I Am Certain of Nothing, But Remain Hopeful

Thanks for hanging in there Mark, it’s hard to be positive when it snowballs like this. There was no logical reason for Chatwood to become Sherzer yesterday but the Dodger bats did nothing and made a struggling pitcher look like an All Star. Today Maeda goes against someone named Stratton and the match up favors the Blue. This has been a consistent pattern: the match up favors the Dodgers in every way and they still lose. A month ago it was the opposite, they were winning games they were supposed to lose. Both winning and losing are contagious and Lady Momentum can be very fickle. I think Roberts has learned his lesson and then I see a grand slam like yesterday when Buehler needed a hook. And Darvish too before the go ahead runs were allowed Fri. Roberts is still not managing to win in every situation, from lineups to pinch hitting to bunting and small ball to bullpen usage and starting rotation.

–

This crap needs to stop TODAY, and if the team can’t get up mentally to knock off the hated and despised Giants against someone named Stratton then every veteran in the clubhouse needs to man up and accept responsibility for a record setting slump on the heels of a record setting streak. This goes for the hitters who are leaving RISP and to the starters who seem to begin every game putting the team in a hole. I give the bullpen a pass, they have done their job for the most part during this losing streak.

–

The lone bright spot the last two days has been Ethier and Verdugo. Please stop the Grandy/Joc nonsense and gives these 2 a shot, lord knows the team needs a spark.

Fresh off proudly watching my Trojans trounce the Stanford Cardinal the night before, I thought that I would take a chance, throw caution to the wind and go to a Dodger game while I was still in LA. Things just did not go as well as they did for me at the Coliseum. Saturday night was electric. The fans were into the game from the tailgate parties thru the final whistle. There was booing, but it was at the referees, not any of the players, and certainly none of the Trojans. But Sunday in Chavez was devoid of energy. It was listless. Not just from the dugout, but also from the stands. Just like Pac 12 football is not the SEC from a crazed fan standpoint, LA baseball is not NY, or Boston, or Philly, or Chicago. But there has to be some emotion, doesn’t there?

.

I got to see Walker Buehler, and while I think he is going to be special, he is just not ready. It was like he was afraid to throw a strike, and then he had to. In a 2-0 game, you do not let a kid stay out on the mound facing a ML power hitter with the bases loaded…it’s just not going to end well. My buddy, who is a Giants fan, even questioned before pitching to Reynolds, “is your team just giving up? If that kid is so good, why would they let him pitch to Reynolds in that situation?” If they are losing 8-0, fine, but 2-0?” I could not answer. Contrary to some, Buehler was not auditioning for a reliever spot. He has pitched less than 100 professional innings. He is there for the experience, and this experience was not needed. All rookies go thru this, so Buehler will bounce back. I got to see O’Koyea Dickson play LF, and that was special for me. Dickson reminds me of someone who grew up in our home. Plus I picked a good day to wear my #16 jersey. I picked that jersey because it will be the last time I will ever get to see Andre Ethier play as a Dodger. I was proud and sad at the same time.

.

On our flight home, I was talking with my friend about the true genesis of this slide, and it seems that Rich Hill’s no hitter that wasn’t started the offensive pressing; not being able to drive a meaningful run home in a critical situation. But for me the real genesis was September 2 and that DH in SD. That is when Watford’s adrenaline went bye-bye for the team. All the words and rhetoric in the world will not fool people who saw those lineups and knew that Doc was treating those games as ST. Rest the players? Sure, but one at a time. You want Maeda to pitch every 6 days? Okay, but leave Kershaw, Darvish, and Hill on “normal” rest. These are veteran pitchers that have between game routines that are now thrown off. Why are you experimenting in the middle of a season when you have not won anything yet?

.

All that being said, I still believe in this team, and do believe they will win the WS this year. I think it is okay to question management. I have been called a “Homer”, “Pollyanna”, “Sunshine Pumper”, and every other comparable name (and that is from my Trojan family). But I have never been called a fair weather fan or someone jumping on and off the bandwagon (except when it comes to the Lakers, but that’s another story). I live and die by “My Dodgers” and “My Trojans”. Of course you set yourself up for ridicule from others, but I proudly wear that. I think it is okay to question management. Employees do it on their job, so why can’t fans of sports teams? Employees question me all the time, and I encourage it. If you have to justify an action, reasons become more clear. Some just like to be negative, and I accept that, and I do not question their sincerity for loving their team. But then there are the “I told you so” fans. You should not be allowed to have it both ways. Those that are questioning the makeup of the team (not decisions or strategy) are setting themselves up for just that. When the Dodgers win, they will be the first to say, “I knew this was the year”. But if by some chance the Dodgers do not win, those same fans will be quick to say, “I told you they could not do it with the players they have.” I have been fortunate to see 5 WS champions in 9 WS as a LA Dodger fan in their first 31 years in LA. I have been fortunate to attend a WS game in each of those WS years. And I got to watch with absolute pride my son’s first ML team win the WS championship in 2004 at Game 4 in St. Louis, Boston’s first since 1918. And I have suffered through the last 29 years with no WS appearances for the Dodgers. And I look forward to seeing at least one game in the LA Dodgers 10th WS, and 6th WS Championship in 2017.

.

So bring on the Giants, and let’s end this miserable last two weeks.

.

Now for some good news, Dennis Santana and Erick Mejia led the Tulsa Drillers to their Divisional playoff victory in Game 5 by beating the NW Arkansas Travelers (KC) 6-1. Santana pitched seven scoreless innings allowing 3 hits, 2 walks and 11 K’s, while Mejia went 2-3 with a double, HR, and 3 RBI’s. The Drillers will now face the Midland Rock Hounds (Oakland) for the Texas League Championship, and will undoubtedly get to face old friend Grant Holmes.

.

The Ogden Raptors won Game 1 of their best 2 of 3 series against the Orem Owlz (Angels), 9-4. Osiris Ramirez started and went 5, allowing 0 runs on 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3K’s. Donovan Casey led the 14 hit attack going 3-5. Romer Cuadrado, Luiz Paz, Brayan Morales, Gersel Pitre, and Kevin Lachance each had 2 hits. Paz and Mitch Hansen both hit HR’s for the Raptors. The Raptors play game 2 tonight and game 3 (if necessary ) tomorrow.