Bat-to-Ball Skills
I happen to like hitters who have good bat-to-ball skills. I was reminded yesterday that I championed Andy LaRoche to be a star years ago, and it never happened. Yes, I missed that big time. Subsequent to that, I have been an advocate of Alex Verdugo, Keibert Ruiz, and Miguel…
I happen to like hitters who have good bat-to-ball skills. I was reminded yesterday that I championed Andy LaRoche to be a star years ago, and it never happened. Yes, I missed that big time. Subsequent to that, I have been an advocate of Alex Verdugo, Keibert Ruiz, and Miguel Vargas. They all have excellent bat-to-ball skills in common. Of course, Verdugo and Ruiz have been traded away, but I think that Miguel Vargas has such a unique bat-to-ball skill that the Dodgers need to keep him. The Dodgers have Teoscar Hernandez, Max Muncy, and other players who have a lot of swing-and-miss. Vargas is an excellent complement to those players.
The Yankees have been elevated by Alex Verdugo and his bat-to-ball skills. I would not trade Vargas, as he is what the Dodgers need in their lineup. Verdugo has allegedly matured, and while he is hitting around .260, the season is young. He will not win a batting title this year, but there may be one in his future. Ruiz is struggling to stay around .200 after showing signs of hitting last season. Batting average is down across MLB as pitchers are throwing harder and spinning the ball more than ever before and their arms are dropping like flies.
Yes, I missed LaRoche, but here is the difference: I based my analysis on Andy LaRoche, Alex Verdugo, Keibert Ruiz, and Miguel Vargas based on YEARS of watching these players. I did not base it upon watching a couple of games and saying, “This guy can’t play,” as some morons do. Yes, I am not always right. Thank you for reminding me! You can jump to a conclusion in a small sampling, but years of watching generally is more accurate.
Some of you were down on Teoscar Hernadez because he has been slumping of late. Some even suggested that he should platoon. BULLSHIT! Who in their right mind would say that? Teo Hernandez essentially won the game for the Dodgers last night with two home runs including a grand slam. This is a country where FREE SPEECH is guaranteed (well… unless you disagree with the media narrative), but if you are not aware, Free Speech is not Free. Get it? Got it? Good!
It was excellent to put a good old-fashioned beatdown on the Yankees. It would have been even better if the Dodgers had brought out the brooms today. CT3 even got a hit but struck out three times. In his 88 ABs, he has struck out 41 times. Yeah, he’s close to getting back to what he once was… NOT! His strikeout rate is way up, and his BAbip is way down. That’s a recipe for hitting .100!
Are You a Pessimist or an Optimist?
Ronald Reagan’s favorite story or joke concerns twin boys of five or six. It goes like this:
“Worried that the boys had developed extreme personalities – one was a total pessimist, the other a total optimist – their parents took them to a psychiatrist.”
First, the psychiatrist treated the pessimist. Trying to brighten his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with brand-new toys. But instead of yelping with delight, the little boy burst into tears. ‘What’s the matter?’ the psychiatrist asked, baffled. ‘Don’t you want to play with any of the toys?’ ‘Yes,‘ the little boy bawled, ‘but if I did, I’d only break them.’”
Next, the psychiatrist treated the optimist. Trying to dampen his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with horse manure. But instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, the optimist emitted just the yelp of delight the psychiatrist had been hoping to hear from his brother, the pessimist. Then he clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to his knees, and began gleefully digging out scoop after scoop with his bare hands. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ the psychiatrist asked, just as baffled by the optimist as he had been by the pessimist. ‘With all this manure,’ the little boy replied, beaming, ‘there must be a pony in here somewhere!’
Some fans are just born pessimists. No matter what happens, they are going to see flaws. Me? I’m looking for the pony! Some Dodger fans are secretly disappointed after the first two games against the Yankees as they have nothing to bitch about and their lives are pointless. 😉
Coming into New York, the Dodgers were ramped up to play what is/was allegedly the best team in baseball, and they turned it up. I still believe the Dodgers are the best team in baseball, and if they need to make a move, they will. I am not advocating moving Mookie back to 2B, but if Bo Bichette becomes available at the trade deadline, I would do that. Lux could be part of that deal. Bo and Gavin could both benefit from new surroundings.
It was rumored yesterday that the White Sox had asked for Josue DePaula, Dalton Rushing, and Landon Knack for Luis Robert, Jr. I would do that in a heartbeat. Yes, that is a lot to give. Robert has an extensive injury history, but his upside is too great to ignore. Bichette is a natural SS, and his bat could come alive with the Dodgers. Outman will be back soon, but with Outman and Pages, we need to realize that Outman can’t hit LHP, and Pages can’t hit RHP. We know that about Outman, but it appears to be the same with Pages. Pages OPS against LHP is .866 but is just .662 against RHP. The difference between him and Outman is that he exhibits power against his same-side pitchers while Outman doesn’t.
Try this out:
- Betts 2B
- Ohtani DH
- Freeman 1B
- Smith C
- Muncy 3B
- T. Hernandez LF
- Robert, Jr. CF
- Heyward/Pages RF
- Bichette SS
It could happen. Vargas and Ryan would likely have to be a part of that deal for Bichette. It depends upon their record as to whether Toronto will be sellers. We won’t know until the deadline.
X-CITES
When are we going to see Lipcuis?
It’s a Fantastic Time to be a Dodger Fan… Unless You are a Pessimist!
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Discussion (104)
Disagree, not disagreeable
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale while the White Sox are “listening to offers” on Robert, the team would be seeking a trade package “greater” than what the San Diego Padres gave to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Juan Soto.
That’s what Dodgers are dealing with. Note to Sox; Robert Jr is no Soto!
Teo was named NL player of the week. Well deserved. Judge took home the honor in the AL.