Calling All Drama Queens!

Most fan bases would be excited, even giddy, to have a pitching staff like the Dodgers… but not Dodger fans. They won’t settle for less than five #1 starters. Of course, they are not happy with Clayton Kershaw (1.80 ERA) and Andrew Heaney (0.00 ERA) since they are on the IL with what is generally realized as “minor injuries.” Both should be back soon, but Walker Buehler, the Ace, only has a 2.81 ERA, and 20-game winner in 2021, Julio Urias, has a bloated 3.00 ERA. To top it all off, the Dodgers’ #5 starter, Tony Gonsolin, has a 1.64 ERA.

Dig this: the Dodger starting pitchers are #1 in all of baseball! NUMBER ONE! NUMERO UNO! They have a 2.47 ERA and lead the majors with 17 wins from their starters. (By the way, they are #2 in team ERA to the Yankees – 2.77 to 2.72) After last night’s game, Dodger fans lost the right to bitch about Tony Gonsolin, so now they have to look elsewhere – “MAX MUNCY, yeah, that’s the ticket! Whoops, oh, he was 2-4. Dang! Can’t bitch about that!” To those of you who believed Max should be sent to OKC, I say you should be sent to Mars, or maybe Uranus! I do not pronounce Max “cured” but it was a good step in the right direction.

I have read some very eloquent and well-written, Knee jerk, perspectiveless, circular thinking, silly drivel here recently by people who should know better. I mean, if you have been on the planet for 60 or 70 years have you not learned anything… especially about baseball? Speaking as a stock picker, if a Dodger fan says “short that stock,” I am buying because the contrarian viewpoint is almost always right!

I have been telling you that Tony Gonsolin just needs to pitch. He needs to build up and he is. I think we will see him pitch into the 7th inning soon. He has four very good pitches, but remember 3 or 4 years ago when he used to touch 100 MPH? He has turned it down a notch and is not that high-effort thrower. He is typically at 93 to 94 and is much more effective. Walker Buehler is doing the same thing. Fans are in love with guys who throw 100 MPH, but for the most part, their careers are short-lived. For every Nolan Ryan or Randy Johnson, there are 20 guys who throw 100 MPH too but can’t stay on the field. Jacob de Grom is a classic example.

I am going to tell you that the Bazooka will not ever be a great pitcher until he learns to pitch at 96 to 98 MPH with movement. I know of what I speak – I used to hit triple digits with a fastball flatter than the Great Plains. Man-o-man, if I had learned then, what I know now! Speed Kills – Pitching Careers! Pitchers who learn to take a few ticks off their fastballs will live to fight another day. Those who don’t will live to rehab another day. Remember Kerry Wood and his 100 MPH 20 strikeout game? Short-lived career!

Here is what I know: The Dodgers are a damn good team. They don’t have many holes. I call BS on those who say their starting pitching is not playoff quality. If you gave those same individuals an enema, you could bury them in a shoebox! This is a long season. The Dodgers have not yet hit on all cylinders, but they are in first place with the best record in the NL. They have scored the most runs and given up the fewest! That’s a good formula for winning… and they are not hitting on all cylinders… yet!

The season has not even reached its first turn. It’s about 20% complete. On August 1st of last season, the Braves were 52-55, in third place, and we all know what happened. Dave Roberts and the Dodgers do not want this to “peak” early. The keyword is don’t panic. Ok, that’s two words, but you get my drift! If Max and Cody are batting below .200 in August, then maybe you send them to OKC, but you sure as hell don’t do it now. What are you? Crazy?

I also know that the Dodgers will make the playoffs, and I also know that winning the World Series is hard and takes incredible skill… and luck. Take some advice from Houston Mitchell:

If following a team isn’t an overall enjoyable experience for you, then you may want to find something else to do with your time. It’s not worth the stress.There are fans of other teams that haven’t made the playoffs in years. So, if you are angry or sad, spend some time with your friends. Hug your significant other. Play with your kids. Pet your dog. But you can still ignore your cat, because cats are evil and were sent here from an alien planet as spies.

That’s the best advice I can give you because if some of you keep up these foolish rants, your family and friends are going to have you institutionalized! Get a grip on reality… and the reality is that this 2022 Dodger team is very, very good… and whatever they need may already be in the house! Some of the best things in baseball have been accomplished by some of the least likely individuals.