadoff and play second base. I think the Mookie situation might derail the second base plan initially, but I would think that’s where he’ll ultimately wind up if all goes to plan by the end of the year.

    I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but JT has been struggling for the last couple of weeks now. He also hasn’t been getting his normal planned rest days. Mookie is playing second base to keep his hip in check. Pollock is playing more regularly than I can seem to remember and Belli still needs to “build and strengthen” the shoulder. This all points to CT3 playing a lot and everyone going back into the rest rotation. While it seems like a good idea to just insert CT3 over Belli, it isn’t going to work like that.

    What has been a very lefty heavy lineup in recent years, has all the sudden become a lot more right handed, temporarily until possible next year when Lux and Rios are alive and well. We won’t be seeing that alternating Righty / Lefty lineup nearly as much, if at all for the rest of the season. Here’s my crack at the starting lineup tonight with Trea Turner in Center Field…

    TT CF – R
    Mookie 2B – R
    Seager SS – L
    JT 3B – R
    Muncy 1B – L
    Smith C – R
    Bellinger – L
    Pollock – R

    At least, that’s how I would write out the card.

    1. Excellent point, BullPen, about spending those bullets full bore earlier and not saving any to pace through the game. However, it might do some pitchers good to get off the gas sometimes and pitch to contact. But your point is a good one. I’m not a fan of making a pitching change based on the fact that it’s the 3rd (or 4th) time through and some pencil-necks predict that the pitcher’s are done. The hitters will tell you when a guy’s done.

      1. Totally agree. A manager needs to read the game as it unfolds in front of him and make decisions accordingly. Too much data will lead to analysis paralysis. Pitchers get paid for striking people out. Wins and ERA are undervalued stats right now. Wins used to be the only thing that mattered.

    2. I like it with one exception…Taylor for Bellinger. We do not hit lefties very well so as long as Taylor is hitting well and
      Bellinger isn’t then we can save Belli for some late inning heroics and defense.

  23. Memo to Dodgers’ pitchers for this weekend:

    Don’t let OHTANI beat you….pitch around him or pitch to his weakness, if he has one. We don’t need to see him jacking balls out of the park. It is far safer to walk him, than watch him trotting around the baes with a big grin.

    Without Trout, they don’t have another scary big HR/RBI bat. Justin Upton is good, but not scary. So, zero in on the guys after the big kid. Got it?

    I repeat….don’t be all macho thinking you can take this kid…..he’s pretty good!

    Thanks for listening,
    TM

  24. 53 games left,59 days till the end of the season ,6 days off, 477 innings, give or take 10 either way to cover. Starting August 10 we have 13 games in row with no off days. Who will be the innings eater besides Buehler, Urias and Scherzer? Price and Tropeano are question marks. Gonsolin and Kershaw are probably done for the season. Can we count on Duffy and Hamels in September? White will be in the mix along with Jackson and Pepiot. The choices are really limited.

  25. MLB app just says Kershaw will be out until September. Giants will face Burnes and woodruffs one day after other

    1. I’m okay with letting Clayton rest up in order to get ready for the playoffs….hoping we can get by the one game playoff game, if we have to play in it.

  26. Ramon Laureano Suspended Eighty Games After Positive PED Test
    By Anthony Franco | August 6, 2021 at 4:12pm CDT

    Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Athletics outfielder Ramón Laureano has been suspended for eighty games without pay after testing positive for Nandrolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. He’ll miss the remainder of the season. The A’s have 53 games left in 2021, so Laureano’s suspension will carry over for the first 27 games of the 2022 campaign as well.

    1. Speaking of PEDs, with all those career years up North, I’m wondering if BALCO reopened.

  27. Tonight’s lineup:

    RF Mookie Betts R
    3B J. Turner R
    2B Max Muncy L
    1B A. Pujols R
    SS Corey Seager L
    CF Chris Taylor R
    LF AJ Pollock R
    C A. Barnes R
    P David Price L

    No Trea No Cody

  28. I guess TT still has a touch of the VID. Barnes should never start after an off day, much less after the second in 4 days.

    Doc talks about urgency, then puts Barnes in the lineup with an off day before and after this series. If you want your team to feel some urgency, you should show it in the lineups you choose.

    1. Trea Turner (COVID-19) is not in Friday’s lineup against the Angels, but he posted a video on his Instagram account signifying that he has arrived at Dodger Stadium, Blake Harris of True Blue LA reports.

    2. But, how do you know…

      1. If Price asked for Barnes?
      2. If Smith has an injury and needs another day?
      3. If this was a planned day off?
      4. If Austin Barnes has a .500 BA against Sandavol (he does)?

      Oh, it’s all on Doc. That’s why you think Doc is so bad – You blame everything on him!

      1. You never answered my question about why you thought Mattingly was bad, but somehow Doc is good.

        1) If you’re letting the lunatics run the asylum, you shouldn’t be manager. Number 4 / 5 asking for a personal catcher right after begging to get back in the rotation? Not likely.
        2) Didn’t look hurt when he bombed that three run shot in the last game.
        3) If you have to have a planned day off after 2 days off in the same week, you’re a bad planner.
        4) If you suggest making a judgement based on 2 ABs, you don’t need an “Analytics Department”.

        Yep, all the stupidity is blamed on him until he shows me otherwise or until someone can build a reasonable case to prove otherwise without lazily pointing to his record while managing the most stacked team in MLB.

        You can start with explaining your way around his All-Star game record.

        1. Wow! That was one of the most obviously irrational comments I have ever read.

          1. You have no idea what you are talking about. With Mattingly, the inmates ran the asylum which was my main beef. If you knew even a little of what you think, you would know DR runs the show.
          2. So, you have an inside line to Smith that DR doesn’t? I’ll bet you THINK you do!
          3. You have no clue. Does your wife beat you or what?
          4. DR puts up the lineups the FO wants or he would not be there.

          All-Star Game Record? Really? Does anyone try and win an All-Star Game? Ha! Ha! I am just going to chalk this up to your being drunk off your ass because this is some of the most incoherent drivel I have ever read!

    3. SOS….his lineups never make any sense. Sorry as much as I like Pujois he shouldn’t be cleanup and Barnes should be riding the pine. Smith has been clutch and Muncy has struggled as of late. Why not Betts, Taylor, Seager, Turner, Smith, Pujois, Muncy, Pollock. Argument could be made for Pollock to be higher in lineup as he has been our best hitter for the last month.

      1. There is a data driven reason Barnes is catching tonight. I don’t know what it is, I only know that it is.

        We should be hearing something from the Dodgers regarding Turner today. Why aren’t we?

      2. The lineup are as much about Roberts as the Front Office, so what you are saying is Andrew Friedman is a dumbass!

  29. I would be fine with sitting Bellinger all weekend… maybe a defensive replacement or pinch runner. Let’s see how he handles that.

        1. maybe next year??? He can be a late inning defensive replacement and try that violent swing as a pinch hitter. We don’t have time to wait for him to wakeup…every game is a must win!

    1. Good idea, sit him right after he starts showing signs of life. The Doc way.

  30. I can’t believe Will Smith is sitting on the bench after an off day and another off day after this series. Where the hell is the urgency? We are 4 games behind the Giants with time going by fast.

    What’s up with Trea Turner not starting? I thought he was at dodger stadium today? Again where is the urgency?

    Why are people talking about Kershaw being done? I haven’t read anything about him being done.

    No Ohtani, Trout, Rendon. We gotta win this one. No excuses.

    1. “The team said he would probably make his Dodgers debut Friday or Saturday, and while he is not in Friday’s lineup, it seems likely he will play during this weekend’s series. He could even be available off the bench Friday, but he has not yet been officially activated.”

      That was 2 hours ago.

      2 months is a long time for an “inflammation” diagnosis. THAT is why people are asking questions.

      1. I just now found and watched Doc’s pregame interview. MLB is being slow on the OK for Trea Turner. Could be available tonight otherwise tomorrow. He will mostly be playing 2B. Kershaw will be back the beginning of September. No explanation on why Smith is sitting today.

        Doc also said there might be a Bellinger/Taylor platoon.

  31. Dodgers News: Trea Turner Activated For the Game Tonight in LA
    08/06/21 Los Angeles Dodgers placed LHP Victor Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list.

  32. The Big Dodger in the Sky is evidently not happy. Betts is likely headed to the IL again.

  33. MLB dicking with the Dodgers again. They couldn’t clear him until a half an hour before the game? Shenanigans!

    Well, Betts did go back to RF after the inning.

    Unhealthiest bullpen I have ever seen.

    Didn’t Doc just say that V-Gone was fine a couple of days ago?

    Muncy fails to move a runner, yet again. Albert says, hold my beer.

    How did people ever come to the conclusion that Price isn’t worthy of a rotation spot?

    Bad news for Nelson after being for essentially three years. He’ll miss all of his age 33 season next year. I expect AF to give him a two year deal in the offseason.

    Barnes is the king of cheap hits. Looks like a line drive in the box score.

  34. Two sources report that Will Smith is sitting to “rest his legs.” They may have told you something , without telling you something.

  35. I grow very weary of fans who start with a premise and work backward to fit their own narrow-minded, and ill-informed narrative. I think that instead of doing that, you should get “DUMBASS” tattooed on your forehead.

    I mean, it is “make me want to quit” weary!

  36. I agree, Betts looks like he’s heading back to the I. L. If he can stay upright and able to jog, he’s worth putting in the lineup the way he’s hitting lately.

    Poor Jimmy Nelson, looked like the bullpen and high leverage situations were in his future. Career might be over.

    I couldn’t figure out the Cole Hamels signing. Now with the news on Kershaw, it makes sense.

    Interesting note: Gubinatorial candidate Larry Elder is in the first row sitting next to Mary Hart’s husband.

    1. Evan,

      Long-time! Hope you are well

      Larry Elder is a very interesting guy. I like him a lot. Can he win in California?

      1. I agree, real interesting guy. Can he win? Probably not, this is California after all.

        Mark, doing well. Just super busy. Work is burying me. Tonight is one of those few times where I have actually been able to sit down and watch a game uninterrupted.

        LA Dodgertalk remains the best of all blogs. So much knowledge here with the writers and commenters.

        It’s amazing that this ball club has stayed in contention. The injury bug has hit them so hard and the Bauer fiasco would have buried most clubs. Of course it’s nice to have ownership that opens the purse strings to overcome those problems.

        Here we are with about sixty games left and the Giants lead is definitely within reach, but there comes a time that the injuries and bad luck either is overcome or it buries you. I guess we’ll see what this team is made of.

  37. Dear Lord,

    Its the top of the 6 and Fletcher is causing chaos on the bases, distracting the pitcher, and gets to third on a bad throw with less than two outs.

    Can you please instill this wisdom in the manager in the blue dugout????

    Amen

  38. Not everything.

    This is though.

    How else can not using the speed on the team being used, putting pressure on batteries, etc.

    How often does this team manufacture runs?

    1. The team is not built on manufacturing runs and that is more on Andrew Friedman than Dave Roberts.

      1. That’s plain bullshit. This team has got all the elements to do whatever it wants to do. It has to be guided in that direction

  39. Another losing blah performance by baseball’s best lineup! I’m not panicked just realistic. This team just doesn’t have it! Or deserve it!

  40. As I was saying. Another great, clutch comeback by baseballs best lineup! Pollock for MVP!

  41. 1-12 in extra’s and another 1 run loss. Just real hard to take. But, what chaffs me the most is bringing in a guy who has lost all of his games in extra innings. Cleavenger, with the loss tonight, is 0-4 in extra inning games. With a RH up, why the hell did he not use Graterol? He could have walked Ohtani with 1 out and a runner on second. But he lets Cleavenger face Iglesias and boom, they are down 3-2. Then the misplay on the pop up, and it is 4-2. But the killer was wasting Muncy’s lead off double. Never would have made it to extra’s. This team is pitiful with no outs and a runner in scoring position. Wasted another chance to gain on the Giants. Change in philosophy is needed. Turner will get his first start tomorrow.

    1. Ask me when the season is over. It is too early to even talk about stuff like that. But if they keep not being able to gain ground on the Giants when they do lose, then there is a real possibility that the wild card will be their way into the playoffs. 52 games left. plenty of time to catch SF. But, they have got to start winning the close ones. Also they need a stable lineup. If Betts is going to be out again for a week or so, it weakens the whole lineup. And right now the fans frustration level has to be through the roof. They are not getting clutch hits. Muncy has cooled off, so has Taylor just a little. I saw some remark about Pollock earlier in the post, but right now he has been the most consistent hitter on the team. Yeah, he made the last out, but why was Pujols hitting against a RHP with two lefty’s on the bench? Strikeouts in situations like that are wasted at bats. Me, I would have left Turner in after he pinch hit, pulled Pujols for Muncy and stuck Turner at second. He might have caught that pop up that Muncy missed. Dave just did not make the right moves, but it is not his fault the players did not make the plays. It just leaves a really bad taste in your mouth when they waste so many chances to win games and then lose like this. I would rather have Lux on the bench than Reks. At least he gives you speed and defense.

  42. I guess we just aren’t that good. Again, we lay an egg against a team we should blow away. And they didn’t even have their two superstars playing.

    Oh well….a year of disappointments continues…..

    1. We are that good TM. Only 3 teams in the majors have more wins, Brewers, Rays and the Giants… Are they losing games they should win? Absolutely. But that happens every year. Last year was an anomaly. And yet they had problems putting teams away. Difference is that last year, late inning magic was part of their game. They walked teams off when they were not crushing them. This year, between the injuries and the inconsistent offense, they are losing games they should have won. And now with Betts hurting again, they will not be running their best lineup out there every night. Other differences, bench is weaker. They got solid performances last season from the bench. Joc could be counted on for some power, and Kike even would surprise with key hits now and then. Since about the 3rd week of the season, they have not had that. Rios out, McKinstry starts hot, gets injured and is not the same. None of the AAA guys have contributed much at all. Different bullpen. Instead of vets like McGee, and Baez, Wood, Floro and Kolarek, they are rolling kids with little to no experience out there in key spots. Gonzalez not the same pitcher he was, Knebel has spent more time on the IL than active, Kahnle not ready until next year. Cleavenger, who Mark likes and I think is mediocre has lost all his games in extras. With the starters depleted, two key bullpen pieces now being used as starters, well one, who knows when Gonsolin is ready. Just a totally different team. But for the next 52 games, we get one of the top hitters in the NL in the lineup. I am anxious to see just how Trea Turner fits in with this group. He will probably hit leadoff tonight, as I would think Mookie gets a night off.

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