Yawn! The Dodgers can’t win. Milwaukee can’t lose. Neither can KC. I guess it is time to throw in the towel… unless Spring Training Records don’t mean anything… because they don’t! I have always said that your Spring Training record means nothing, but you can observe the “game-within-the-game.” The Dodgers lost yesterday (again), but what have we learned so far? What have we seen that is not reflected in the box score?
- Clayton Kershaw touched 90 in his first outing and just might be healthy.
- The Dodgers have some good AAAA PLayers on the team: Burns, Martin, Alvarez, Lamb, Romero, et al.
- Ryan Noda might have a future as a 4th or 5th outfielder for the Dodgers.
- Mike Busch and Miguel Vargas have that “look” that screams, “I am a hitter!”
- James Outman has been lucky… and good.
- Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy look healthy… even if the results do not indicate that.
- There are a lot of live arms in this camp.
- Nick Robertson is a rather large human.
- Cabeb Ferguson looks to be recovered from Tommy John.
- Carson Fulmer is tantalizing… at least so far.
- We get our first look at Striker Buehler today.
- We are lucky to have a backup catcher like Austin Barnes. He’s perfect!
- We learned that CT3, has elbow surgery in the offseason and appears none worse for the wear.
- We learned that David Price wants to “prove himself.” Uh, OK…
- We also learned that the Dodgers wanted Kenley Jansen back, and were willing to give Kenley a two-year deal, but wanted him to wait until they shed some payroll. In the meantime, the Braves offered him $16 bmillion and gave him a few hours to decide. End of story!
- We learn more today against the Reds!
What Really Happened…
I have had this blog for 20 years and while it was always posted that there were to be no politics, a few commenters frequently did what I call “drive-by shootings.” They would make a statement or a comment in passing that could be a double entendre or just plain political and a jab at the other political side, After years of listening to that crap, last year, I decided to give the commenters a big dose of other own medicine. Of course, they tried to call me out for what they themselves had done ad nauseum. They found out that “It ain’t no fun when the rabbit has the gun!” Of course, most of them left the site, which was my “end game” anyway.
Some people can dish it out but they can’t take it. Their weak arguments will not hold up to scrutiny and so they resort to attacks on the person who presented the arguments. When one’s character is attacked, the battle has been lost and the loser is the attacker. I have always understood that!
At any rate, I let everyone vote and we no longer allow political discourse. This is a baseball blog. A Los Angeles Dodgers Blog, to be specific! I just thought you should know what my “endgame” was!
Life is good!
Carry on…
Discussion (15)
Disagree, not disagreeable
As usual, good observations above. Enjoying watching the spring games. The pitching prospects are always interesting for me. Last spring I noticed and liked the big guy Robertson. He was out there yesterday and unfortunately, gave up a HR. I agree with above comment on Zuniga. Impressive outing. I remember Jake Lamb killing the Dodgers in 2016-17. He seemed to get a game changing hit every time the opportunity arose. But, with his injury history he has fallen off the radar as a productive player. He seems to be solid defensively and it would be nice if he could make the team out of spring training especially with the rosters going to 28 the beginning of the season. Nonetheless, the Dodgers will have a far superior bench than the one they had in 2021.
I think the BP will have plenty of depth this year even with the loss of Kenley and Kelly. Both were kind of high wire acts most of 2021 so that aspect of their outings have been eliminated. A closer will evolve as the season progresses or it will closer by committee.
I’m more concerned with the rotation. If either Urias or Buehler go down for any amount of time the Dodgers could be in trouble. Erlin and Fulmer have had nice outings. Anderson appears to have a shot with a starting spot. Lots of past non productive pitchers in the mix which has been AF’s MO in putting together a rotation and/or BP.
Who is Beau Burrows?
Two weeks until the race for the World Series begins. It should be an interesting and exciting season.
Carry on.
Julio Urias just signed a 8 million dollar deal.
Trea Turner avoids arbitration. He just signed a one year deal to cover his last year of arbitration. $ 21 million.
Baseball bringing back the ghost runner. Also the roster will be set at 28 until May 1. So for about 2 weeks they will have 2 extra players. Outman, Beaty and Smith homered today. Pitching did not look too good except Buehler.
Andrew Heaney has a career 4.72 ERA and outdid himself with a 5.83 mark last year.
While I am certainly cognizant that this was his first Spring appearance and as Mark has repeatedly stated, Spring games don’t mean anything, 5 ER in 2 1/3 IP is not an auspicious beginning!
I said when they signed him that he has an 8 year major league track record and has never had a good season. He has surpassed 100 IP thrice and in 8 seasons has managed 5 WAR. Geez!
Walker going 4.2 innings today ? In his first ST game ?
Wow!
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today’s Freddie Freeman’s Dodger Debut Lineup with Spring Training Stats:
HITTERS H-AB RBI HR SB AVG
T. TurnerSS 3-8 0 0 0 .375
J. Turner3B 1-5 0 0 0 .200
F. Freeman1B —– — — — —
W. SmithC 0-4 0 0 0 .000
A. PollockLF 0-3 0 0 0 .000
C. BellingerCF 2-8 0 0 0 .250
C. Taylor2B 1-4 1 0 0 .250
E. RiosDH 1-4 0 0 0 .250
Z. McKinstryRF 1-6 1 0 0 .167
* I’m a ball cap guy. Always have been. My dear Mother, God Rest Her Soul, claimed that ball caps wore my hair off. Nice story, but every male on her side of the family looked like a que ball. I’m never outside without a hat on. I have a major collection and all of them mean something to me. They are either a team I played on, a golf course I loved or a logo and color I like. My Dodger WS cap. The Dodger St cap from a couple of years ago with the script “D”. Master’s hats, Pebble Beach hats, A Phillies Spring Training hat from a couple years back with the Liberty Bell and “PHIL” on the logo.
I look for a cool Spring Training hat every year – but not this year!
Retro stuff can be cool but this year, for God knows why, they have broken out an $50 dollar, fitted pro cap, with a shiny nylon mesh back. That’s right – NYLON MESH. The 59Fifty has a normal fabric crown (I like low profile) with a MESH back . Mookie Betts makes $30 million a year and he’s wearing a MESH cap. Who came up with that? It’s straight from the 1980’s when you got a foam rubber crown and a mesh backing. It’s a hat you’d expect to buy at a Love’s Truck Stop for $4.95 with a John Deere logo or the name of the tavern that sponcored your slo-pitch softball team. I’ve already heard it being called the Trucker’s Hat.
There are couple of things I would do in this cap but one of them isn’t put my head in it.
* “what we’ve learned so far?” Okay:
* Is Andrew Heaney healthy? Is so, he could be Bigfoot. I’ve heard he’s out there, but I never seen him.
* Bellinger is back on the plate with the noticeable difference of choking up 3 inches. That’s about it. He continues to be tardy and swungs from his ass every time. No contact. Struck out 5 times in a row before putting a ball in play, which was a deep fly to center. He’s made first contact.
* Jake Lamb looks great and could add a nice bench piece if he can hit.
Thanks Old Bear, as a kid our family had that album. Very funny stuff as I recall. Didn’t recall it was Vaughn Meader, didn’t connect it was him, ( thought Rich Little ) but nonetheless,
funny stuff. And so I think Mark can say….
“ it’s my ball “ and although there was an end game in the plan there was also an expression of democracy, let’s take a vote. ( but, it’s still my ball )
Welcome Kevin Pillar
Well if the Dodgers don’t soon turn this thing around then it’s time to scuttle Robert’s new contract and move on!
And this is a better place for it. Thank you!
You forgot Beau Burrows. I was really impressed with his outing.
Some years, I’m a little more interested in Spring wins. Not so much this year. Not this early. The lineup is full of veteran All-Stars and MVPs, they will be fine.
I’m not that optimistic about Kershaw. He started off well enough last year, sans that first start in Colorado, and we all know how that worked out.
The rotation situation is NOT the best. Two reliable arms and a bunch of question marks. Manfred obviously out to screw Bauer and the Dodgers.
The bullpen is deep with live arms.
The Dodgers will undoubtedly manage the rotation with new ideas to start the season due to the short Spring and lack of proven pieces. I’ll expect a lot of short starts, piggy backs and openers at the back end of the rotation.
When will David Price make his debut? It’s kinda weird that Kershaw was “behind schedule”, but made the first Spring start and we still haven’t seen Urias, Gonsolin, Price and Buller who is starting (today).
I would’ve signed Kenley for 2/20, and I think he would’ve taken it. I’m not sure what he meant by the Dodgers asking him to wait until they shed payroll. Were they thinking of a 1 year deal and signing another deal next year? … or, are they anticipating something with Bauer getting suspended and/or traded and getting out of that commitment?
Treinen can probably close. It would’ve been nice to have Kenley. I still don’t trust Brusdar in spite of his natural stuff. Ferguson will help. The Dodgers have lost a lot of their relief corps from last year and, although AF is good in putting relief staffs together, I think it’s a little thin.
Bellinger may be healthy, but he still looks late in getting around on fastballs. With this long swing he’s always going to be a timing hitter who waits for mistakes. I don’t think he ever gets back to his 2019 level.
The Dodgers have five young, homegrown starting pitchers well under 30 who could form a starting pitching core for a long time.
2024 rotation –
Beuheler (age 29)
Urias (27)
Dustin May (26)
Bobby Miller (24)
Gonsolin (29)
I think we’ve done a pretty good job of sticking to baseball and keeping politics out of it lately. I know Badger was very good at subtly and snidely and condescendingly injecting his beliefs and poking sticks at people, but it appears he’s moved on. I’m not sure where that last paragraph came from, but would you say it was, itself, a drive by? Were you poking a stick? Making a subtle jab? Let sleeping Mustelidae lie.
Found it interesting that Andrew Friedman said the Dodgers could go past $290 million in payroll this year. Currently at about $285 million.
I’m guessing they won’t know until MLB makes a decision on Trevor Bauer. How much longer can they drag that out?
Sounds like ownership is all in, whatever it takes to land another World Series title. Revenue wise, the Dodgers are apparently doing quite well. If the Braves cleared a hundred million, no doubt the Dodgers did better, TV contract and higher attendance, generate big dollars.
Not to mention other revenue streams.
Yes, Vargas and Busch look like hitters.
Carson Fulmer certainly has talent. Hopefully, it rises to the surface in ’22. Wouldn’t be all that surprised if it happens.
Max Scherzer going five innings was impressive. Still wonder how he will hold up during that contract.
Thought the Dodgers were wise to pass.
Hoping the Dodgers extend Trea Turner this spring. That may depend on the Bauer situation.
I believe it was the impersonator Rich Little, while in personating President John F Kennedy said,
“ it’s my ball we play by my rules “.