It Ain't Over
I’ll deal with whatever happens after it happens. I know the Dodgers could be swept, and most of you think that will happen. I also know that they could win out. It’s hard to hold out that hope right about now, but it is still within the realm of probability. Many Dodger fans…
I’ll deal with whatever happens after it happens. I know the Dodgers could be swept, and most of you think that will happen. I also know that they could win out. It’s hard to hold out that hope right about now, but it is still within the realm of probability. Many Dodger fans are blaming Andrew Friedman, Dave Roberst, Robert Van Socyoc, and anyone else who moves for being down 0-2 to the Diamondbacks. Feel free to blame someone – that is what we do. We attach blame to every damn thing. It’s somebody’s fault! Hang the MF!
By the way, RVS’s star pupil (JDM) is the only Dodger who is hitting. If the Dodgers are going to win Mookie, Freddie, and Max are going to have to hit their way out of the wet paper bag they are in. Someone said they are tired. Hell, they had a week off. They should be fresh as a daisy. You can rest in the offseason. Man up! It’s win or go home.
If life were only that simple! Some morons are saying that Andrew Friedman does not know how to build a pitching staff. There is no dumbass vaccine! Like he should have known that his former 20-game and 17-game winner would pitch like crap and then take it out on his wife. He should have known that Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May were going to have to have their arms surgically repaired and that Ryan Pepiot would miss most of the season with an “oblique injury.” He did build the best bullpen in baseball despite a boatload of injuries. You have to be a lunatic not to understand that when you sign a long-term deal with any starting pitcher, you are playing Russian Roulette. The Mets signed two of the best starters available (Scherzer and Verlander), and how did that end up? Cohen is still choking on the money he had to cough up.
Maybe he should have signed Tyler Anderson again, but the fact of the matter is that if you look at last year’s starting pitcher free agents, most were flat-out busts, including the pitcher formerly known as Thor. Ohtani’s arm already blew out (again). Look at the LIST: Do Sonny Gray (age 34), and Jordon Montgomery (age 31). Marcus Stroman, Alex Wood, et all inspire confidence… right? There are pitchers who have had Tommy John (once, twice, or more) and those who will. The Nats signed Stephen Strasburg for a billion dollars, and he effectively never pitched again, being a boat anchor on the team’s ability to move forward.
I went back and looked at some recent history in the playoffs and World Series. I can see some patterns. It is harder to get to the World Series than ever, but one thing is certain: you have to get out of the Division Series in order to advance. Even Ray Charles can see that!
2014- The last time the Giants won the World Series, they played as a Wild Card, beating the Pirates in a single Wild Card Game. They then beat the Reds three games to two in the NLDS and the Cardinals four games to three before sweeping the World Series. Madison Bumgarner was out of his mind, pitching 53 innings in the playoffs.
2017 – The Astros won the AL Division Series over the Red Sox three games to one. Then they beat the Yankees four games to three and finally beat the Dodgers to win the World Series four games to three. It is established that they cheated in every series along that journey.
2018 – The Red Sox were a juggernaut and played only three teams to win the World Series. They lost just one game in each series. There were rumors of cheating, but nothing was established.
2019 – The Washington Nationals won the World Series. They were the Wild Card and beat Milwaukee in the Wild Card (one game). They then played the Dodgers in the Division Series and beat them three games to two. Next, they swept the Cardinals four straight games and advanced to the World Series which they won four games to three over the Astros. They rode Stephen Strasburg so hard that he has never pitched again.
2020 – The Dodgers won the World Series for the only time in history that a team has had to play four rounds in order to win. There was no Wild Card Game. Instead, it was a three-game series, which the Dodgers won 2-0. They then beat the Padres 3-0 in the Division Series and the Braves 4-3 in the Championship Series. They finally beat the Rays four games to two. Some people think that this was somehow tainted, but the fact of the matter is that with four rounds, it was the most difficult.
2021 – The Braves won the World Series after beating the Brewers three games to one in the NLDS and the Dodgers four games to two in the NLCS. They went on to beat the Astros four games to two in the World Series.
2022 – The Astros won the World Series four games to two, after sweeping the ALDS and the ALCS. What is notable is that they did it with a 39-year-old pitcher and four youngsters. One was 28, another was 27, and two more were 25.
The times, they are a changing. The Wild Card round was initially introduced in 2012 as a single-game playoff between two wild-card teams in each league, with the winner advancing to the Division Series. With the adoption of MLB’s new collective bargaining agreement in November 2011, baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced that a new playoff system would begin within the next two years; the change was ultimately implemented in 2012. Under the format adopted in 2022, the Wild Card game became a “best of three series.” The Division Series is a best of five, with the Championship Series being a best of seven.
As we know, this means that the division winners have up to a week off before having to play a best-of-five series with the Wild Card Winner. The Dodgers came out flat last year against the Padres, and they appear to be doing the same this year… but as we all know, it is not over. Back in the day, a team played the regular season, and then the two League Winners played the World Series. It’s a lot more difficult now with all of the rounds that have to be played. However, none are as difficult as 2020 due to the extra round. Also, remember that the Asstros cheated their ass off in 2017 and stole a title that should have been the Dodgers.
I don’t know who will show up tonight – we know that the Dodgers can hit, but will they? You can talk about the pitching all you want, but with even a little hitting, the series should be 1-1. A lot of you are talking about pitching, but who would you get: Dotel? A lot of you wanted him. How did that work out? The long-term answer is to sign an occasional free agent, make an occasional trade and grow your own, which is exactly what Andrew Friedman is doing.
Next year, Walker Buehler will be back to go with Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, Nick Frasso and others. They do need a lefty, but I doubt Kershaw is the one. You just have to understand that most of the pitchers who will be on the market are ticking arm bombs – Signing a free-agent pitcher is truly a crapshoot!
Arizona Fall League
Yenier Fernandez continues to shine with a .353 BA and a 1.182 OPS. I do not believe he has caught a game as he is playing 2B and SS exclusively. Jake Pilarski pitched an inning yesterday and struck out two while walking none and not allowing a hit. Here’s what MLB says about Fernandez:
An infielder/pitcher on Venezuela’s 2015 Little League World Series team, Fernandez later moved behind the plate and developed into one of the best catchers in the 2019 international class. Signed for $717,500, he had his pro debut delayed a year by the pandemic and came to the United States in 2021, when he hit .355/.414/.488 and reached Single-A at age 18. He had to share time at that level last season with Diego Cartaya and Dalton Rushing, but showed his versatility by playing a nice second base while finishing sixth in the California League batting race at .292.
— MLB.com
Fernandez has an unusual profile for a catcher, with his hitting ability his standout tool and his athleticism outshining his physicality. A right-handed hitter, he recognizes pitches, manages the strike zone and puts the bat on the ball more easily than most players his age. He won’t ever be a slugger, but he did drive the ball in the air more frequently last season and has a quick, compact swing that could translate into 12-15 homers per season if he gets stronger.
Close to an average runner, Fernandez is quicker than most backstops and moves well behind the plate. He continues to improve his receiving and blocking with experience and his fringy arm strength plays up a tick thanks to his fast release and accuracy. He can develop into an average defender as a catcher and also handles second base well, a la Dodgers backup Austin Barnes, and there are scouts who think Fernandez might have more upside at the latter position.
More on Trevor Bauer
Finally, Trevor Bauefr has been exonerated! Period. Imagine how the team would look with him as a starter! The media has portrayed him as an asshole, and baseball players are fearful of being associated with him because of how all of this was handled… rather”Mis-handled!” The media mob is very effective at making you believe the narrative they propound. Sometimes it is true, Oft times it is a damned lie! Here’s more video about the scumbag who accused him:
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Discussion (137)
Disagree, not disagreeable
It’s all good guys we won 100 games!!
One amazing fact is that Dave Roberts winning percentage as a manager is .630 – the best in the history of MLB managers. And he has won 100 games in 5 of his 8 seasons – only 2 managers in MLB history have 6 100 win seasons. The Dodgers have won the NL West in 10 of the last 11 seasons – and the one year they didn’t win they won 106 games (Giants won 107 that year). And the Dodgers run of being in the post season for 11 consecutive seasons is the 3rd longest streak in MLB history. Obviously, that speaks volumes about the organization. Yet, outside of Covid-shortened 2020, every October has been heartbreaking during those 11 seasons.
Rest assured fans, there will be some changes made this winter. Several players on this team will not return. I doubt they pick up Lynn’s option. Heyward has the best chance of being resigned. Peralta, Rosario, and Wong are pretty much gone. The bull pen will have some returnees. Brasier, Graterol, Phillips for sure. They have an option on Kelly, 9.5 million. That is fairly cheap for a pitcher with his experience. But there is a one million dollar buy out.
The one player who has his future totally in his own hands is Kershaw. Say what you will, AF will let Kersh make up his own mind as to whether he returns, retires or goes elsewhere for 24. The starting pitchers already on the roster who will be at Camelback come February, Buehler, Miller, Pepiot, Sheehan and Stone. Gonsolin and May will not be back next year.
So, they will either promote some guys who were at AA and AAA this season to join these guys, or they will check the free-agent list and see who fits their needs. They will need a lefty if Kersh moves on. I believe they need one even if he stays. The best will probably be Jordan Montgomery. Yarbrough is arbitration eligible, so the Dodgers might retain him as a long man or as a piggyback starter.
Lux will be back; Busch and Vargas once again will be the team’s top position rookies. Vargas has passed the rookie threshold, as has Busch. I know this might be unpopular with some, but I do not bring back Max Muncy. Even as a DH. His strikeouts went up for the third straight season. Watching Muncy flail away, homer or walk, is just not entertaining or very good baseball.
Re-set. And do a total re-set. Move Mookie to the infield permanently. There are going to be a ton of free agent outfielders. Deluca will get a good look this spring, see if he is one of those solid contact hitters this team lacks. I put Mookie at SS. Rojas is under contract for another year, so use him in the role he was acquired for, a backup SS. Lux can play second. He has showed that.
Give Vargas the first shot at third, if he does not cut it, then try Busch. Better yet, let them fight it out in spring. Loser gets traded. Taylor will stay since it is doubtful anyone wants to trade for that contract. Kike is gone again, and even though I like Barnes as a person, as a back up catcher, he is abysmal.
I am way too old and have seen this kind of thing way too many times to be upset. The blame is team wide. It was a total team loss. It is on the front office, the coaches, the manager, and the players. They did what they have done for the last 11 years. They played very well during the regular season, giving fans hope for a Championship.
Then fans get the rug pulled out from underneath them with mediocre, or in this case, very bad baseball played in the postseason. If the Diamondbacks can pull off the full miracle and win the World Series, they would accomplish what the Dodgers did in 2020. They would win four series and 13 games to become the Champs. Phillies have that chance too if they dump the Braves.
Your stars perform like scrubs, you are not going to win. Mookie, ofer, Freddie with one hit, and that is a dubious description of his one hit. The pitcher was late covering first. The team that had great at bats during the season, running up pitch counts and waiting for a hittable pitch, took the other route and was overly aggressive resulting in low pitch counts and a ton of atem balls.
No, I am not upset one bit. I was more upset when they blew a 2 run lead in the 9th inning of game three in 1962. That was totally demoralizing. This was expected after the first two games were played with not one look of urgency.
Oh well, it took me a good night’s sleep and about an hour to declare “I am over it!”
The Dodgers don’t put food on my table nor do they pay any of my bills so no need to get myself worked up about it.
Change is definitely needed but where that comes from remains to be seen.
I’d say Friedman and Roberts have to be seriously reconsidered. It doesn’t work anymore. I have never seen a team so unprepared for 2 years in a row.
Football season is officially here.
I will still be an avid reader on this site but I won’t post much until 2024, the offseason is not as fun for me as the regular season. I will pop in and say hi around the holidays but otherwise, sayonara my fellow posters.
Well, get ready for another year of having sunshine blown up our @sses, in the form of :
1. It’s almost impossible to win a WS, so don’t be disappointed after a postseason collapse.
2. Achieving 100 regular season wins exempts management from criticism for abject failure in the playoffs.
3. Incomprehensible managerial decisions never result in a team losing games. Only players lose games.
This year’s postseason was supposed to make us forget last year’s postseason fiasco. Unfortunately this year’s postseason fiasco actually achieved that, making this one of the most memorable postseason collapses in MLB History.
There should be a three run rule in the playoffs. If a pitcher gives up three homers in one inning, his team’s manager MUST give him the hook. That rule would relieve any Manager of the responsibility, in the event that he was brain dead on a respirator.
Get 2 star outfielders that can hit both RHP and LHP to go along with Outman as starters. Dump Peralta and Heyward.
Put Betts at SS and Busch at 2B. Dump Rojas.
Dump Barnes and bring up Feduccia.
Try to keep Martinez as DH, if not then move Muncy to DH and get a star 3B.
Use DeLuca as a back up outfielder/pinch hitter.
Use Lux as a back up infielder/pinch hitter.
Use Taylor as a back up infielder and outfielder/pinch hitter.
There’s your 13 position players.
Get a star starting pitcher to go with Beuhler, Miller, Pepiot, Sheehan. Stone is an option and May and Gonsolin are too if healthy.
Keep Phillips, Brasier, S. Miller, Graterol and clean out the rest of the relievers from this year. Get another dominant reliever. Treinen, D. Hudson, Feyereisen, Reyes are options if healthy.
This is all if possible.
WTF !!!!!!
Didn’t really expect to beat the D backs in a five-game series with our pitching staff. But I sure thought our offense would show up and not embarrass the great Dodger name.
Losing is one thing, but getting Punked? I understand it from a pitching perspective we didn’t have much. But our offense should be ashamed to look in the mirror.
Players that will be back in Dodger Blue next year.
Freeman
Betts
Outman
Heyward
Muncy
Kiki Hernandez
Miller
Sheehan
Stone
Pepiot
Grateoal
Phillips
Smith
Rojas
Ferguson
Miller
Yarbough
All other players will be free agent signings or trades. And Busch or Vargas oh please we need guys that can hit on a regular bases. Get rid of Taylor Peralta Barnes Kershaw are all gone Lynn and the guy in the bullpen that where’s the funny glasses get a manager who fires up this team. Walt Weiss was mentioned or a veteran guy look at the Phillies guy back to back years he wins in playoffs. Right now the best lineup for the dodgers would be move Lux to center field move Outman to Leftfielder to play every day being Kiki back to play every where sign heyward as the other outfielder and Deluca move Betts to second base Rojas at short stop Freeman at center field and you go get Arenado to be the third baseman and Smith at catcher. Bring up a young catcher to back up Smith so he doesn’t get worn down by playoff time. Sign a veteran pitcher to go with Buehler miller Shehan and Pepiot in the starting rotation Jordan Montgomery sure looked good.
So a lineup of
Betts
Freeman
Arenado
Muncy
Smith
Outman
Heyward
Lux
Rojas
That be a pretty good lineup in 2024 and they probably win 100 games again but what about the playoffs and who leads them tahta what matters.
Well could that be Dave Roberts last year as manager of the Dodgers. Choke in playoffs could be be the next manager for say the Same Francisco Giants. If so there got to be a better manager that can win in the playoffs after back to back losses in the playoffs to a lower seeded team. That was terrible no hitting and no pitching never lead in any games. Arizona deserves to win the series they hit the ball. And what do we do hit the ball to the second baseman every time or swing at bad pitches and didn’t swing at the good pitches. Again the lower seeded teams will advance to the playoffs again. That just keeps happening every year. Dodgers just played awful.
Nobody is discrediting the Snakes. Yes they played great and wanted to win. Dimply we didn’t. Pitching was a joke and hitting was a laugh. And it’s sure stunk up the place.
Clean house with the offense, get rid of the over the hill platoon hitters and go young with stars and superstars.
Go young with the pitching and add stars and superstars.
The aging platoon players and aging pitchers formula is not working.
Start with trading Vargas and Cartaya for needs.
I hear others opinions on RVS and Doc and I don’t disagree.
Utterly embarrassing, and yet not at all shocking
Used to it
Maybe, just maybe, we were outplayed by the better team. The .500 Diamondbacks as Posters here dismissed them.
It’s officially over you bums. Better luck next season
Year after year they play the stars with little rest and they are out of gas in the playoffs.
“Mookie shrinks”. Pure and utter nonsense. This is a team effort. In fact, doesn’t seem to me that Freddie’s done much better.
I don’t have the answers, but maybe the Dodgers have to sign Ohtani and that star pitcher coming out of Japan. Or they just have to play their best baseball in the post season.
See you guys next year. Take care.
OK, it is mercifully over, and all I can say is when you average two runs a game (like last year), you will never win anything.
We knew the pitching was suspect, but the lack of hitting cost them everything.
The moral of the story is that the hitting sucked and starting pitching sucked.
Either Mookie & Freddie are the premier choke artists in baseball, or RVS should be fired after the season is over.
When the pressure comes– Mookie shrinks