LADodgerTalk.com – Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully, Andre Ethier and the Dodgers

I think some of you don’t understand what it takes to be a professional athlete…. and I don’t mean that with any disrespect.  I’m not talking about the level of skill required or the hours and years of hard work.  I’m talking about the mental part of the game.  It’s just that these guys are [...]

Read the full story

Just Three With Crawford in LF, Kemp in CF, Ethier in RF, Ramirez at SS, Adrian Gonzalez at 1B and AJ Ellis behind the plate, the Dodgers are very set at six positions.  Even though Hanley Ramirez is listed as a 3B – HE IS NOT PLAYING 3B in the DWL.  In fact, he is [...]

Read the full story

Fearless Predictions: The Dodgers will sign Zach Greinke this week to a 6 year/$150 million done deal! This team is built for the next 3-5 years as it sits.  Drafting and other smart moves will restore the farm system, but A-Gone, Crawford, Ramirez, Kemp and others are in their prime.  The Dodgers need players now [...]

Read the full story

I know some people think I don’t like Hiroki Kuroda, but in reality I like him a lot.  Some people just don’t know a joke if it bit them on the ass.  Well, it won’t happen anyway, because he resigned with the Yankees. I just think it was wrong to sign him for the following [...]

Read the full story

Yes, I know that he is 38 years old, but he is in great shape and has the body type that seems to age very well.  He is a good base-runner and could hit in the #2 spot if necessary.  He kills LH pitchers and hits RH pitchers very well.  He’s not the HR threat [...]

Read the full story

I have been known to sit in my Dodger lab and experiment by mixing different players and lineups together to see what  could happen.  After further review, here’s the lineup I want: Bourn  CF  (L) Ynoa  2B  (B) Kemp  RF  (R) Gonzalez  1B  (L) Wright  3B  (R) Ramirez  SS  (R) Crawford  LF  (L) Ellis  C  [...]

Read the full story

Who is the most important acquisition for the Dodgers over the winter?  Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com has the answer and wrote a mouthful in these two sentences: One of the key acquisitions could prove to be a non-player.  After dismissing Dave Hansen, they are looking for a new hitting coach that can get through to [...]

Read the full story

OK, I am going to try and put away my doubts about this team and since the Dodgers allegedly have “deep pockets,” I am going to make a few suggestions.  Read them at your own peril.  I have a “wish list” of players that I think the Dodgers would do well to acquire: Sign Zach [...]

Read the full story

The Dodgers have some issues to address next season.  Here’s a big one: They need a lead-off hitter and in my opinion, it’s not Carl Crawford or Dee Gordon.  It’s Hanley Ramirez!  On October 7, 2012, I posted the Dodger lineup I favor and it has Hanley Ramirez leading off.  I still favor that lineup, [...]

Read the full story

Since Joe Torre arrived in LA and brought along his buddy, Don Mattingly, the Dodgers’ situational hitting has largely sucked!  Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp have had their successes and there have been other bright spots (at times), but for the most part, the Dodgers choke in the clutch and have for several years. Yes, [...]

Read the full story

As I wrote last week, Carl Crawford was a major disappointment in his first year (2011) with Boston after signing a $142-million, seven-year contract. He batted .255 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs, and had only 18 steals after swiping 107 bases combined in the previous two seasons with Tampa Bay. He ended up [...]

Read the full story

Clayton should win the Cy Young Award.  Matt Kemp is a stud.  I love Adrian Gonzalez.  Hanley Ramirez could be really good or really bad.  Surgeries.  Trades.  Free Agents.  Carl Crawford?  Who knows? There are lots of questions. I am going to take some time off. Continue to post. I’ll weigh in later.  No promises [...]

Read the full story

I must confess that I have been on Matt Kemp, possibly even calling him a choker, but in a way, that is a compliment because we expect so much out of Matt.  The fact is, in August and September, after all the trades were made, the team only performed when Matt Kemp carried them. The [...]

Read the full story

I am happy that the Dodgers are winning, but they started winning when they no longer had control of their own destiny. Don’t pretend you don’t get that.  Don’t hate on me – I am just pointing out the obvious. The first order of business in the offseason will be to sign Zach Greinke.  It’s [...]

Read the full story

Some of you have heard this story, but in the Summer of 2007, I wanted to see this young 19 year-old Kershaw kid pitch.  I had seen him on video and read all about him, but seeing a player in person  is so much more telling to me.  So, I met Rodger Dodger and Voldomar [...]

Read the full story

… but we can still hope that the Cardinals will collapse like the Dodgers did after THE TRADE.  Last night, the Dodgers were 4-14 with RISP.  Not great, but enough to score 8 runs.   The superstars played like junkyard dogs last night (I mean that as a compliment).  They didn’t hit any HR, but played [...]

Read the full story

Don Mattingly has been rolling the same lineup out for some time now.  It has not escaped my notice that when he replaced 4 regulars with 4 subs the Dodgers broke out their whooping sticks.  Some of the Dodgers issues have to be on him for repeated failures to change things up. On Tuesday, the [...]

Read the full story

This is Justin Gunsaulus last post here.  Thanks Justin!!!  Good luck in the baseball business. The Dodgers are on the verge of an offensive explosion. I can feel it coming. I know everybody (including myself) can still not believe that they were having this much trouble finding runs.  It is just going to take more [...]

Read the full story

RIP James Loney and the Dodgers’ Offense We all knew that James Loney was loved and respected by his fellow Dodger teammates, but there was no way anyone could predict that almost the entire Dodger team would dedicate the season to James and  decide to all do their best James Loney impersonations since the trade.  [...]

Read the full story

This year is just too depressing: Kershaw possibly until Mid-May 2013; Billingsley facing TJ and out all of 2013; Lilly and Elbert facing surgery; Adrian Gonzalez doing a James Loney impersonation; Matt Kemp obviously broken down; Juan Uribe weighing the bench down… and good at it; and Josh Beckett is the Dodgers’ ace? YIKES – [...]

Read the full story