Happy 2024!

Bear is my nickname. I got it when I was in the Army. I used it when I was playing country music out in California. Most knew me by bear, not my real name, Michael.

Well, here is my two cents, and that is about all it is worth. Betts is going to play second, and Lux is playing SS. They are not going to move Mookie back to the outfield even if it solves a couple of shortcomings some see the team as having. The move is because of a couple of reasons. The main one is saving Mookie’s legs. He feels more like he is in the game on the infield. He is also very good defensively there. They believe Lux can play SS at the MLB level. Rojas is a very good SS with a so so bat. Lux brings much more offense to the game. If he can play the position as well as Seager did, they will be ok. If he doesn’t pan out, there will be changes. But Mookie is not moving.

Since we’re on the topic of circular thinking, I can’t think of anything more circular than logging into LADT for another year and seeing the same arguments – for and against – about Roberts that we’ve hashed and rehashed countless times in past years. It’s like Groundhog Day.

He’s not going anywhere; you’re not going to convince your Roberts-hating interlocutor to change his mind, and although I think he works well within the system AF has set up and is an overall good fit, it doesn’t mean I have to think he’s the best thing since sliced bread, either.

Oh, and I can’t think of a worse managerial choice for the Dodgers than Mike Scioscia. Just to refresh people’s memory: while manager of the Angels, he consistently butted heads with the GM and the entire analytics department (to the extent they had one. I think they’re way behind the curve here) and summarily dismissed all the advanced scouting that was given to him. It got to the point where Scioscia went over his GM’s head and went directly to Arte Moreno and got the GM fired in one of those, “either he goes or I go” ultimatums. … Because he’s old school and has to manage HIS way – with his gut.

He wouldn’t last a week as the Dodger skipper, presuming they’d ever be stupid enough to hire him in the first place. The Dodgers are a well oiled machine. Absolutely no room for toxic political back stabbing drama and Luddite insubordination.

Just because a guy used to play for the Dodgers does not automatically mean he’s going to be a good choice as a manager. I’d rather have Jay Johnstone wearing balloons on his head than Scioscia.

And seeing Bauer’s tweet about his cousin who committed suicide did remind me of what could have been and made me pretty resentful. We talk about how the Trashtros robbed the Dodgers of a WS in 17, but what if Bauer was pitching for the Dodgers last year like he really should have? It’s Bauer instead of Home Run Lynn in a key game. That doesn’t mean the Dodgers would have gone to the WS, but realize what was taken from us as fans because, as the evidence now pretty conclusively shows, he was extorted by a complete charlatan, smeared by politically obsessed lunatics with their own agendas, and tossed under the bus by MLB. It’s a reminder of how completely awful people like Molly Knight and Dustin Nosler and his sycophantic audience of millennial social justice warriors truly are. I dunno. If I was Bauer I’d probably just stay in Japan, marry a nice Japanese lady and say sayonara to America’s toxic politics and toxic, entitled people.

Anyway. Happy New Year!

Right on the head of the nail patch. Well said.

The family just left… it was a great New Years Day:

I don’t get the thought behind all the angst over Doc. Is it even “thought”? 10 of 10 years in the playoffs is phenomenal. Unprecedented. I suppose his most harsh critics think the Dodgers should have won 10 straight championships? No? Ok, you wish they had gone to 10 World Series winning the majority of them and lost the others in the 7th game?

C’mon, grow up. If you’ve been around any sports much less baseball you KNOW that is not remotely possible. Dave no longer hits, throws, or catches the ball. He doesn’t run the bases either. So he cannot have that direct an influence over the outcome. No more than ANY other manager.

Had Tommy had to win as many games to win his TWO championships he probably wouldn’t have. And while I agree the Astros very likely cheated the Yankees out of the AL pennant in ’17 we will never know but we DO KNOW FOR CERTAIN they cheated to “win” in 2017 – they admitted it so it is very reasonable to say Dave has been more of a winner than Tommy was.

PS: Yes, I want them to win the WS every year but I’m an adult and recognize it is not possible. I want them in the fight in every season for as long as I get to live. But I know every team gets the best players they can and not all those players will/can execute at all times.

Ha Ha. I forgot about this. Make Terry Collins the new manager.

His teams have a winning record in the playoffs.

All is right in my world. Alabama lost and so did Texas. Washington against Michigan in the Championship game. You guys worried about Mookie and Freddie in the playoffs need to understand that both of them probably are embarrassed by their performances. I would bet both will be much better next time around. They are both too professional to not be.

Saw an interview with Mark Prior on MLB.TV. Prior said that he will be instituting some changes in the way they train and gear up pitchers to be ready for the season. They are taking into consideration the way Yamamoto trains, and they want him to be comfortable. He also said he has been in contact with Kershaw. Kersh said his arm was feeling great after the surgery and that he will begin a throwing regimen soon. He also said Kersh wants to be a Dodger. It is all in his court now. If he wants to come back, the team wants him.

The Dodgers hired Yamamoto’s trainer. I suspect he can help a lot of pitchers.

I mentioned before the Pitching Ninja’s report on Yamamoto. (Can be found on YouTube.)

While a lot of pitchers are hitting the weight room, Yamamoto is focused more on flexibility. It will be interesting to see if yoga becomes part of “the Dodger Way.” Everybody is expected to do the usual stretching… but Yamamoto takes it to another level.

Nearly a year ago and up til opening day I offered an even money bet my Dodgers would win the division aainst the field. The way the talk was around here and elsewhere I thought someome would take me up on my bet proposal. Nobody took that bet. While they voiced Dodgers didn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell they wouldn’t put their money where their mouth wasu. The race to the division title is the true test of which team is best and there shouldn’t be any lesser team to contend for an overall title. But there is now chances for the lesser teams to get hot and steal the show. I offered no bet for Dodgers to win the World Series because it’s no longer a true test of who’s the best of the best. Mark’s words are vey accurate that the wiser bet would be on the field as the world title is so watered down with less than the best that odds don’t favor the best. Winning it all now means less so for me the division title means the most. Wild cards are here and theres little chance that monster will ever be distroyed. MLB has nade the sport FUBAR. At least I can be proud that I recognize but it’d be cool to be able to celebrate rightously. I think I’ll make it through season’s end regardless of professional opinion otherwise. At least Dodgers are sure to give me good baseball at a;ll points so I’ll celebrate all victorys. Oh yeah, Happy New Year all!