Get a Grip!

So, here we are back at .500 (7 – 7), and predictably people are losing their minds. They only have one mind (well, some have half of one, but that is something I will leave alone), so that is sad. Here is the stuff we hear after losses and fourteen games:

• “Just like Grove, I’ve always thought of Jackson as a trade chip and nothing more.” – What a comment seriously devoid of any understanding of how baseball players are developed!” Of course, you would trade them away and be shocked to find out that two or three years later, they are both closers. Now, I am not saying both will be closers, but they have filthy stuff… and many, if not most times, it takes years to learn how to command their stuff. Progress is not linear. Mike Grove had Tommy John in 2017 and missed two seasons, and basically had to re-learn how to pitch due to complications. In 2021, he had a 7.88 ERA in AA. The next year Grove put up a 3.79 ERA between AA and AAA. You can write him off. I’m not. He may pitch well today or get his ticket punched back to AAA, but I keep my eye on this guy because I think someday, he will be a very good pitcher. ANDRE JACKSON: He has pitched in four games this year. Two were really good, and two were really bad. In his first outing, he allowed one hit in three IPs. In his second outing, he allowed five hits and 3 ER in 2 IP. Then in his third outing, he went 1.1 innings and allowed no runs, no hits, no walks, and struck out 3. Of course, last night, he got bombed. So, because a young player goes from dominant to bad, to dominant to horrid, you “Know” that he is a “trade chip and nothing more?” I have one thing to say:

• Grove and Jackson may be back in AAA next week, or sooner, and while they could be trade pieces (depending upon the situation), both have worked very hard and overcame many obstacles to play this game. They both love the game and have the desire to succeed. They both need to develop consistency and focus on what works best with their stuff. I like both pitchers a lot and admire their grit!
• Then I get this “Tome” on how Outman is better than Vargas, which is based upon eighteen (18) games. EIGHTEEN! First of all, I hope Outman is better than Vargas because that means that the Dodgers have their centerfielder for the next 5-10 years. That would be awesome. However, only a fool would base their assessment of James Outman and Miguel Vargas based upon a few MLB games! But that’s what he did and, in the process, proved my point. In Mike Trout’s first 18 games, he did nothing and ended up back in the minors. I am not always right in my assessment of players. I thought Andy LaRoche would be a superstar. I thought Will Smith would be a backup. I thought Alex Verdugo would win a batting title (well, he still might), and at age 20, I predicted Adrian Beltre would be in the Hall of Fame. I said Joc Pederson would be a 4th outfielder, and that is true. I also did not believe that Mike Busch had the arm to play 3B, which is starting to look wrong. However, I do know better than to anoint someone as anything after eighteen freaking games! Nuff said!
• Of course, the Fruitcakes blame every loss on Dave Roberts because.. that’s what Fruitcakes do. The Dodgers were beaten by Dave Robert’s bad moves. I guess it makes miserable people feel better to blame someone. Sometimes moves are made for reasons you are not privy to (someone has an “injury that is not being publicized,” or maybe it’s simply for the mindset”). You don’t know, and I don’t know, but I don’t pretend to know while you do. Why didn’t Will Smith play last night? “Doc is obviously a dumbass! That’s your “go-to.” It really gets old. Get some new material.

Last Night’s Debacle

Noah Syndergaard rebounded from a bad start, and while he did not pitch great, he pitched well enough to win. 6 IP, H H, 3 ER, 9 Ks. He holds some promise, and when Gonsolin gets back, he will be a nice #5 (I think). Jackson absolutely coughed up a “hairball.” It seems to me that he sometimes loses concentration. That is fixable. Other times his stuff is spot on downright “filthy.”

I HAVE SOME NEWS FOR YOU! When you only get three hits and take one walk, you will mostly lose. It’s up to the players to hit, and when your BIG THREE (Betts, Freeman, Martinez) go 0-12, you are probably cooked! So, they need to come back and win the series. That’s it!

James Casparius Pitched 6 No-Hit Innings Last Night for GL

The Loons won 1-0 and the Dayton did get one-hit.