A Game for the Ages

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced his starting pitchers for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Blake Snell will pitch Game 1, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting Game 2.

OK, Tomorrow it will be 8 weeks since shoulder surgery on my right arm.

I had carpal tunnel surgery on the left wrist today, and ulnar nerve surgery on the elbow today. The shoulder is doing amazing. The other arm is TBD!

We all have to remember that Ohtoni hurt his shoulder in the NLCS against the Mets and Muncy was a NO show with his bat against the Yankees in last year’s World Series and we still won 4 out of 5 games. Hopefully both participate with big offensive numbers this year.

Springer went to toronto to escape from the aaaaastros! may he never win another championship! Dodgers can give him a dose of fastballs under his chin! Now that i’ve said that, should be a good series. Toronto is a viable opponent that won’t be taken lightly. It is a must to win at least one game in toronto. Who stays on the roster and who doesn’t? Did hear om mlb this morning Bichette might be added to the roster. His defense isn’t that good now, but his bat would be a big addition to an already potent lineup. The key i believe? Keep the bases empty ahead of Vladdy. minimize his damage. And toronto’s lefties aren’t the same as Milwaukee. I see Dodgers in 6. 5 would be better!!!

There is one player who, no matter who wins, is guaranteed a championship ring… Buddy Kennedy

Toronto will be a challenge because of their lineup.

Dodgers Versus Blue Jays

So… tomorrow, I have surgery on my left arm, which is 90% numb.

It’s only an hour and I’ll come home the same day.

I’m looking forward to getting the feeling back in my arm.

Finally, my back is coming up.

At 8 weeks, my shoulder is getting close to perfect.

This is the year of surgeries. Next year…. golf and pickleball!

Myself and my management team:

If we think we are going to win in 3 or 4 games , then we want to start on the road

Quas. good you’re back! But. let’s pump the brakes a wee bit on a sweep. I know the dodgers are better. But even Snell and Yamamoto have had bad games this season. While the oddsmakers have the Dodgers heavy favorites over either team, this is baseball. I’m torn between which team i would prefer them to play! home field is the preferred option. I don’t mind being the road team either. i said in an earlier post, win at least one of two in toronto, finish it in LA! While the pitching Milwaukee had was mostly bullpen, i think it was tougher than what they will seee in series with whoever they play. The offense will probably get better in the series, especially if seattle is the opponent. If it’s Toronto, i have to admit, Max S. could be a factor. He seems to have gotten a second wind. neither team has the bullpen the Brewers possess. Vlad is raking. The Big Dumper is scary! Julio R. maybe a little overrated. Arozarena is not the same guy we saw with Tampa bay. Polanco is good. A Kirk is a bowling ball with a good bat! In the end, if dodger pitchers are still cooking, Dodgers will win it again! I’m just not convinced it will be a sweep! But i’ll be very happy to be wrong!!

Posted on the YARDBARKER:

“If the Rays gave Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow what they wanted, they wouldn’t be Dodgers

If the Red Sox gave Mookie what he wanted, he wouldn’t be a Dodger

If the Angels gave Ohtani what he wanted, he wouldn’t be a Dodger

If the Braves gave Freddie Freeman what he wanted, he wouldn’t be a Dodger

Cheap owners created the environment for a super team like the Dodgers to exist. Salary cap doesn’t stop those owners from being cheap”.

Stumbled upon a YouTube video with this headline:

“Brewers Fan Reacts to Milwaukee Brewers vs. LA Dodgers Game 4”

I was the usual higlight reel with the image of a somewhat nerdy-looking guy in the corner, wearing Brewers gear and a glum expression, offering sparse commentary, as when Shohei slugged his third HR.

“No,” he said softly. “No.”

After the final out was recorded, he removed his cap and Yelich jersey, slapping it over and over again in frustration against his chair. The followed a soliliquy on the angst of rooting for the Brewers, and how soon he’d be suffering from memes and wisecracks about the sweep, labeling his team as chokers, et cetera, et cetera.

Yes, it’s so much better to be a Dodgers fan.

well, sure…. Shohei was great…

But I once pitched my Dodgers to victory while hitting three home runs.

I was 8 or 9, and this was in the Pee Wees. And yeah, every “home run” featured a couple of errors.

I still remember my final AB, going for my fourth homer.

I hit a scorching line drive. Just clobbered it.

And the tallest kid in my class, Ron Lind, stuck his glove in the air and robbed me.

And now the Blue Jays and Mariners are tied 3-3. So which team should be root for?

With a Mariners victory, the Dodgers claim homefield advantage. And that would be nice.

And so a Blue Jays victory, I think, would create a more difficult path to another championship. I’m good with a tougher gauntlet.

In a way, this is a win-win.

The AL is playing for the pennant. The fat lady has already sang and what the AL winner hopes for is to simply not to be swept. Odds probably favor Dodgers sweeping. I don’t see either AL team looking dangerous even though this is baseball. This has to be the biggest unmatched championship ever even imagined. Please somone look up Vegas oods and post. I doubt a bet could be placed. But it is baseball.

A little Buffalo Springfield ‘For what it’s Worth’ Muncy can be back on a cheap team option, the rest of the infield including catcher is set. The Dodgers have to figure out if they want to bring back Rojas and Kike, my thoughts are the Dodgers should bring those two back. Teo is signed for another year. We have a glut of young talented outfielders knocking on the door. The Dodgers have to believe of all those outfielders one should be real good and some others good MLB outfielders. Are the Dodgers going to keep Smith as a backstop or start transitioning him to another position perhaps third. This move will help decide what the Dodgers are going to do with Rushing. Our starting pitching should be outstanding and deep (it’s never to deep) and who knows with the bullpen. I’ve stated all the prior to get to this statement, although Tucker was not on the MLB Astros when they cheated their way to a very tainted World Series win (they shouldn’t have been in the World Series) Tucker still smells to much like an Astro. I realize that very narrow thinking on my part but I like to shoot my bullets straight.

The only way the Dodgers lose the World Series is if they beat themselves. The Dodgers are too talented to lose unless they kick the ball around, don’t throw strikes, and the hitters go numb. That could happen but I don’t think the veteran team will allow it.

Someone asked me who I was rooting for the Dodgers to play in the World Series.

My answer: “It doesn’t matter!”

After a while you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security,

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises

And you begin to accept your defeats

With your head up and your eyes open,

With the grace of a woman,

Not the grief of a child

And you learn to build all your roads on today,

Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans

and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that even sunshine

Burns if you get too much

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers

And you learn that you really can endure…

that you really are strong

and you really do have worth,

and you learn and learn…

With every goodbye you learn.

sorry Bear. sad news never comes easy. may God bless your family.

Michael Norris, aka/Bear, reported that his son’s fiancée had died and he is headed to the funeral.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Michael and his family!

the mouth breather comment made me think about Dustin May and how much hope i had for him. 97-99 fastball, long and lean, lots of promise! who knows if he’ll ever live up to all the hype about him, but if his time in Boston so far is any indication of what’s to come, AF should be ashamed of himself for doing that to the Red sox again!! A big power hitting outfielder? Shame on you Friedman. And speaking of AF, i didn’t realize how short he is!!! Guess size doesn’t matter as a Brainy GM!!! … Side note. The Kyle Tucker talk won’t stop. If the money works, he’ll be playing right field for the Los Angeles Dodgers next season! He can make it happen if he wants to be a Dodger. Why wouldn’t he?

It bears repeating: Shohei’s performance came against the team with the most wins in baseball.

Everybody, I was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG about the Dodgers this season . I thought thry would not make it through the post season with the bull pin they had. ( oh, by the way , is it bullpin of bollpin?) These Dodgers are GREAT! Congradulations Guys! Everyone was fantastic ! WOW! Shohei Ohtani!! Pitching 10 Ks

AND hitting THREE homeruns in the same game? Am I dreaming? OK, but the job isnt over. 4 more wins!!

What a game by Shohei. This has to the best performance by a baseball player that I have ever witnessed. Masterful performance!

In terms of the Dodgers running baseball, I argue that owners who refuse to invest on free agents and/or trade away their star players do more harm to the sport than teams who actually invest in order to field a competitive team.

Major league owners are somewhat spoiled. They’re assigned markets that are shielded from direct competition but fail to consider one key thing, they own businesses in the entertainment industry. The formula is simple. If they wish to compete, their organizations need to invest on resources. If they want to attract fans, they must put forth a product that fans will pay to watch.

MLB owners remind me of the American auto industry leading up to the 1980’s. It took successfully automakers like Toyota, Nissan, etc. to force American automakers out of their comfort zone.

If MLB owners are unable to compete in the current arena, they must sell their teams to those who are able to. Fans want to be entertained. Many teams fail to produce a product on the field that is competitive and entertaining.

Ohtani should take BP outside all the time.