Rant & Rave Sunday

  • The Giants just keep rolling along. They may never lose again. Don’t worry: it’s an “odd” year – they only win the World Series in “even” years. I think…. hope… pray! This is just a magical year for them so far. They have lost Jake McGee for the rest of the season, but Dominic Leone stepped in and saved last night’s game. They just can do no wrong (right now).
  • Do you remember earlier in the year when Dave Roberts ran out of position players and many of you branded him as an “idiot” for doing that? Well, Friday night that happened to Gabe Kapler. He had to use Kevin Gausman as a pinch hitter in the 11th inning because he was out of position players. Gausman hit a sac fly to win the game and Kapler is s genius! It’s all preception and execution. Most moves that are called “bonehead” moves by Dave Roberts are simply a lack of execution and false perception. You can always twist the facts to suit your worldview.
  • The Giants have four players in their late 30’s (Ruf, Belt, Longoria, and Crawford) who are OPS’ing .900 or above, for the first time for a full season in their entire career. This is simply “lightning in a bottle.” Sometimes the baseball gods do this. The other player who has OPS’ed .900 is Posey and he is at .892. There is no questin that this has been a magical season for them, but sometimes luck runs out…. doesn’t it? Huh?
  • Max Muncy is the only Dodger player with an OPS over .900 (.909).
  • Cy Scherzer? 15-4/2.08 ERA/0.81 WHIP. Yeah, barring an implosion, the award is his. Buehler and Urias should both finish in the Top 5. Actually, Kenley “Back From the Dead-and-Buried” might be in the Top 10. I said “MIGHT.”
  • I hated to give up Keibert Ruiz, but that was one hell of a trade. You have to give Andrew Friedman credit. There are no excuses for not winning it all this year. Do you hear me, Doc?
  • Jo Jo Gary is not ready for primetime as yet – 6.15 ERA/1.434 WHIP. I still think he will be a solid #3 or #4 starter… just not yet!
  • It’s hard to have any confidence in a national writer who think Cody Bellinger will be non-tendered. Crack is bad! That said, this has been a horrid year for him.
  • I like Gavin Lux in LF. With an entire offseason to prepare, he will be a great defensive LF’er with a great arm. Let him not worry about the “yips” and just focus on hitting. I am gaining confidence in him. Next year could be the breakout year. An outfield of Lux, Bellinger, and Betts would be the best defensive outfield in baseball.
  • If the NL adopts the DH in the offseason, Pollock and Justin Turner could play part time and alternate at DH. Pollock seems best at around 400 AB’s anyway.
  • Vargas and Busch are probably callups next September... Pages might be another year after that.
  • The Dodgers have “retooled” Kody Hoese’s swing, but the results have not translated to the barrell. Next year will be critical for him nor he could drop out of the Top 30.
  • I predict that BOTH Joe Kelly and Kenley Jansen will both be back with the Dodgers in 2022. Or not… 😉
  • I would like to see Albert Pujols finish his career in St. Louis next year!
  • David Price will not be on the playoff roster. Even Ronnie Milsap can see that.
  • The Dodger’s minor league system is full of interesting players. It will be interesting how they are ranked in the offseason. It’s hard to keep a high ranking when you trade for All-Stars and draft at the bottom.
  • What has happened to the Driveline guys? Kyle Boddy, President of Driveline Baseball, hired as the Cincinnati Reds’ minor-league pitching coordinator after the 2019 season, has parted ways with the organization after two seasons, and Rob Hill has been out of the spotlight in LA.
  • I think after the season is over, the Dodgers need to re-evaluate their “all-or-nothing” offense. I am not saying heads need to roll, but I am saying it needs to be tweaked.
  • I still haven’t decided if I want to drive to Ciny today. It’s been a long week with the drive to Yankton, SD and back. The best sight I saw was Yankton in the rear-view mirror.

The Truth About You

This article has 75 Comments

  1. 1). I did not realize that Scherzer is now at 37 scoreless innings. Wow.

    2). If we win this series on the road, and yet lose a game in the standings, so be it. We did our job.

    3). If anyone is here in Chicago, I”ll be at Soldier Field today for the Bears game. We suck, but hoping to see Justin Fields.

    4). How about my Fresno State Bulldogs win the win at UCLA last night??

  2. It is definitely an odd year.

    Never been to Yankton.

    Cody Bellinger is simply a great athlete with a powerful swing when right. Expect him to very good in 2022, all the injuries behind him. Lot of dumb people writing these days on various blogs etc. thinking he will be traded in the off-season.

    The DH will solve the issue of running out of hitters. It will help produce more runs too.

    I agree the Dodgers need to change their approach to hitting and offense. Too many strikeouts and pop-ups with runners on base, not putting the ball in play. Tend to be hot or cold.

    Maybe Kelly returns. I’m guessing Kenley moves on. They need to save money somewhere. Actually they probably don’t, but I’m thinking they will. Season tickets went up again. For our seats, which are really good, the cost of two is $281 with parking. Back in 2016, the same package cost $212.

    Just curious Mark, but what are your thoughts on the Dodgers re-signing Corey Seager? One of the Times beat writers thinks he moves on with Turner moving to short. Some thinking they will pass because of the size of the contract. But he’s a really good hitter and that would definitely hurt them moving forward. I can’t imagine Seager wanting to play elsewhere. Not sure who would offer a massive contract? The Yankees? Are they for sale? Mixed messages coming out of New York these days.

    I think this off-season will be very interesting for the Dodgers. Lots of decisions. Thinking the payroll will be reduced. Not sure where the labor issue goes.

    Yes, Gavin Lux has turned the corner. Where he plays, not sure. Maybe infield and outfield. If they don’t sign Seager, he returns to second, maybe plays a little outfield. Lot of balls up in the air.

    After watching Friday’s loss, it brings home the reality that one game playoff games can be scary.

    Good write-up today, Mark.

    1. Gavin with the key hit yesterday is a good sign. I also liked that bunt by Taylor to bring in the 4th run. Little small ball with Max on the beam is a good thing. I hope the Dodgers will try to manufacture runs more like that. use the speed of Mookie, Tre, Belli , lux and Taylor.
      Come playoff time every run is precious. Especially with our great pitching.

      Offseason: From a money point of view I do not see KJ back if he wants the same kind of money as he is making now. No way. I would have faith in Treinen to be our closer.
      Kelly I would bring back for that 8 million option we have on him. You will not find an arm on the same talent level as him for that kind of dollars.
      CT3 if he wants the rumored 5 years, 80 millions I would pass on. make him a qualfiying offer and if he declines move on. I expect an outfield of Belli , AJ and Mookie with Lux the new super sub who can play all around the infield and outfield.
      Clayton is a tough on. From a pure money for reward standpoint you can not resign him to anywhere close of what he is making now. Will be interesting to see how both sides will adress this . Emotinally I want to see CK retire in a Dodgers uni but he will have to give the Dodgers a hometeam discount.

      Bauer ? Well, I think it is a terrible thing what MLB is doing to this mans career. They are basically ruining his future in baseball. As far as the Dodgers are concerned you have to hope they will get free of his contract and use the money on other players.

      Bring back Max. Period.
      If you get rid of Bauers contract resign Corey.

      My first guess at the 26 men roster would look like this:
      Starting pitchers: Max. Walker. Julio. Tony. Clayton. (Dustin May could be back in August for the stretch run.)
      1b Muncy. 2b Trey . ss Corey. 3b JT.
      RF Mookie. Cf Belli. Lf AJ.
      Catcher Will Smith, Barnes
      Bench: Rios. Lux. MyKinstry. free agent OF.
      Pen: Treinen. Kelly.Graterol. Vesia. Victor Gonazelez. Knebel. Caleb Ferguso. Kahnle. Price.

      But first thing first now go catch those damned Midgets who refuse to lose and then bring home the WS trophy in a repeat.

      Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      1. So it’s not a perfect parallel….but I suspect that actor Kevin Spacey could related to Trevor Bauer, and vice versa.
        Spacey was actually charged with sexual assault, but the prosecutors ended up dropping the case because of problems with the accuser.
        Spacey, unlike Bauer, was actually charged with sexual assault–accusations that Spacey, like Bauer, denied–but the charge was later dropped by prosecutors because Spacey’s accuser proved so problematic.

        As NPR reported back in July 2019:
        Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe said in court documents filed Wednesday that he was abandoning the case “due to the unavailability of the complaining witness.”
        The case began to fall apart after the alleged victim decided to stop testifying, invoking the Fifth Amendment on the witness stand last week.
        The allegations stem from an encounter between the man and the actor in 2016. According to the accuser, who was 18 at the time, Spacey got him drunk and then unzipped his pants and groped him for several minutes at the crowded restaurant.

        OK, so he invoked the Fifth, which suggests that he worried about self-incrimination. Interesting.

        But the scandal surrounding Spacey prompted HOLLYWOOD, a highly sexualized industry, to bounce Spacey from his leading role in “House of Cards.” Spacey has been pretty much persona non grata ever since. Will he make a comeback? If not, why not? Maybe not; could be many reasons. At any rate, it’s reported that Spacey will be returning in small role in an Italian indie film. His presence ensures extra publicity, if nothing else.
        Now back to Bauer: Though charges have not been filed, I would argue that the accusations of physical violence (even given the “rough sex” defense) between a big, strong man and a woman is more troubling than the gay celebrity-getting-an-18-year-old-drunk-and-diddling-with-him.
        And it’s probably a lot more troubling to MLB and the Dodgers, purveyors of family entertainment, as opposed to the rated-R culture of Hollywood.
        To the extent that people here think Bauer is a victim of the MLB and “cancel culture,” etc, I would ask you: What if a major public-facing employee in your company faced similar accusations and those accusations were unresolved?
        Some notable influential men who have been accused of sexual predation–but no actual crimes!–have lost their jobs. Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose remain persona non grata because of their respective scandals.
        So why is Bauer any different?

    2. The Dodgers want to re-sign Seager, but who knows what some other team may offer. They have options:

      1. Sign Seager and play Turner at 2B another year.
      2. Move Turner to SS if they can’t sign Seager.
      3. Sign Seager and Trade Turner.

      Options are good.

      1. You can eliminate trading Turner. Listening to Andrew Friedman rave about everything Trae brings to the table, the pressure he creates for pitchers, it seems likely that Turner is here to stay, at least for another year, if not longer.

      2. I know it’s technically an option, but they will not trade Trea Turner. They will use Lux as the super utility until Trea Moves on as free agent after a QO and the associated draft pick of course. If that’s still a thing after the next CBA.

  3. I like CT3 but if you want to cut down on strikeouts you let him go. With Lux looking like he’s on track, he becomes Mr. Utility. Alternatively if the Dodgers don’t sign Seager, he stays.

  4. I can only hope that Gavin is being groomed for left field because they plan on resigning Seager, but I don’t think Pollock meets the conditions of his opt out this year and they aren’t going to have a true split IF there’s a DH next year. I would be willing to bet the DH is used to rotate players giving them a semi-off day.

    Gavin’s “yips” are no longer a thing. So, that isn’t the reason to have him play LF. He’ll be CT3 next year.

    K-Bear and Jojo for Scherzer and TT – looks more and more lopsided by the day. Jojo and Keibert will be solid players, but not All Stars especially with Will Smith and Diego Cartaya in the NL.

    This season feels like the girl you have a crush on, would always be nice to you, but would never go on a date with you. So close, but so far away.

    Andy Pages is playing High-A this year. It’s going to be a little while, but I’m excited to see him rise. 31 bombs 25 doubles in 119 games as a 20 year old. He should shoot up those prospect rankings.

    Vargas would look really close for another team. But, I agree that a September callup would be most likely. It will take a lot of injuries to start his clock before then with Eddie Rios coming back next year.

    I doubt that Kelly and Jansen both return. But, I don’t think it’s out of the question for a couple of reasons. The Dodgers were very patient with him when he’s struggled and he only knows the Dodgers. Joe Kelly is a local boy and the Dodgers have been very patient with him as well. Both players might be willing to give the Dodgers a hometown discount.

    I agree that the all or nothing approach needs to be tweaked a bit. Especially with a couple of burners at the top of the lineup. For the life of me, I can’t understand why they don’t let Mookie and TT bat 1 and 2. Let Seags, Muncy and Turner round out 3-5 and drive them in.

    You’d better drive to Cincy today and give the boys in blue some support and much needed juju. Go and see Clayton one more time. Do it! 112 miles is nothing and you have plenty of daylight for the drive home.

    Scherzer has been unbelievable. What a great run and a great pickup. I sure hope they find a way to bring him back next year.

    Lux got the big hit yesterday with that two run triple. Another smart play was scoring on the contact play on a Barnes groundout to the pitcher. Even though there was nobody out before the play, he was aware enough to know that 0-fer the season was on deck.

    Vesia pitched the ninth for a pretend save with a 5 run lead and couldn’t get the job done. Good idea, but bad execution. Kenley said “Hold my beer” and threw 3 cutters and and 3 sliders to secure the win with a K.

    11 AM start so you better start driving, MT.

    1. I decided against going to Cincy. Too much to do since I was gone for 3 days this week and our backyard project has to be done by October 9th which is my one-year-old grandaughter’s birthday party. It’s getting close…

      Both players might be willing to give the Dodgers a hometown discount. That’s why I think they will each sign a two-year deal.

      1. Bummer, I haven’t gone to a game in two years now. I almost went last week, but won’t support any mask mandates. I’m sick of all this COVID craziness. It’s absolutely stupid and illogical to impose masks on people who have been vaccinated.

        COVID side note. More lunacy. A women at my wife’s work got the VID, so she got a call over the weekend from her boss saying that she needs to have a negative test before returning to work because she sits in close proximity to the infected individual even though my wife’s been vaccinated. As expected, test reported negative.

        I thought it was really stupid that a vaccinated person needs to be tested. Let the stupid comments commence now.

        1. BaP – I guess it is all how one looks at it. From my point of view I will try to do everything possible to not infect someone else. My wife and I have been vaccinated twice yet everytime there is a pop up testing clinic we go. Our reasoning is that although we may be asymptomatic, we can still carry and transmit the virus. We also wear masks into all business establishments as required and have no problem doing it. The price for us to pay wearing a mask is absolutely nothing. The Covid protocols have nothing to do with our freedom. They all have to do with our responsibilities to help us and others be safe.

          I think after the pandemic is over I will still wear a mask. I believe people think I look better with a mask than without one.

          1. DC, I really like your work and think you’re a nice guy, but nothing you said here makes any sense to me.

            1) You said you’re vaccinated, but you keep going to testing centers? You do realize that sick people go to testing centers, therefore you are not doing everything possible not to infect others, because you’re willfully and unnecessarily going around infected people even though you’re showing no signs of being sick.

            2) If you are vaccinated, you don’t need a mask or need to be tested. If you can still get it, they shouldn’t call it a vaccine or make people get it.

            3) If you were truly doing everything possible to not infect some else, you would stay home and not come into contact with anyone else. I’m assuming you’re retired, so there’s no need for you to leave your house with all the delivery options out there. The fact is that you want to do some things, therefore you are willing to leave your house and infect other people if you think that vaccines aren’t fully effective and we all know that masks aren’t fully effective.

            4) It is not your responsibility to keep others safe. It is everyone’s individual choice to keep themselves safe.

            5) When COVID protocols don’t make sense, it is all about your freedom. When you are required to wear a mask when walking through a restaurant, but not required to wear it as soon as you sit down, it doesn’t make sense at it is all about restricting your freedom. When our Governor went to a crowded restaurant and sat with his large party, elbow to elbow and then shut down all restaurants the next day, it is all about freedom.

            6) If you want to wear a mask everywhere after the pandemic, I suggest an old school, “Jason from Halloween Style” hockey mask. That should be received well. Or maybe a gorilla mask?

          2. BaP – didn’t mean to stir you up. We will have to agree to disagree and move on.

            To get tested we went in one at a time and out a different exit. If you check Lunenburg County, NS you will see we have no active cases and have not for quite some time . Testing was significant and now, starting this week, asymptomatic testing will not be done. Our concern now is a huge tourist influx from Ontario, Quebec and other hot spots. Hence the possibility they inadvertently bring it to us. We also have a city an hour away with more cases with people visiting from there.

            You are right. The best way to keep everyone safe is to stay home and I expect I overstated my case with, “everything possible”. However, we have a good provincial goverment with good protocols that allow us to do things in as safe a manner as possible and still live a relatively normal life. That means we follow the protocols.

            It is possible for vaccinated people to carry the virus and spread it to others even though they are not sick.

            It is defintely my responsibility to do what I can to help protect other people as well as myself. At least, I feel it is. My choices should not cause harm to others. I don’t drive on the wrong side of the road or drive recklessly. I don’t drink at all so I don’t drink and drive. I don’t fire a gun carelessly. If we all did what we could to protect others, and still live our lives as normally as possible, we would not be in as difficult a situation as we are. Someone’s right to not wear a mask or not get vaccinated does not, or at least should not, supercede others right to not become ill and possibly die. I just feel for every freedom we have we have a corresponding responsibility to exercise that freedom in such a way that we do not negatively impact others. Some folks don’t see it that way but that is their right.

            My last point was made in jest about people thinking I look better in a mask than without. Hey, they probably are right.

          3. You can’t be too careful with this virus. I fully understand Harold’s stance. Especially considering his age. Why not err on the side of caution?

            Just spent the week dealing with a death in the family as my father-in-law (fully vaccinated) succumbed to the virus on Friday. After a two week valiant fight, his 82 year old body gave in. Now we are ordering a casket, a burial plot and organizing his funeral. On Wednesday his Dr. told us he was doing great and on the road to recovery. 48 hours later he was dead. The virus attacked in spurts. It’s a cruel thing. everyone’s hopes were lifted with his improvement and then it attacked again.

            I know that I will be taking extra precautions from here on out. When it hits home, makes you do that. And honestly, I really wasn’t one that was much of a mask advocate before, but that has changed. Perhaps if I wasn’t over 60, I’d think differently.

          4. Evan – so very sorry to learn of your family’s loss. This is the first loss to Covid by anyone with whom we have a connection.

            The virus doesn’t play by any established rules. It’s not a matter of being right or wrong. It’s a matter of being as careful as we can to protect our families and others as best we can and still have some normalcy to our life.

  5. Today’s 1PM EST Lineup:

    RF Mookie Betts R
    2B Trea Turner R
    3B J. Turner R
    1B A. Pujols R
    SS Corey Seager L
    C Will Smith R
    CF Chris Taylor R
    LF Gavin Lux L
    P C. Kershaw L

    Speed at the top Mookie leading off Trea in the 2 hole

    1. About time. Why only against a lefty? Muncy looks like he needs a day after wearing the golden sombrero last night with 3 K’s in 3 AB’s. Tio finally gets to put that magic bat to work.

      Why is it okay to have 4 righties in a row against a lefty, but not against a righty?

  6. If St. Louis keeps playing the way they are, they are going to be the 2nd wild card. This off season is going to be frantic. The CBA expires on Dec 1. You know MLB would love to have the new one in place by then, but I do not believe that is going to happen. There are going to be some rule changes, most likely the universal DH, and maybe limiting the shift to two players on each side of second, and no infielders on the grass. My hope is that the electronic strike zone gets here sooner than later. Game is a little over an hour from starting. I like that lineup they are running out there today. Pujols has 2 homers off of Miley. Reports coming out of San Diego say that neither Snell nor Paddack likely to start again this season unless SD gets into the playoffs.

  7. Loved hearing Scherzer answering questions. Not only can he pitch he can think. And so respectful to give his battery partner credit.
    Yes, Cy Scherzer and a class act guy all the way.

  8. Fried against Desclafani in SF today. Fried has actually done well against the SF hitters. Desclafani has had trouble with Atlanta hitters. Pederson has a .500 avg against him and 3 homers. Dodgers have won all 9 of Scherzer’s starts.

  9. This is fun! Last 2 weeks! We’re goons have to take it from Giants. They won’t give it away. Will the bats wake up and lead the way? Superstars or stuporstars?

    1. Unless SD gets dead serious and starts playing like they did earlier in the season, after today, all of SF’s opponents are cup cakes. The Dodgers have to face playoff bound Milwaukee the last 3 games. I am not even going to venture a guess as to how the Dodgers roster will look come next April. Way too many unknowns, including what the new Luxury tax cap will look like, the universal DH, yea or nay, who they target to bring back. Trades. Lots of questions to be answered.

  10. In my opinion the trade looks great now, it’s exciting having those two on the team. But if we don’t win and both those guys leave we’re left with some holes to fill.

    I’m undecided on Seager. I still don’t think he’s that good at short and I just can’t trust he won’t break again. Is there a better fit at short? At the moment I don’t know. I thought it was Turner, but he may be worse defensively than Seager and we sure don’t need that. There’s plenty of time to figure that out.

    I keep Kelly and Graterol. I think Bazooka’s arm is terrific but I believe he needs his head examined in the off season. Kelly has looked good.

    I’ve already stated my position on our offensive approach. All or nothing is not what I prefer but the results are there. My adjustment would be a retool of the two strike approach. Sure, go nuts on strikes 1 and 2 but dammit, do not strike out. I just don’t buy all outs are the same. Whatever it takes, put a barrel on strike 3.

    1. I agree. And the one thing that absolutely drives me nuts is just standing there and watching the third strike. They do that way to often. At least try and protect the plate. At bats like that 14 pitch job Taylor had earlier this year get the pitcher frustrated because he cannot put the hitter away and he is more likely to make a mistake, as the pitcher did in Taylors at bat and he hit a clutch double. And make the pitcher work. Even though they won the game yesterday, a couple of those innings at the beginning of the game, Gray made less than 10 pitches. He is going to be in there a long time if he keeps getting quick outs. 40 minutes to game time.

    2. I agree with much here. Both guys can’t leave this offseason. Ruiz and JoJo would not fill those holes either way. We have plenty of middle infield types and better pitchers than Jojo.

      I said from the beginning that Trea’s defense at SS is overrated. Seager is underrated. It’s a wash as far as I can see.

      Bazooka won’t be a free agent any time soon. He’s still young and hasn’t found that killer instinct or killer offspeed pitch yet. Something to work on in the offseason. Kelly has been very good and injured enough where he should be that expensive. Resign him!

      Strikeouts are worse than any other kind of out. Just like walks aren’t as good as any hit. More emphasis on Ave and cutting back K’s just like we did in seasons past.

      The unwritten rules of baseball were forged over a hundred years. They are simple truths that can’t always be easily accounted for in statistics. I don’t like the geeks trying to rewrite these rules with the outcome being a boring game.

      The batting average on line drives in higher than fly balls and ground balls put together. Start stroking more liners, homers will come and the game will be better off for it.

      The combination of launch angle and shifting made the shift a self fulfilling prophecy. Teach hitters to go the other way and no one will ever shift again. But the same front office statheads that implement the shift, also implement the pull everything in the air hitting approach. It’s akin to wearing a mask even though you’re vaccinated.

  11. Just to echo earlier sentiments, I agree that the squeeze was a welcomed sight! I am pretty sure the team that makes it all the way through the many rounds of playoffs is going to have to win some low-scoring close games. Big innings are great, but in this age of the strike out, there are many, many times when innings die with nothing to show for it; and I would like the Dodgers shift their scoring paradigm as we transition from whole-season, long-term thinking to post-season, short-term thinking.

    Also to echo: Scherzer = WOW. He is incredible! It is so fun to watch him and try to guess along with what he will do next. I must confess he frequently surprises me, especially deep in the count. I guess that happens when a pitcher has four, legit, put-away pitches. Cheers!

  12. Id let Jansen walk and Seager as well unless he has a reasonable contract value demand. Otherwise, lock up Turner instead.

    Bellinger….I’d assume he will want a raise in arbitration from his 16.1 million this year to be the leagues worst hitter. You can get a lot of bullpen for that cheese. I agree that the non-tender is unrealistic BUT I would be it’s at least crossed AF’s mind. If Cody is going to get up to 18, that’s a tough call and I would think, humans being human, could stir some unpleasant whispers among the other players on the team.

    On the bus alone on this one, but unless Bauer is arrested and convicted of actually something, I hope that LA eats his deal if they are high and mighty enough for him not to play for them ever again.

    It’s a shame that this man is being completely destroyed for his consensual sexual preferences.

    It would make me happy to see him sue the shit out of MLB and the Dodgers one day. For what, hell I don’t know but as a man that has gone through bullshit sexual harassment accusations, it is infuriating when you are innocent but you can never restore your reputation, and the accuser has zero consequences for being a PROVEN liar.

    I agree with the above comment that if LA goes in as the wildcard, SF earned it. They are playing incredible. Some of us can STILL keep on with the “lucky” rational to describe the Giants season but since its just about over, it’s getting more and more “standing on the street corner with a sign yelling at people” that its all luck.

    Catching lightning in a bottle isn’t luck and guys like Posey and Crawford have always been very good to great players…..with a few down years here and there.

    It is amusing to watch the naysayers to the Giants and that they are all luck still profess that Bellinger is “in a slump”. Since the ASB of 2019 apparently.

    I apparently don’t spend enough time watching Giant’s game to critique their manager as to feel better about Roberts as a manager. I also don’t really know if Kapler is a better manager than Roberts. I do know that the Giants have done more with less. Isn’t that really what it’s all about?

    I just watch the games when I can, celebrate the good, bitch about the bad. Like a fan.

    1. Well it’s time to celebrate Lux,, he’s on fire right now if he can keep this up I’m thinking we can catch the hated ones. That is if everybody else does their part.
      Talking about our offense, pitching has more than done their job

      1. i agree.

        Lux has been great. Still not sold on him 100% but he is playing himself into the forefront of the eyes of the brass for sure.

        I hope that he can keep it up. Seems like a good kid

    2. Bellinger hit .263 after the break in 19 with 17 of his 47 HR’s. That is NOT a slump. He did not keep up the pace he set early, but he was far from slumping. His OPS after the break was .917, and he struck out less than he did the first half. Now, you can say he was bad in 2020, and he is lousy this year, but saying he has been in a slump since the second half of 2019 is misleading and wrong. Not many players, especially players who are 23 years old at that time , are going to keep up that kind of pace. And in the second half, his BA was close to what it was over his first two seasons. He hit .267 his rookie year and .260 in his second. And he had 17 HR’s that second half which was only 8 short of what he hit in 162 games in 2018. And those 17 came in 66 games. Pretty good numbers for any player. Excellent numbers for a player in his 3rd year.

      1. Ok then

        Last year he was not good and this year he is the worst hitter in the league (may vary depending on the day).

        Regardless, that isn’t an 18 million paycheck.

        I will admit that I am very glad that I am not the one that has to make the decision on Bellinger.

        Either way could go really good or really bad. In my heart, I just don’t think there is a lot of middle ground.

        1. Players have been getting over paid for years. Now, you might not think Belli is worth 18 mil. And the way he is now, well, most would agree. But until he is fully healthy, no one is really going to know what kind of player he will be going forward. That being said, due to his age, the prime position he plays on the field, and his obvious athleticism and upside, the Dodgers are not going to just not give the guy a contract. They will meet in some spot in the middle. He might not get 18, but he might get a modest raise to say 16.5 or 17. If he asks for some outrageous amount like 20 mil, the Dodgers will turn it down and take him to arbitration. And the injury is so obviously impacting his stats this season. But he has played less than half a season so far. The MLBPA is so strong that it is virtually impossible for a team to cut a players salary. There is really no decision other than how much he will get to be made on Bellinger. No way they cut him loose. Oh by the way, he was bad last season for 1 month, July when he hit .136….in 8 games…..in August he hit .255 with 10 of hit homers coming then, In September/October his BA was ,267, albeit without much power. SO his overall average was .239. With 12 and 30. If Pederson hit for that high an average you would say he had a great year.

  13. Here’s all the homers you were asking about…

    Dare I say “game over” already?

    Remember when everyone thought Lux sucked?

    Lefty pitchers beware.

      1. A better way to put it is not everybody lost faith in him, including myself.
        But let’s face it he did suck for a while

    1. Lux will be in LF next year depending on if they resign Seager or not. Seager stays, Turner stays at 2nd. Seager goes, Turner moves to SS and Lux to second, unless they decide to make Mookie an infielder.

      1. I think it would be fun to be the guy who makes the decision on Bellinger.
        Isn’t that our collective fantasy?
        Best news today: Kershaw seems completely ready. Scherzer, Buhler, Urias and Kersh are pretty fearsome foursome–and the depth is more important if the Giants keep fending off the Dodgers’ charge. k.
        Kudos to Lux for finally showing what the hype has been about. The timing is excellent. Looming questions: Can it be sustained? Can he hit left-handed pitching? At any rate, he can have fine career as UT/platoon guy.
        I think the post-season roster for hitters is pretty clear, assuming that all are healthy:|
        OF of Betts, AJ and Taylor/Belli
        IF of Muncy, Seager and the Turners.
        C is Smith/Barnes
        Bench of Lux, Pujols, Beatty… (I would love to see Tio Albert have another storybook moment.) c
        That’s 13. I give Beatty the edge over others because of experience.
        Biggest questions are in the BP….

    1. The TV is 55″ – I could not see the bottom if it was bigger.

      My wife loves her 85″ – I have no room for it.

      1. I have that same Dodgers banner hanging in my office. It was my Dad’s and when he died my Mom gave it to me.

      2. I have a 55 in my living room and a 47 in the bedroom. Plenty big enough. My son has a 72 inch curved screen that is awesome, but way too big for my place.

          1. I have 4. Two were hanging on the walls in the bedroom here. They aren’t being used. They also left a 65” Sony, which is nice but it isn’t smart.

          2. I also have 4 Badger. One, a 32 inch, I use as my computer monitor. I have another 32 in the bedroom that is not being used.

        1. Rams 27-24. Raiders are beat the Steelers 26-17. I was really impressed with USC’s win yesterday. Second half, they were unstoppable.

  14. Kudos to Kershaw. Pitched very well in a hitter friendly park against a pretty good offensive line up

  15. The Dodgers can tender a contract to Belli at about $18M or complete with other teams and try to sign him for less as a free agent. No?

    Or, they could try to extend him now if he were to accept a 5 year contract at a salary somewhere between below replacement level and All Star.

    1. Cody’s arb eligible for a couple years but how can you argue for a raise after this miserable year?

    2. Talk about not knowing the present, he is not a free agent until 2024. He will get offered a contract for a small raise. It is almost impossible to get a reduction in salary with the MLBPA as strong as it is. He will probably go to arbitration, and I would bet the arbitrator would chose the Dodgers offer over what Cody might seek. Then again, the two sides might not even get that far and agree before the end of the year on next years salary.

      1. He’s making $16 mil this year. Yeah, WAY overpaid. But he gave them an MVP year for $600K. They’re even. He will have several months to heal, and hopefully put a few pounds of muscle on. What say we just re-do $16 million?

        1. I think he will get something close to that. Most successful rookies are underpaid for what they do. Happens all the time.

  16. How classy is Mookie? He trades one of his bats for the Home run ball hit by Friedl. It was the kids first big league dinger. D-Backs have 100 losses.

    1. Yet more reason to root for Mookie.
      And that’s leading by example. Simple gestures matter.
      FWIW, I don’t see Mookie moving to 2B unless it’s a serious health concern, or his arm can no longer play from RF. Lux will be a UT/platoon guy unless he starts hitting lefties.

  17. Atlanta necesita ganar, tiene encima a Filadelfia que juega mĂĄs tarde contra NY Mets.

  18. Dodgers gained 1.5 games for SF in this week. SF was 4 of 3 in the week…they can lose. The men in blue need win all this week and hope SD win one at least

  19. Well, it has been a satisfying day. No game tomorrow, Dodger game on Tuesday in Colorado will be under way by the time the Padres meet the Giants. NCIS new season begins Monday night. Moved to a new time slot.

  20. Zach McKinstry hit a walk off homer with two outs in the 9th inning today for OKC.

    The last OKC walk-off homer was in August, 2018………………………………….by Andrew Toles.

  21. The seasons for Tulsa, Great Lakes, And Rancho Cucamonga are over. I will be curious to see if any AA players get moved to AAA for the final two weeks of the AAA season. I would not mind seeing James Outman, Michael Busch, and Miguel Vargas get a shot. The Dodgers have been VERY conservative with their pitchers, especially the 2020 draftees, so it would be a stretch to see if Miller or Knack get moved up.

    1. I thought Busch was injured.

      On a positive not the Giants won’t face Arietta in their next series. At least they shouldn’t. Since he only got one out today he shouldn’t need a lot of rest.

  22. Lux has looked like a different player and I am impressed. His approach at the plate has been more aggressive and the results have been positive. He is sitting just below the .240 mark after being in the low .220’s when he first returned to the team. And he has been decent as defender in left field. With Pollock due back after the Rockies series when they are in Arizona next weekend, the bench and offense will get a positive boost. I watched the Braves-Giants game and Rosario hit for the cycle. Those are always fun to watch. Urias, Buehler and Scherzer set to pitch Tues, Wed and Thursday in Colorado.

    1. If Lux continues like this, once AJ comes back they could play him in center and keep Lux in left. The defense would suffer, but depending upon the ballpark they still might consider it.

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