It s Ground Hog Day Again!

maybe the rest of the league getting an extended look at us during our prolonged postseason appearance resulted in our being scouted more effectively and our first-time performers getting out-adjusted.

” The problem is ” pretty much everything. There isn’t one facet of the game that the Dodgers are playing fundamental sound, with emphasis on the mental part.

On a sports talk show yesterday KJ was commenting on his performance against the DBacks, he said he needs to go there and just have fun. Well how about going out with a mindset of going to work, doing the job, being mentally sharp.

This team is proving Yogi Berra right correct; ” baseball is 90 % mental…”. I would think FAZ, Doc, Ward and everyone else could figure that out. Take care of the mental and the other 50% will get fixed. IMO.

I wonder if the extra muscle that Cody put on in the off season, has effected his swing, as well, as his bat speed.

Because Monday said in spring training, that Cody has to have a lot of flexibility, to swing like he does.

And we know when someone puts on more muscle, that does affect a person’s flexibility, to an extent.

Our players are playing poorly.

Vegas,

“Freidman said the other day the problem is the Dodgers are not hitting enough home runs.”

If Freidman said the problem with the Dodgers is they are not hitting enough home runs then I think that might just be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard from leadership in a long time. It’s like saying the problem is that we aren’t winning. Forget about the black whole the bullpen is right now, forget about the iffy starting pitching. What is most discouraging is that it seems like they have no idea about or frame of reference for situational hitting, laying a bunt down, moving a runner over, hitting a sac fly.

Freidman said the other day the problem is the Dodgers are not hitting enough home runs. I think it’s the opposite, they are trying to hit HR’s in every situation. Whatever launch angles they are teaching are resulting in lots of pop ups and fly balls that don’t reach the warning track.

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Cody has a basic problem: he is not using his front hand enough and when you drop your back shoulder your head pulls off the ball-can’t hit what you can’t see. It also changes the swing plane and he is swinging under the ball resulting in misses and pop ups. When he does hit a fly ball it’s too high, not line drives. Swinging harder only makes it worse, it’s poor fundamentals.

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CT3 swings too hard too but he also takes too many pitches right down broadway. Are they guessing? Seems to me you should always be ready for a fastball down the middle with 2 strikes.

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I like the recent call ups, and they need more. Several 4A guys have had their shots, send them back down to apply what they learned and give someone else a shot. Solano would be a good start and some bullpen help.

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What is going on with Toles? I saw rumors of a bad attitude with Hassleman and being unhappy he was sent down. That’s all we need at this point and unacceptable for Toles, especially coming off a serious injury. We not me right?

Roberts is showing some stubbornness in running the same guys out there again and again. Is he trying to send a message to the front office?

Something is wrong. Bellinger is missing fastballs right down the middle. Taylor’s contact is all weak contact. But they do not do the little things to win. That is on Doc. They just do not play good fundamental baseball. Verdugo over threw the cut off man twice in a row in one game. They will not move a runner over to third from second. Why a pitcher cannot bunt is beyond me. Make them play “pepper” ball. They did not do these fundamental baseball things last year. They were hitting the ball so well, it did not matter. This year it is showing up. If I had to put the blame somewheres, I would put it on Doc. There should be one line up and only one line up. These great utility players are just that, utility players. Find some starting pitchers who can go 6-7 or more innings in a game. Then maybe our bull pen would not be over worked. Doc did not do Jansen any good in ST. Stop protecting the starting pitchers arms. Was Bob Feller protected when he was 18 years old. I have never like all this information the ball players have now. Sometimes you get so much information in your head, you are on overload and cannot play freely. I am 78 years old. What on the hell do I know. Something is wrong.

Watching these guys last year kinda felt uneasy to me. Sure, they were amazing throughout most of the season but in Sept., they absolutely fell apart (as we all painfully remember). Even in the post season they seemed to limp along on guts and potential glory (Although I LOVED it when they swept the DBags. Seemed they were back big!). Everything had to go right so many times in the season. Everyone had to step up and play the proverbial 110%. More than once, it seemed to me that this team was not as good as they played the season (does that make sense?). It looked as if Cody was carrying the team if not with his performance then as motivation for the rest. So, 2018 rolls around and the FO does nothing other than blow up the bullpen with non proven talent (at least as Dodgers… we all miss Morrow (he would have been a better re-signing than Forsythe)). Worse, Cody is not who he was last year (yet?). In a baseball utopia, we would’ve gotten a starter and a bat but, again, nothing. They rested on their laurels and hoped that this team made up of possible one-year wonders would perform at 110% again. My question is, what happens next year if our boys in blue continue this embarrassing play? Is the FO going to change? Will Doc and his numerous mistakes go away (since his contract is up)? How ’bout the huge offseason question… will Harper make an appearance? Mark, what are your thoughts if the doom and gloom continue?

PS… thank the baseball Gods it is a long season and hopefully they will figure it out but if not???

Thank for this post Mark, brought some numerical clarity to what I have been seeing night after night on the field.

The axe has to fall somewhere or has FAZ and this coaching. staff built up enough equity to get a pass, I say no. I would say TW takes the fall not that he is necessarily the problem.

Roberts frustration last night was welcomed and hopefully we will see more of that. I presume he is not a lame duck manager but with no extension in hand I would say he at best will have his 2019 option picked up by FAZ??

I did like his quote about this is not being a “trying sport but rather a results one.”

Sidebar why aren’t we bringing up Solano and giving him a shot, and get rid of fodder like Farmer or Muncy? Don’t see the downside.

And why not shake up the pen at this point, send Fields and Baez out or designate Hudson and bring up PV, Sborz, or Hernadez Again what is the downside?

I agree Mark, something is missing. JT said the other day that he is not the savior, and I get that. It was just rotten timing for him to get hurt when he did, I think it didn’t give us a good start out of the gate, and now guys are just going down the rabbit hole mentally. This is when Doc and Turner earn their money. The first 3 inning last night was just so painful to watch, we should have put up at least five on the Reds. Even Joe Davis and Orel, who is always supportive, are starting to be a little critical of the lack of situational hitting.

The fact that ALL of these guys are ineffective speaks to leadership in my opinion. Does this fall on Turner Ward?

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Something ain’t right!!!!

It’s starting to look like this team is going to be dismantled after all. Too many players not performing. I stated a few days ago that Bellinger said in an interview that after the team no-hitter, walking in the tunnel there was a player who didn’t even know a no hitter had been thrown. Inexcusable! It looks like CT3 is a one year wonder. Kike is simply a platoon player who can’t hit. Farmer and Muncy AAA depth and Puig is snake bit. You could trade all of them and I don’t think you would get much.