Freak Show!
Move On, There s Nothing to See Here! Hyun-jin Ryu gave us 7 runs, EARNED RUNS! in 4 innings pitched. That s all you need to know. When the best pitcher in baseball gives up runs like Donald Trump gives up insults, you know that something is amiss. The thing that is amiss is that batter enhancing, pitcher killing Coors Field. That s why I say to never sign a player who has
Move On, There’s Nothing to See Here!
Hyun-jin Ryu gave us 7 runs, EARNED RUNS! …in 4 innings pitched. That’s all you need to know. When the best pitcher in baseball gives up runs like Donald Trump gives up insults, you know that something is amiss. The thing that is amiss is that batter enhancing, pitcher killing Coors Field.
That’s why I say to never sign a player who has played most of his career at Coors. Their stats will be greatly inflated. Of course, there are exceptions. DJLM comes to mind, but Yankee Stadium is also a hitters park. The Dodgers pitching staff which had the best ERA in baseball at a little over 3.20 a game has averaged giving up 11 a game at Coors! That’s what Coors does. It destroys a pitchers stuff… and confidence and makes every hitter think they are Babe Ruth.
I am convinced that the Rockies have the biggest home field advantage of any team in baseball because their hitters have figured out how to maximize the altitude. The fielders have discovered how to best play the outfield to their advantage and the pitchers who pitch half their games their have discovered the Holy Grail of “survival.”
It’s a freak show. It’s not a baseball stadium – it’s a launching pad! It’s a freaking joke, is what it is! The best pitcher in baseball who has a career ERA of 2.42 , has a career 4.57 ERA at Coors Field and he goes today. He has a 10-4 record there so, he’s probably the Dodgers best hope for a series split.
What I worry about it the “Coors Factor” getting into a players head and the “carryover effect” to their next game(s). It’s a good thing cannabis is legal there because the team needs to go out and smoke ’em if they got ’em! To blazes with that Drug Policy. If it’s legal, why not? “You can’t suspend me. I only smoke in Colorado, California and Illinois, Mr. Commissioner – it’s legal there!” Yeah, that will work!
Rants and Raves
- Joc is an inch better at 1B. You have to look close to see the improvement… very close! He ain’t going back to LF… at least right now.
- Floro, Kelly and Ryu were all beat like Rented Mules but Buttercup and Shaggy looked like studs – Go Figure!
- After two game is AAA, Gavin Lux is OPS’ing 1.524 – I think he’s adapting! This Farm System is chock full of players! Will Smith has shown he is a worthy choice as are Garlick and Beaty.
- Stick a fork in Brock Stewart – he’s done! Well done… as in toast! 7 more ER last night!
- There is no way AF will trade Kaybear for Vasquez! The Pirates will have to take a different package.
Water for Cannabis from US Water Systems on Vimeo.
MT’s Minor League Lowdown
This is going to be quick:
- DSL Dodgers Bautista lost 5-3 and Luis Yan went 2-4, which was exactly half their hits.
- DSL Dodger Shoemaker won 9-8 as Hector Martinez, Luis Izturis and Julio Enrique all had 2 hits. Izturis hit his 3rd HR.
- AZL Dodgers Mota lost 10-3, but Romer Cuadrado and Alex DeJesus both had two hits. Cartaya too the collar.
- The Ogden Raptors won 8-4 as Andy Pages hit his 3rd HR. Yurchak, Littell, and Vranesh all had 2 hits. Alfredo Tavarez went 4.1 innings and allowed 1 earned run. Melvin Jiminez pitched 2.2 innings and allowed ZERO hits and 3 runs while striking out 7 and walking 2. He included a wild pitch, but to allow 3 runs on no hits is quite the accomplishment.
- The Great Lakes Loons lost 8-7, as Feduccia and McClain had 2 hits and Matt Cogen had 3. Most of the Loons pitchers were roughed up, including Ortiz, Willeman, and Zuniga.
- Rancho Cucamonga won 5-2 as Andre Jackson pitched 5.1 sting innings (3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K’s). Jeter Downs drove in his 50th run with his 13th Big Fly. Deacon Liput finally hist his first home run.
- The Tulsa Drillers won 2-1 as Ruiz was 1-2 with 2 BB and an RBI. Edwin Uceta went six terrific innings and gave up 3 hits and 1 ER as he struck out 8. Sheffield struck out the side in the 9th for his 4th save. His ERA sits at 0.61. I’m thinking that he might just bypass AAA. The PCL is dangerous for some pitchers.
- OKC lost 9-7 (what else is new?). What is old is Brock getting beat like a rented mule. What is new is Gavin Lux hitting leadoff (1-2 with 2 runs scored and 2 BB) and DJ Peters hitting cleanup (3-5 with 3 RBI). Joe hit a 2-run HR.
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Discussion (89)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I never watch the Dodgers when they’re in Colorado. Who needs the aggravation?
It can’t be that bad for the Dodgers at Coors, because before last night I think I heard that we’d won 13 straight v Colorado.
I would certainly trade KBear for Vasquez, who is lights out, proven, and under team control for a while.
Coors field is the devil’s spawn. I can’t stand the place. It’s no place for baseball. Put a dome on it with humidifiers going full blast. Do something! Between all the injuries there and killing pitchers I just hope to come out fairly healthy.
Floro sucks! DL or option, he needs to go work on things.
C’mon Kelly, you can’t be that bad at fielding!
Smith should be on the big club right now and Barnes should join Floro in AAA. Smith should be spending the rest of the season getting used to the pitching staff.
You don’t need K Bear AND Smith.
I hate to trade K Bear for a freaking reliever who pitches 1 freaking innning every other day. But, sometimes you have to over pay. K Bear for Vazquez and Liriano!
If the only solution to get Joc’s bat in the lineup is at first base, trade him!!! It isn’t working.
There’s a ton of dead weight on the 40 man. Can we package some of these guys in trades? There’s a ton of 40 man cleanup to do…
Alexander – Might be able to fix him? So far, not so good.
Alvarez – Useless
Chargois – Useless as Floro
Floro – Useless as Chargois
McCreery – Nothing is more upsetting that a 6′ 9″ soft tosser
Rosscup – belongs on the Mariners or Marlins
Santana – becoming Floro and Chargois, get rid of him before others notice
Sborz – generic bullpen arm
Schultz – just another Floro or Chargois
Stewart – How is he still using a spot of the 40 man?
Gale – 5 freaking catchers on the 40 man?
Maybe we can package 5 or 6 of them and send them to Farhan for Smith. They’re all his guys anyways.
Mark…..Spot on!
Real news: Taylor makes a bad throw.
Fake news: Joc should have caught it.
Totally agree, Mark, it is a joke and I really try not to watch games in Colorado. The Denver area probably shouldn’t be home to an MLB team, but they draw a lot of fans. Maybe MLB should create a “dead” ball to use at Coors. The recent San Diego series in Colorado was a prime example of the need for major change. Now this series. They have the technology to change the ball for use at Coors, then they can move the fences in (way too much outfield to cover) and create a more normal baseball experience. What’s really amazing is that Hideo Nomo threw a no-hitter at Coors.
59 I totally agree with you there is a lot of dead weight on this team we need to weed them out ASAP. Barns to the minors or trade him.
Left-handed pitcher Chris Nunn assigned to Oklahoma City from Tulsa
Catcher Josh Thole assigned to Oklahoma City from Tulsa
Catcher Jordan Procyshen assigned to Tulsa from Rancho Cucamonga
Left-handed pitcher Logan Salow assigned to Tulsa from Rancho Cucamonga
Right-handed pitcher Brett de Geus assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Great Lakes
Left-handed pitcher Darien Nunez assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Ogden
Catcher Ramon Rodriguez assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Ogden
Right-handed pitcher Markus Solbach assigned to AZL Dodgers Mota from AZL Dodgers Lasorda
Shortstop Miguel Droz assigned to DSL Dodgers Shoemaker
The Minor League Lowdown was just posted above.
Joc is not a first baseman. Put Bellinger, Verdugo, and Pollock on the outfield. Put Muncy, Taylor, Seager and Turner in the infield. Bring up Smith and let him play. Two guys need to go. They are Joc and Barnes. If you trade for a reliever, put those two in the trade. You will not get much but they are not worth much. I would rather have Garlick, Beaty, Kike and Martin on the bench. That would be my team after the All Star game. Joc and Barnes have been given all these opportunities to prove they belong and they do not belong. Time to weed out the pretenders. Make a trade like they did with Cincinnati. That trade is starting to look very good for the Dodgers.
When I die and go to Hell my punishment will be chaining me to my recliner, forcing my eyes open with toothpicks in front of my big screen and forcing me to watch an endless cycle of games from Coors Field.
CT3 had a tough night but I disagree with the contention that he is out of position. He was a shortstop by trade coming up and was the M’s everyday SS until he lost the job because he didn’t hit. The Dodgers fixed that. He did make a couple of off target throws, both rushed and NOT routine. But it might be nice if a teammate could bail him out once in awhile. A real second basemen and a real first basemen often make those plays saving an error. Joc just doesn’t know how to move his feet in ways to catch throws and we haven’t seen balls in the dirt yet. Can’t wait for that. If I’m an infielder, I’m a little pissed that my first baseman can’t bail me out when my throw isn’t perfect. This whole experiment is unnecessary……….
MT Minor Lg. Update
He wasn’t kidding when he said it would be quick…
“which was exactly ha;lf their tits.”
Say what???
Maybe it’s code…
Peterj, You gave me the laugh of the day and I needed it. Thank you. I read the report and never noticed the hilarious typo. Sorry Mark, but it was funny.
It is certainly easy to pick on Joc, but the Dodgers are trying to find another spot for a bat that has 20 HRs and is slashing .244/.340/.584/.924 against RHP. Neither Beaty or Rios are good defensive 1B.
I like Matt Beaty, and he is having a great start. But so have a lot of hitters before the pitchers get the book on them, and they need to adjust. What batter has not had to adjust, and Beaty will be no different.
Against RHP, Beaty has a better BA but not as good of an OBP, SLG, and OPS. He is slashing .311/.329/.459/.788.
With RISP, Beaty has been brilliant, batting .391/.417/.565/.982, but still does not have a better OPS than does Joc .998.
With RISP and 2 outs, right now there is no comparison. Joc in 34 PA – .290/.353/.742/1.095, 1 double, 2 triples, 3 HRs, and 13 RBI. Matt in 14 PA, .231/.286/.462/.747 with 1 HR and 4 RBI.
Fans seem to forget how good of a start both Joc and Barnes had. That did not continue, and neither will Beaty continue as well as he has started. It is the evolution of a hitter. Joc is a platoon LF trying to learn 1B. AF and Doc want to find a spot for Joc against RHP. And while he looked poorly defending 1B, it did not cost the Dodgers the game. That game was lost because Ryu, Kelly, and Floro were inept at keeping batters off the bases. Call it the Coors effect if it makes it more palatable, but the pitching was poor. Joc did not give up the 2 run jack to Valaika. Joc did not give up 3 doubles and 3 HRs in 4+ IP. I am not trying to denigrate Ryu. He has never pitched even remotely acceptable at Coors. He should never pitch there.
I absolutely agree that Joc is a poor 1B, and it does him no favors when his supporters ignore that a better and more experienced 1B would have saved his infielder. The Dodgers still have the best record in baseball on pace for a 108 win season, a 12.0 game lead in NL West, a 6.5 game lead over Atlanta and 11.0 game lead over Chicago for NL home field. Joc is not the problem. He is a platoon LF learning a new position. If the Dodgers can continue to give chances to Kelly, Floro, Alexander, Shaggy, and Rosscup (some who have absolutely cost the Dodgers games), then they can certainly continue to try and find a place for a guy with 20 HRs and a .863 OPS.
Mom, we must laugh occasionally at MT’s expense… For instance Joc P. is his cuddly bear like Rudolf Nereyev Grandal… By August JP will be in the top 3 defensive 1B and by 2020 possibly a 5th. face at Mt. Rushmore…
AC….you are correct as usual. Blaming the park for the loss and runs made it more palatible for me. Just an emotional response although I still do not like the park and hope we do not have to play there for a while. As far as the infielders and Joc in particular goes, I was in my demented state, blaming the balls they give us to play with, not the players. Oh well, today is a new day.
Go Blue. DBM
How about this, boys and girls:
Edwin Rios, Mitch White, Scott Alexander, JT Chargois, Gerardo Carrillo, and Joc Pederson to the White Sox for Jose Abreu, Aaron Bummer and Alex Colome.
Colome and Bummer add depth and strength to the pen.
Lineup:
1. Verdugo CF
2. Seager SS
3. Turner 3B
4. Bellinger RF
5. Abreu 1B
6. Muncy 2B
7. Pollock LF
8. Whoever (it doesn’t matter) C
Watford – Try reddit.com and follow cues..
Watford – very generous of you to offer to put us all up in 2020. I took a quick count and so far there are 37 confirmed, 22 maybe, and of course that number will probably get larger by 2020.
I assume your offer also includes a hearty English breakfast? 🙂
I will take good old fashioned fish and chips with malt vinegar of course and lots of serviettes eh?
OK, get prepared for the trip. Study this:
There will be a test later!
As it stands right i now f we were lucky to make to the World Series against the Yankees, we are over matched with our lineup vs theirs, their bullpen vs ours,and the left hand pitching they have vs our lineup. As we all know Kershaw stinks in the World Series. Mr Friedman,acquire Wheeler from the Mets and Vasquez from the Pirates or we will go home empty handed in the Fall. You have the assets,players in the minors and the money to get it done. Don’t let us down.
Bottom of the 7th
17-12 NYY
Are they playing at Coors Field?
Pollock is no longer good at CF, his negative DWAR proves it, and he will never be good at CF, in no way can he play on Verdugo and in no way should he play on Pederson that possibly ends with 35 + HR, now as the it is already here, they will have to find a place for him and it is in LF in platoon with Joc. Maybe in October Pollock can be very useful, but it really is not necessary. Pollock is a good player, but the number of years of his contract is absurd.
Nice play by Joc in LF.