Don't Get too Conforto-able
Michael Conforto has a short, compact swing that generates power. In theory, he should be a batting title contender. How he hit last night should not be surprising… but it is! Michael Conforto has been consistent. Consistently bad! He is hitting .171 on the year. In his last…
Michael Conforto has a short, compact swing that generates power. In theory, he should be a batting title contender. How he hit last night should not be surprising… but it is! Michael Conforto has been consistent. Consistently bad! He is hitting .171 on the year. In his last seven games, he is hitting .160, In his last fifteen games, he is hitting .180, and in his previous thirty games, he is hitting .168. While not a butcher in LF, he is possibly average. There comes a time when the Dodgers are just going to have to say, “This is not working.”
The time is near! After going 2-5 with 3 RBI last night, he will get more chances, but at some point it will end… unless he can hit! Things can change, as we all know. All things considered, I would let Dalton Rushing play LF two or three times a week. Kike can be his Caddy. Andy Pages seems to improve in CF with every game.
Onto another subject: Muncy. Look at this (as of last night’s games):
- Max Muncy .246 BA/.814 OPS/.373 OB%
- Nolan Arenado .247 BA/.708 OPS/.309 OB%
Arenado can’t carry Muncy’s bat, but he is still a very good defensive 3B. Thank you, but I will keep Max.
Clayton Kershaw
I finished Andy McCullough’s book on Clayton Kershaw, “The Last of His Kind.” It is arguably the best baseball book I have ever read, and it really delivers an understanding of the G.O.A.T. That said, I now believe that Clayton’s diminished velocity (he has failed to break 90 MPH in his last two starts) signals more arm or shoulder problems. I think the league will solve him, and I doubt that he will finish the season. I do not think he can continue to win with an 88 MPH fastball – that’s what his slider used to be. It’s hard to say, but I think he is done. Sorry, Clayton!
California Trip
My wife and I took the “Red Eye” back from California and got home at 6 AM Yesterday. I got a good night’s sleep last night, and I feel great! We had a great time at Mountain View, Palo Alto, and on the last day, we went into San Jose and were really impressed with the new Santana Row area. We ate lunch at Augustine and highly recommend it. We did go into San Francisco, which I have called a shithole in the past. I commend the new mayor, Daniel Lauie, who is visibly making an impact. London Breed was a disaster. My wife said, “My city is coming back.” I am headed to Ft. Wayne one or two days this week to see the Loons. I am going to try to get interviews with the Big Three there.
X-CITES
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (70)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Dodgers swept the Rockies
3-1
Kershaw did 6 innings in 67 pitches, gave up one finger
I’ll take that any day
Pen was s great again.
Get few throwers back and we are golden.
some will say it was against the rockies, ok. but actually the rockies have been one of the better hitting teams in baseball lately. And playing in coors field ain’t that easy either. 69 pitches over 6 innings? doesn’t that mean his control was excellent? He could have gone 2 more, but i believe Doc wants him to get to 3000 K’S at dodger stadium! .. Kirby Yates still scares the crap out of me! if he had blown that win for Clayton. Scott continues to be lights out! With a little help from Andy and Freddie! … Rojas ain’t going nowhere! not this season. ….. Kike can’t hit a breaking ball! …. No substitutions today for Doc! how often does that happen? … 2 out of 3 in KC(all 3 would be sweet)!
The thing especially in mid and in this part of his career, Kershaw does not walk people. The biggest thing about that is if you give up a homer it is usually a solo shot. Kershaw makes people earned their way on base which is extremely hard. If you can get on base three out of ten at bats, you will be in the hall of fame. It seems today with everyone being a power pitcher that walks are up league wise. I have looked up no stats to back that claim but it seemed like the really good pitchers didn’t walk hitters. In my limited coaching baseball career, high school, if our pitcher walked the leadoff hitter of any inning he had three line to line runs. As a coach we all have something that really irritates you. In basketball which I coached for a long time mostly at the high school level some at the college level, giving up offensive rebounds use to drive me crazy. If we gave up an offensive rebound on an opponent free throw, someone was coming out of the game. Our pitchers could learn a lot from Kershaw.
Seldom but it would happen, if I thought the umpire missed the pitch or a couple of pitches in the at bat, I would commute the sentence for giving up the leadoff walk.
The thing that kills me is walking guys that can’t hurt you. Every mlb pitcher should be able to throw a fastball for a strike and make a hitter earn it.