For the record, Dave Roberts is the NL Manager of the Year in my book. The Dodgers lost 2,266 days to the IL disbursed through 29 players. That is the most in baseball. The Angels were close with 2,186 days, and the Yankees lost 2,106 days. The Braves and the Marlins lost 1,658 days and 1,584 days, respectively. Arizona lost 1,099 days to the IL. The Reds lost 1,950 days, and the Brewers lost 1,525 days. I mention those teams because the Manager of the Year discussions also involve those teams.
Essentially, Dave Roberts lost his entire starting rotation and had to balance using rookies and utility players. At one point in their game on June 17, the Dodgers had five rookies on the field – Bobby Miller, James Outman, Michael Busch, Miguel Vargas, and Jonny DeLuca. They have used at least 11 rookies this season. So Dave Roberts has had to juggle the lineup often based upon what rookie or utility player he had at his beck and call. Top that off with the fact that many Dodger fans had low expectations for this team anyway.
Yet, with four games to go, here they sit with 98 wins – and the chance to hit 100 wins again. – the second-best in the National League, with just four games to go. 100 wins seems very likely, as I know they want to finish strong. Best of all, the Clowns down the freeway are dead and buried. Their President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, AJ Preller, is on the hot seat, but it is probably in the Dodgers’ best interests that he stays- they could actually hire someone who is better! Their two-time cancer survivor owner, Peter Seidler had another surgery and looks very unhealthy, but we wish him nothing but good. Godspeed, Peter!
However, I digress. What I don’t like about Dave Roberts is that he doesn’t have his pitchers throw enough “chin music!” Here is a baseball poem – An Ode to Baseball which embodies what Chin Music is all about:
Play ball!
— J.W. Steinberg, 2018
I believe in the thud of a fastball smacking into a weary, leathered mitt softened by tobacco juice.
I see fingers flashing signs. Not for gas. Not this time.
And the pitcher, one of the immortals with a magician’s touch—like Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, or Jim Palmer—spins a curveball that gyrates on a wild trajectory to flummoxed deities.
Legends like Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, or Mickey Mantle, impatiently statuesque in the box, their bats ready to burst like champagne corks as the red-threaded orb twists and feints and swivels its way toward them.
And then, a whoosh, a whisper, a gust of wind worthy of a hurricane, and the finality of a cowhide whomp. The umpire, seeing this, swings out his fist, stabs the aura, and barks, Strike three.
Innings later, a reprise.
Roberto Clemente, Stan “The Man” Musial or Reggie Jackson digs in again while the pitcher, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver or Don Drysdale eyes him warily.
timeless beauty. Their bodies synchronized. Eyes ablaze.
The pitcher swings into a balletic motion of furious intent, as the batter waggles ash over his shoulder.
An arm hurtles forward in a violent spasm and the ethereal orb slices through expectations.
And then a split-second later insinuates itself. A split-fingered fastball? A slider? A screwball? The batter ponders the question being asked.
And then, an answer.
A fastball high and tight. The sweet sounds of chin music whistles past the ear of history, as it has so many times before. A classic piece of pitching.
The body understands up and in as it arches backwards, before collapsing into the brown dirt with a thud of relief even as the wooden cudgel flies off to the side, like a bunt driven into the dust.
Rising to his feet, the batter’s eyes scream at the pitcher: Do you hold these truths of the high hard one to be self-evident?
The pitcher smirks.
The batter collects himself and shakes dirt off his uniform as the pitcher stares in and murmurs:
I pledge allegiance to the history of location, movement and velocity. To the timeless mythology of balls and strikes, done the American way. And to the ninth inning. The final out. The complete game. The national pastime.
I, too, believe in chin music. I think it was Casey Stengel who said, “If you hit ourine, we’ll hit urine!! I’m not sure the grammar was correct. Now, I am not advocating “beanballs” and drilling batters in the head (the butt maybe), but when other teams are pitching your hitters inside (for competitive reasons), you have to do the same. Here are a couple of guys who were not afraid to do so:
Over the course of this season, I have seen other teams pitch the Dodgers inside and even occasionally hit a Dodger player. It may not have been with the intent to hit the player, but it was to send a message “Don’t dig in against me!” Sometimes you have to send the message to the other team, “Don’t hit our guys or we will hit yours! It’s that simple, and Doc needs to do it more. He’s a nice guy, but this is just how the game should be played. No Karens, please! That’s all! I am done!
Dodger News & Notes
- Max Muncy is playing in the Arizona Fall League with a bunch of Rookies and he is playing SS. Yes, the Las Vegas A’s Max Muncy!
- Ronan Kopp, LHP is also playing in the AFL .Kopp was a junior college standout who used the 2021 Draft Combine to really improve his stock, allowing him to land in Round 12 to the Dodgers that summer. He’s been missing bats since, striking out 14.5 per nine in his career to date, including 13.3 per nine in High-A this year. The stuff will no doubt play, but the 6-foot-7 lefty will need to work on his strike-throwing (6.2 BB/9) as he moves up the ladder. If he can cut the walks in half, he will be in LA next year!
- OKC Dodgers – From MLB.com’s Ben Weinrib: The Oklahoma City Dodgers roster has undergone a lot of change throughout the 2023 season. Key players have been promoted to the Majors, and some have returned. But all of that big-game experience paid off as the Triple-A club swept the best-of-3 Pacific Coast League Championship Series against the Round Rock Express with a 5-2 win on Wednesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. In doing so, the Dodgers secured their first championship since moving to Oklahoma City in 2015. Top Dodgers prospects who spent significant time in Los Angeles this year played a big role in the title-winning game. Infielder Michael Busch continued to swing the bat well with the decisive three-run homer, and starter Gavin Stone struck out 10 across 6 1/3 innings to earn the win. “I’m sure it’s hard for some guys, once you go up and you pitch in front of 50,000 people, to come back down to Triple-A and have that same type of adrenaline,” Oklahoma City manager Travis Barbary said. “But last night, Kyle Hurt, and tonight, Gavin Stone, these guys wanted it. It’s just fun to watch.” Outfielder Jonny DeLuca, who had two stints in Los Angeles this season, got the scoring started with a 433-foot two-run homer in the second inning. And after the Express clawed back a run in the fourth, it was no surprise who extended the Dodgers’ lead. Busch has been Oklahoma City’s big hitter all season, despite missing time with three brief appearances in the bigs. The second-ranked Dodgers prospect (MLB No. 44) hit .323/.431/.618 and finished fourth in the PCL with 27 homers, including three in his last four regular-season games. That hot bat carried over to the playoffs, where he launched a crucial moonshot in the fifth. “[Busch] has been awesome. He’s so fun to watch play every day,” Barbary said. “He comes and prepares as good as anyone I’ve been around. He’s just a steadying influence on this team. His presence in the lineup means so much to everyone on this club. To see him come through there and put us up with a three-run homer, 5-1 at the time, was just huge. So happy for him. He’s had an amazing year, not only here but making his debut this year in L.A. It’s been a fun year being able to watch him play baseball every day.” Oklahoma City will have one more chance to show how its Major League experience pays off as the team heads to Las Vegas for the Triple-A National Championship Game on Saturday against the winner of the International League. But for now, the team is reveling in an accomplishment not achieved by an Oklahoma City team since 1996. “They’re extremely excited,” Barbary said. “The guys are popping champagne and celebrating. It’s a pretty big deal to win this league. After 150 games, winning these first two games of the playoffs are a special moment for all of these guys. Super excited. I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Discussion (23)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Ryder Cup has started well
Great move by Cora the other night to get JT some love from Boston fans! Incredible year by an incredible person! Thanks for the memories JT!
Cubs lose. Marlins rain delay. SD hanging on by thread
Just get ready for the playoffs and be healthy!
I don’t understand leaving a pitcher in the game to give up 9 runs at this point in the season at Coors field. Especially one who is expected to be a key pitcher in the playoffs. Hopefully Yarbrough comes back strong in the playoffs.
Meaningless game so they pull Freddie and Mookie.
Yarborough’s stuff may not play well in Colorado.
But whatever, let’s win 9-7
I do not like Yarbrough as a starter.
JDM wasted little time in getting his 100th RBI.
Remember when many of you wanted two of the four 100 RBI “Butter and Egg Men” deep-sixed?
Me either!
Cleveland Guardians Bob?
Bear made a comment above that he saw a story saying that Preller and Melvin would be staying around at least through next year. I don’t think that’s completely accurate.
Seidler would like them both to stay, but management, including the other owners, is having a meeting right after the season to further discuss the situation. I’ve read where Melvin and Preller are not on the same path, and although I’m sure Preller won’t leave unless he’s fired, I could definitely see Melvin quitting. Between the disconnect with Preller and the players he has to babysit in that clubhouse, why go through the agony? If he quit on Monday, he’d have multiple job offers by Tuesday.
8:40 PM ET
Dodgers (98-60)
Rockies (57-101)
SP Ryan Yarbrough L
8-6 3.78 ERA
SP Chris Flexen R
1-8 7.01 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
2B Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
3B Max Muncy L
DH J. Martinez R
RF J. Heyward L
SS Chris Taylor R
LF D. Peralta L
CF E. Hernandez R
C A. Barnes R
81° Wind 10 mph R-L
The legacy of Cowboy Joe West lives on ! Angel CB and so on. Either hold umpires accountable (get rid of a few of them) or let’s get some robotic stuff out there! Some of these guys aren’t fit for high school!
This is not really a post about the Dodgers but it is a comment regarding the poor umpiring we frequently discuss. A huge game last night in Seattle with the Asstros. Larry Vanover had the dish and he was absolutely terrible. Both ways. It started on the first pitch to Altuve. A center cut fastball was called a ball. The world paused for a couple of seconds as everybody tried to process what they just saw. And it went downhill from there. He had Framer Valdez so flummoxed by the strike zone, he was blowing a gasket that took mound visits to calm him down. I’ve lost lots of faith in the accuracy of the Umpire Scorecard. It had ole Larry missing 13 pitches. It was twice that.
The Asstros again live up to their name. For reasons unknown, Hector Neri’s pursued Julio Rodriguez after he struck out and was headed to his dugout. Neris shouting obscenities in Spanish as he walked directly toward J-Rod, causing the benches to clear. H should have been thanking J-Rod as he struck out 4 times in a critical game. A look back in video history revealed no reason for the action. Typical bullshit from this team. Much like the Padres. Too many hot heads,Hot Dog, shit-talking, “me first” guys on both teams.
Dad, I see Yarbrough in a piggy-back role in the playoffs. Never say never as he might have a place in short relief in a very specific circumstance. Like coming in after a hard throwing RHP like Sheehan, Graterol or Kelly. Neither Vesia nor Fergie dominate LHB but Vesia has been much better of late in the season. I trust him way more then Fergie. One things for sure, Fergie’s days as an opener are finished. I hope.
I liked Mark’s speculation yesterday regarding possible piggy-back combos.
CK and Sheehan. Emmitt is very good against LHB so facing a left handed stacked line up might be ideal but his stuff plays well after CK’s 88-89 and breaking balls.
We’ve seen Pepiot and Yarbrough before and it works. Again 2 completely different looks.
Lynn scares me despite the fact that I love his competitive spirit. But homers concern me. It’s sorta tough to say when he gets in a jam, it’s a quick hook. But a harmless blooper, a walk sets up the sudden 3 run homer before you know it. But Lynn and Johnny Wholestaff seem to me the third option.
Trout could take a detour to Los Angeles, just saying. Lot’s of media giving the Phillies big love! It’s almost like they’re in first and the Braves are in second. Bryce Harper has become a media darling these days! But in my humble opinion, if Nick Castelanos is as hot in the playoffs as he’s been in the regular season, he’s the key to Phillies success. He’s actually become a decent right fielder also. 3 straight excellent performances from the fuzz brigade! These young guys are really blossoming right in front of our eyes! Grove looks good out of the bullpen too! Heck, Lynn might not get a start in these playoffs. But I have one burning question. With Ferguson struggling, and Vesia being an unknown, does Yarbrough become a late inning weapon or still part of a piggyback situation? I like a possible Brewers matchup except for one thing. Miley scares me. They have the three righties at the top. And they are very good. But I like the Dodgers better against righties. Do the Brewers use Miley in game 2 especially if they steal game one? I know the dodgers have been better this year against lefties, but Miley has had a good year and LA can struggle against southpaws. Just wondering. If the Cubs hold on and somehow beat the Brewers, Justin Steel awaits!
I think if SD wins their last three games and Marlins, Reds and Cubs lose all their games SD makes the postseason.
There was a story on MLBTR the other day. It said the Padres want to get their payroll down to about 200 million. Bodes ill for Soto. Looks like Pads won’t be re-signing him anytime soon. It also means that if they trade someone like Tatis, they are not going to pick up a large part of the tab. Story yesterday said Preller and Melvin are staying on at least through 24. A lot of rumors surrounding Mike Trout too. Even if he does get moved, it won’t be to the Dodgers. Moreno is not going to do anything that makes the Dodgers more attractive than his team. Dodgers still considered as the front runner to sign Ohtani. Now many fans might feel differently about it and do not want to sign him at what he will cost. But most of the so-called experts say it is really just a question of the Dodgers or the Mets.
Would Sandy Koufax be as dominant as a pitcher if he were pitching today? Why or why not?
Here’s the answer from Stan Greenspan, which I think is the best answer yet:
“I don’t think Sandy Koufax would be that dominant a pitcher today. The game has changed quite a bit. This is really a home run era, and with the amount of interleague play, the lack of “protection” for pitchers, and rules that have put the hitter to the advantage. Not to mention greater travel – more back-to-back series rather than days off for travel.
That’s not to say he could not be effective, it’s just that at 85 years old, he might not have the stamina he once had to go the full nine innings each and every game.”
Alex Cora did a nice thing for JT Last Night:
https://x.com/Jared_Carrabis/status/1707181778484494581?s=20
Will the Red Sox exercise his $6.7 Million buyout?
The bigger question is would the Dodgers re-sign him if they did?
It might only cost another $6-8 Million ($6.7 buyout + whatever the Dodgers pay him).
Max and JT would make a nice DH tandem!
I thought JT was done last year, but JDM is the one breaking down.
Nice job by Sheehan last night. Made two bad pitches and that was it. Nice to see Freddie pay them back for hitting him twice. The kids have looked good. I am a lot less concerned going into the playoffs with these guys than I was about a month ago. Pep, Miller and Sheehan, all set career high’s in K’s in a game this week. That is so cool.
Koufax actually did not like pitching inside. He was afraid he would hurt someone. Part of the Marichal-Roseboro incident was because Marichal was buzzing the tower of some Dodger players, and Rosey, who knew of Sandy’s tendency to not retaliate, buzzed Marichal’s ear with his throw back to Koufax and that set Juan off. Drysdale on the other hand would have as they say, hit his own mother if she dug in on him.
The Dodger organization is very smart in scouting,drafting, and signing pitchers that are of MLB caliber It allows their coaches to develop and have a pipeline of pitchers which is happening now that are performing extremely well at the Major League level. Signing free agent pitchers from other organizations to long term contracts for big money is not the way to go and usually winds up badly.