I Am Ashamed To Be A Dodger Fan

Well LaMaheu just hit a 2 run hr in the bottom of the 9, and Col beat AZ. We still 1.5 out

AC, that was a fun comeback to watch! I love how Ruiz is showing he can step up in big moments, back to back!

TULSA WINS GAME 2 of Texas League Championship 6-5 with two runs in the 9th to win in walk off fashion. I will do a write up after the RC game is complete. RC ahead in the bottom of 5th 4-1.

Dear Mark:

You are my regular Dodgers’ daily reading. In fact I have read you everyday during years.

I do that from Costa Rica. I have watched almost every Dodgers’ game for years without having been ever in Chavez Ravine.

Don’t loose faith, we are only 1 game behind. We can still do it.

Go Dodgers. Thank you for your column Mark

Per TrueBlueLA:

“In the wild card era, which began in 1994 (but really in 1995, since there were no playoffs in 1994) only one out of 46 league leaders in run differential (2.2%) have missed the playoffs. That was the 2005 Indians…”

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“Given how the Dodgers have outscored opponents, their expected record is eight wins better than they have actually performed. Much has been made about their incredibly bad performance in clutch situations, and a lot of the focus has been on their poor showing with runners in scoring position.

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“Entering Wednesday the Dodgers hit .241/.339/.388 with RISP, 26th in MLB in batting average, 21st in slugging percentage, 19th in OPS and 16th in on-base percentage. They are ninth in MLB in plate appearances with RISP. The opportunities have been there, but they haven’t really cashed them in.

In September the Dodgers are hitting .216/.294/.351 with runners in scoring position.

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“Since the All-Star break the Dodgers have been hot and cold. They are scoring 4.74 runs per game, right in line with their seasonal output, and rank ninth in the MLB and fourth in the NL in that span. But they also have the fifth-most games scoring three or fewer runs, doing so in half of their 50 games since the break. The Dodgers are also tied for the fourth-most games with eight or more runs since the break, with 11, including Wednesday afternoon’s getaway day drubbing of the Reds.”

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So like everyone with a pulse has been saying, they lose the close ones and win the blowouts. No hitting with RISP, bad bullpen work in close games.

I still believe.

Did we face Gomber is our last series against the Cards?

Curdybuff

I was surprised Floro came in that early in the game, too.

Fergie reminded me of Kershaw the first few times he pitched.

But he is more a bulldog, because he doesn’t let go of a hitter, even when he gets behind on a count.

He doesn’t let anything bother him, even if he gives up a HR to the hitter before.

I don’t know if I would want a look like he had, because he didn’t look good, and he probably wasn’t thinking he would get another at bat, after that long.

But he just needs to suck it up, and just be more ready if there is a next time, because you never know what might happen.

I just feel for the guy, because others on this team, seem to get unlinked chances.

But no one that knows baseball, is going to put a lot in three at bats, in 11 days.

Most recent article in The Athletic about the Dodgers is entitled “Dodgers’ superior roster continues to produce inferior results, especially against league’s weaklings”. A nugget:

“So, why the persistent losses against the likes of the Reds and Mets? Asked if he thought the Dodgers were overconfident in those pursuits, Roberts offered another, competing theory. “I would almost argue the opposite,” he said. ”

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SO – the Dodgers aren’t confident enough to win?

this team!

Look at Joc and Grandal carrying us today!!

I would have definitely put JT on and pitched to Machado.

i may or may not know a lot or little about baseball but two things i know are completely worthless: run differential and playoff odds.

AC, I probably didn’t express myself properly. I meant to say that the Dodger FO use of SABR is BS. Players that hit RH and can’t hit LH pitching are constantly being started against LH pitching for example. Constant lineup changes regardless of how a player is playing or not playing. Pulling pitchers after two times through the lineup regardless of how they’re pitching or pitch count (although that seems to be changing because of BP issues). They have all the stats and analysis, but don’t seem to believe them. I thought Houston in the WS showed a beautiful blend of SABR and what was actually happening on the field. So, agreed SABR does have a place in the game. But, the Dodgers FO’s failure to use it as a tool and instead use it as a be all end all (until they don’t). I’m a common sense guy and the way the team is being managed by the FO and Roberts just makes no sense.

Agree with AC that sabermetrics is a necessary tool, but not just the only one.

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I don’t have a lot of suggestions at this time, except that I would like to see Verdugo in the lineup everyday, and hope that everyone else rises to the occasion. But win or lose, I believe that the Dodgers will have to make changes in the roster going forward.

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Also wish that I didn’t have to re-enter my name and email address everytime I post, be it on my computer or iphone. Isn’t there a cookie, or whatever that will do that everytime I access this site?

i’m not embarrassed and I’m not ashamed. I’m disappointed and still bitter about how last year ended. we are the dodgers and we never rebuild but winning it all would’ve justified a long-term shift away from free agency and toward development. now we’re back in that “we must win at all costs” mindset and the future and the past are crushing us like a tin can. i think last year was as close to “all-in” as we’ll ever get and if that approach landed us here then we need to seriously reevaluate where we are headed. if the rule you followed led you to this, of what use was the rule.

To fill in the blank…. FO over analyzing and Roberts over managing. Both are epic failures considering the talent we have on this team. A complete embarrassment. If this team isn’t proof SABR is BS then I don’t know what does.

Today needs to be an butt kicking type of win: 10-2 or something. Then get ready to play a good team (seems we tend to get up for the good teams and melt for the weak teams).

It’s nice to see the MILB teams going for the titles. Good wins last night.

Pederson – LF

Turner – 3B

Machado – SS

Muncy – 1B

Grandal – C

Bellinger – CF

Kike’ – 2B

Puig – RF

Stripling – P

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Stripling has pitched 0.1 inning since his August 9 start when he pitched 6.0 innings.

In 1966 the Orioles scouting report said, “The Dodgers can’t hit the fastball”. It was not only true, it was meant as an insult. In 2018 the scouting report says, “The Dodgers can’t hit with runners on base”. It is equally true and equally insulting. I just watched two of the most pathetic examples of this in Cincinnati. It was like watching a Jaguar mauling a fawn. I tried to turn away, but couldn’t. It was awful.

Shake it up? Try this:

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SS Machado

3B Turner

1B Bellinger

RF Puig

LF Pederson

2B Muncy

CF Taylor

C Barnes

Well at least there is some happy news for Dodger fans, even if it comes from minor league playoff victories.

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Tulsa Drillers 3-2 win over San Antonio Missions (SD)

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Keibert Ruiz’s one out single in the bottom of the 10th drove in Gavin Lux with a walk off victory. The Drillers had five singles on the night, but scored their 1st two runs without the benefit of a hit. In the 1st, Lux drew a leadoff walk on 4 pitches, and Drew Jackson replaced Lux with a fielder’s choice force out. Jackson went to 2nd on a wild pitch, to third on a ground out, and scored on another wild pitch. In the 4th, 2 walks and 2 HBP forced in another run.

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Tony Gonsolin had another quality start going the first 6 innings allowing 2 runs (1 earned), on 5 hits and 2 walks, with 3 strikeouts. He did allow a HR from former 1st round draft pick (2016) 3B Hudson Potts. Michael Johnson, Shea Spitzbarth, and Layne Somsen pitched the final four scoreless innings with Somsen getting the victory.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5-4 win over the VIsalia Rawhide (DBacks)

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2B Jared Walker hit a game winning HR in the top of the 9th to give the Quakes the Game 1 victory in the California League Championship. The Quakes fell behind early 3-0, but tied the game with an Ed Yarnall two out

3-run HR in the 5th. A single, an error, and 2 walks gave the Quakes their 4th run in the 6th for a short lived lead. A two out HR by 3B Drew Ellis in the 7th off Parker Curry tied the game before Jared Walker’s 9th inning blast.

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Leo Crawford started, and while not overly sharp, he did go 5 IP allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Yimi Garcia followed and allowed a sole walk, but had 3 strikeouts in his one inning. Dan Jagiello relieved Parker Curry in the 9th to preserve the victory. Curry got the blown save and victory, while Jagiello got the save.

With Pederson’s 20th homer, the Dodgers extended their Los Angeles record streak of homering in consecutive games to 19. The franchise record is 24 in 1953 in Brooklyn.

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The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers repeated as National League champions by posting a 105–49 record, as of 2017, it is the best winning percentage in team history. However, the Dodgers again failed to win the World Series, losing in six games to the New York Yankees.

Owner(s):Walter O’Malley, James & Dearie Mulvey, Mrs. John L. Smith

General manager(s):Buzzie Bavasi

Manager(s):Chuck Dressen

Next 5 games, will they be more of the same or will the Dodgers start a much-needed winning streak? I’m betting on more of the same.

At least we’re not the Phillies.

Col just lost to AZ, s we’re still only 1.5 out.

Underachievers and a FO that was restricted from acquiring some key parts in the off season because of the CBT. Alexander and Koehler are the big BP additions one of which didn’t throw a pitch and one was so-so as an effective piece.

Severe regression by CT3, Bellinger, Wood, KJ, Barnes and key injuries to JT, Kershaw, KJ and Seager all contributed to a underwhelming season to say the least. It’s time to jettison Grandal and put that $16 million somewhere else. Go with a veteran like Ianetta or Lucroy and see if Barnes can rebound and if not bring up Smith or acquire an addtional catching veteran.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kershaw opt out and sign in Texas and I can see Puig, Ryu, Joc, and CT3 all or a combination thereof not be on the team next year. CT3 has no real value but perhaps the FO can find a piece that comes out of nowhere like he did but someone who actually puts the ball in play with some frequency.

I would not bring back Machado back….he seems to be entitled with his half-ass hustle and his lack of clutch hitting. JT, Seager, Hernandez and Cody in the infield, Verdugo, Toles, Kemp and Harper in the OF. Perhaps Hernandez continues to be the “swiss army knife” and the FO gets Lowrie for 2B but it’s time for some fresh pieces.

Dodgerrick your assessment is spot on as usual, I have appreciated your takes on this site as well as others, AC and Mark come to mind. I realize we are all assessing with limited information but I also have watched enough baseball to know they have merit. Even the smartest and most knowledgeable people in the room, FAZ and Robert’s have to believe they have fallen short a lot in the mediocre 2018 National League. I know all the same management characters will be back in 2019, as they fulfilled the only real ultimatums of ownership, stay below the luxury tax and fill the stadium nightly. However as Mark asked earlier I hope fans hold them a little more accountable in 2019 and start adversely affecting the gates and upsetting advertisers by watching a little less.

The questions I have are do they really believe their philosophies are not perfect or will they just believe this season was a statistical anomaly, not soon repeated. A season that was just marred by injuries and bad luck. I hope not or 2019 will likely be a repeat.

Wake up FAZ, wake up Robert’s, you have been outhistled, out worked and out thought by teams with less resources and far less talent. Please evolve no one this site is getting any younger, we all deserve at least one more 1988 before we move on.

I keep beating the drum for the reasons that the Dodgers have underachieved this season. Yes, I believe that they have underachieved. If you look at the talent on this team they should win more games then they have. But as they say, they play the games on the field, not on paper.

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1 – Many Dodgers had career years last season. Jansen, Bellinger, Wood, maybe Puig, Taylor all played over their heads last season. You can’t build a team assuming that all players will replicate their best seasons. Players with track records, like Kershaw, you count on year after year. Guys like Taylor had nothing in their careers to suggest they would re-create 2017 annually. That’s not to say that they won’t, but you can’t bank on it.

2 – The Dodger way of building a bullpen, which is putting together a group of previously unsuccessful pitchers and assuming that enough of them will be good that you will have a bullpen at the end of the season, is designed to lay an egg 50% of the time. Other than 2017, the Dodgers’ bullpens have been mediocre.

3 – Homer-happy platooning has resulted in one of the most inconsistent offenses in baseball. There is a reason that the Dodgers lead the NL in run differential and are 4th in MLB – they can’t score a run if they need to in a close game. Between the bad bullpen and the inconsistent offense, they win the blowouts and lose the close ones. They can’t hit in the clutch, they don’t play the hot hitter, and they don’t play their best players. Their approach with 2 strikes and with RISP is to try to hit a HR every time.

4 – They play the way the computer tells them to play. That makes them predictable – everyone has the same computer. They don’t take chances that might lead to extra runs – no hit and run, no SB, nothing that the computer doesn’t say.

5 – Their defensive efficiency is not what it was last year. Too many bad plays, errors, and missed opportunities with the leather.

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Things have to change next season. The manager and many coaches have to go. (I doubt they will, but they should.) The Braintrust needs new computers, or they have to back off and let the manager manage. They need to get rid of 1/2 of the ‘pen and get some decent relievers. They need to put more emphasis on bat to ball skills and bench or trade the strikeout happy guys.

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I have more to say, but that’s it on short notice.

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By the way – if they can’t beat the likes of the Reds and Mets, they don’t deserve to go to the post-season anyway.

Thanks Mark, as usual your timing is on point, wanted to throw up after hearing another Robert’s. sugercoat postgame. They are chokers and underachievers, is anybody of importance calling them out, likely not.

Not even a thought of an adjustment in the box, but why would there be when there is no adjustments from leadership. Just the same old numberes game.

Numbers are not a predictor of urgency, or heart. St. Louis series likely the end.

… Maybe I’m just getting too old for this.

Sad moment for Dodgers fun. I am praying to Arizona win. I INSIST MAYBE THIS TEAM IS NOT AS GOOD AS WE WANT TO…….DO YOU REMEMBER THATS extraining game in PHILADELPHIA?

Straight H2O.

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This is just crap.

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No urgency…

Which Scotch are you partaking in this evening?

Feel better!!!!