From Here on, It's a Crapshoot!
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2024. It is tough in the modern era to win it two years in a row. In fact, it has not been done in 25 years. The Dodgers have a shot, but it is much more difficult this time around. Everyone has analytics and scouting. It’s a chess…

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2024. It is tough in the modern era to win it two years in a row. In fact, it has not been done in 25 years. The Dodgers have a shot, but it is much more difficult this time around. Everyone has analytics and scouting. It’s a chess match, and it’s never been harder to win back-to-back than now.
That said, the Dodgers have the best chance of winning another World Series. However, baseball is a crazy game. A hitter can check his swing and hit an “excuse me” triple that scores multiple runs. Or, a hitter can hit the ball right on the screws at 109 MPH and hit into a triple play. That is what is maddening and awesome about baseball. I happen to like the Dodgers’ chances… but you never know. This is baseball.
What I do know is that if the Dodgers don’t win the World Series, most will blame Andrew Freidmen or Dave Roberts! “There’s no such thing as a crapshoot! “Friedman should have signed Mantale, Mays, Clemnete, Drysdaye. Koufax and Gibson. He’s a bum!”
Play ball!
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Discussion (89)
Disagree, not disagreeable
It’s all about sequencing. Yes, this year will be harder than last year, because 13 victories are required. Win 2, before losing 2. Win 3 before losing 3. 2 * (Win 4, before losing 4). Et voila. 3, 5, 7, & 7 games, 22 total. I haven’t verified this, but I’d bet every team in baseball went 13-9 in one 22 game stretch of the season. That is with random competition of course. In the playoffs, it’s everyone’s best, all the time.
I’d bet LAD will ride the starters hard if they’re dealing. No sense saving bullets now. Yamamoto, Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow, in some order, is pretty fierce talent wise.
The bullpen could be dynamite; good or bad. The starters and lineup could make it easier, but the margins for victories seem to shrink in the playoffs.
I think the psychological effect of Clayton retiring is bringing the team together in just the right way, at just the right time. The talent, will, motivation, and vision are all there. They’ve learned how the playoffs work over the last few seasons. Doubling down on focus and intensity worked wonders last year.
LFGD!
Dodgers vs Reds…. LA
Cubs vs Assholes… CHI
Yankees vs Red Sox… NYY
Guardians vs Tigers… CLE
Dodgers vs Phillies….. LA
Cubs vs Brewers…….. CHI
Yankees vs Bluejays… TOR
Guardians vs Mariners… CLE
Toronto vs Cleveland…..Toronto
Dodgers vs Chicago….. LA
Toronto vs LA…… DODGERS!
I bet $10 dollars.
Mark, sorry about your Colts!!!
Maybe we meet in the Super Bowl!
Go Rams….and Dodgers!
without home field advantage , the road to a championship is a little harder. That’s if they beat the Reds. now i totally expect them to beat the reds and advance to meet the phillies, but it’s baseball and anything is possible. it seems they rediscovered their swagger in seattle. Wow what a difference in this team when the bullpen does its job! … If Kike was a .280 hitter with his defense? it’s october time for sure! if he was only a .280 hitter! …. Clayton was fabulous yesterday! 7 k’s , 1 bb! One thing. Thought Freddie coming out to get Kersh was great! But maybe Doc should have sent Max with him. after all, max has been with Clayton a long time. not nitpicking, but max deserved a little consideration for that too!……. sure wish joe davis and Hershiser would have done the game yesterday! …. once again, Landon Knack was excellent yesterday. Looking forward to next season’s battle for a starting job with the dodgers! Knack, Sheehan, Gavin Stone, River Ryan. Oh and Gonsolin too! lots of candidates, only one spot open! If only the bullpen could be that easy! But after what we’ve seen out of Emmit, He’s the number 5. Probably number 2or 3 on any other team in baseball. …. Playoffs start tomorrow! Lets enjoy the ride! i plan on being happy till the end of the season!
Its not a crapshoot. If it were, the Dodgers wouldn’t be spending a half billion on players this year.
Talent matters. It is not always the final determining factor, but if talent didn’t matter then the Dodgers could shoot to win 90 games every year – just enough to get into the playoffs.
The front office doesn’t believe that it’s only a crapshoot. They accumulated as much talent as they could to give the Dodgers the best chance to win.
They arguably did not do enough to buttress this team’s most obvious weakness, the bullpen. They got 4 poorly pitched games from Brock Stewart after the deadline. Stewart should have had several red flags flying from his pitching arm. He had his shoulder scoped in August 24. This year he made more appearances than at any time in his career. Someone missed something on an MRI.
No, it’s not a crapshoot. Talent still matters,and the Dodgers have more than any team in baseball. Will that be enough? Who knows.
A crapshoot….
But the dice should be loaded in the Dodgers’ favor.
On paper, where the games aren’t played, the Dodgers are still a powerhouse–especially if Will and Max get back into action.
The bullpen is a reason for concern, but Sheehan, Kershaw and Sasaki are leading the cavalry. For that matter, it looks like Glasnow could come out of the pen against the underdog Reds.
Win Game 1 and we’re not losing the series.
Mark,
So if you read the summary of the Mets loss. Alonso, with bags full, hits his hardest shot of the year. 116mph in the gap. but its caught.
As you said. Its a crap shoot
Let’s go