It's Not Important That You Stumble… It's Getting Back Up That Counts!
Or I Could Say, It’s Not How You Start… It’s How You Finish! Heather Dorniden (now Heather Kampf) is an American middle-distance runner best known for her grit and determination on the track. She competed for the University of Minnesota, where she was an NCAA champion in the 800…
Or I Could Say, It’s Not How You Start… It’s How You Finish!
Heather Dorniden (now Heather Kampf) is an American middle-distance runner best known for her grit and determination on the track. She competed for the University of Minnesota, where she was an NCAA champion in the 800 meters.
Her most famous moment came during the 2008 Big Ten Indoor Track Championships. In the 600-meter final, Dorniden tripped and fell hard with one lap to go—but got back up, chased down the field, and astonishingly won the race. That comeback performance went viral years later and is often cited as one of the greatest displays of perseverance in sports.
After college, Dorniden continued her career as a professional runner, specializing in the 800m and 1500m. Beyond athletics, she has become a motivational figure, frequently sharing her story as an example of resilience and mental toughness. Here is her inspirational win:
Since the All‑Star break (which fell in early July), the Dodgers have gone 12–21 overall. Of course, the media loves this. Plaschke and others will be reveling in their swill. But… things are about to change, as players who have been injured will start coming back as early as this weekend and next week. Kike Hernandez (Mr. October) is as important on the bench as he is in the field. Max Muncy is the heart and soul of the Dodgers. Hyeseong Kim is a weapon, and Tommy Edman is … well, Tommy Tanks. We do not know how fast they will ramp up, but as they come back and Doc “does to the whip,” I think you will see the Dodgers get up, dust themselves off, and, like Heather Dorniden, outsprint everyone down the stretch.
This team is built for the big moments. It’s go time. It’s for sure that Buddy Kennedy will be gone. Michael Conforto is unlikely to weather the storm. This will be very interesting to watch.
Dodger Notes & News
- Ohtani’s velocity was visibly down last night… why? No clue. I don’t think he should pitch and hit in Colorado again.
- Michael Conforto is officially the worst hitter in baseball (.188). He will be gone soon.
- Paul Gervase has a future… It’s just not now!
- Jack Dreyer’s arm may fall off.
- Henriquez remains intriguing.
- Don’t be surprised if Jackson Ferris is added to the roster as a reliever.
- Kiki is hot at OKC. He’s coming sooner than later.
- I have no idea how Edman’s ankle is, but if Kim is pain-free, look out!
- Kopech, Yates, and Scott are also due back by the first week of September.
I don’t know how much I will post for the next month
I have lots of doctor’s appointments as they get ready to replace my shoulder on the 27th. It does not sound pleasant to me, but I have to do it. My daughter is getting married on Saturday, and I delayed the surgery to walk her down the aisle and do the father-daughter dances. That should be a blast! My youngest son is performing the wedding, and my wife is the Wedding Planner. (She is not my daughter’s mother, who is not coming—I won’t say any more.)
I will post when I can, but I have to be in a sling for 4-6 weeks and then in therapy for 60 days. After that comes the back surgery, the carpal tunnel surgery on both arms, elbow surgery, a heart ablation, and possibly a brain transplant, but since mine has rarely been used, I am looking forward to 2026!
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Discussion (69)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Mark,
Good luck with all this. But you are correct your brain still must have plenty of unused space so no reason to replace at this time.
Now that you are retired from your business, I know you cannot just sit around. So you could just open an ‘All in the Family’ wedding service.
Mark, please make Buddy Kennedy go away. Do what you need to do.
Hope it all comes out well Mark. Bad game, forget it and move on. I DFA Kennedy, Conforto today. Bring up Ward and activate the first healthy body you can find. Kersh has to be the stopper today. They could be back in second place by the weekend.
I hope the marriage ceremony and celebrations go well and your daughter is very happy.
Best of luck on the shoulder replacement. My mother-in-law took a very bad fall at age 88 and had her shoulder replaced. She lived until 100-1/2 years and toward the end said the only thing in her body that DIDN’T hurt was her shoulder!
Coincidentally, I have an appointment to get a cortisone shot in both shoulders this afternoon. I badly separated one in 1976 (idiot kid injury), didn’t have recommended surgery and it’s never been right since. Re-aggravated both shoulders in July (idiot adult re-injuries!) and been in a lot of discomfort for over a month. I’m certain you can relate. Hard to move, harder to sleep, etc. Haven’t had cortisone since ‘76 but it hurt like hell then. I’m told it is much more gentle now….(but a little terrified anyway). I can only imagine how scared I’d be if I had to have the surgery you’re about to have. Again, best of luck.
PS: GO DODGERS!
yeah Bear! i said last night, get both of them bus tickets! why bring kennedy in and sit Freeland? And i know, they’re playing chess, yeah yeah. would it hurt to see if Ward can hit mlb pitching? is .160 that much worse than .170? Or at least put Call in left field till edman and kim get back! … IT is possible ohtani moves to a relief role. Maybe last night was just a product of coors, but he got hit plenty! … who’s responsible for coaching the outfield? Whoever is, maybe they should teach pages and teo which base they should throw to! Dodgers looked like the rockies and vice versa. The GOAT needs some run support today! No ohtani. maybe he does need a break. (not just the line drive). PLEASE, no kennedy today!
Best of luck Mark as the joys and challenges await. Meanwhile, as I sat in a local brew pub alongside some of my NW pals last night, there was lousy internet access and I was unable to learn of the goings on in Denver in real time. Glad I missed this one. The game in and of itself was statistically insignificant. Let’s leave it at that and hope for far better times ahead. GO DODGERS!!!
3:10 PM ET EARLY GAME
Dodgers (72-55)
Rockies (37-90)
SP Clayton Kershaw L
7-2 3.01 ERA
SP Chase Dollander R
2-9 6.43 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
DH Will Smith R
LF M. Conforto L
3B A. Freeland S
C D. Rushing L
CF Andy Pages R
RF Alex Call R
2B Miguel Rojas R
94° Wind 6 mph
The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Matt Sauer and optioned Paul Gervase to Triple-A Oklahoma City ahead of their series finale against the Colorado Rockies.
Conforto hitting clean up ,,, Humm wonder who’s great idea made that call , should have dumped him already , just sayin
Nice win! Let’s get ready for the punks down south!
I was listening to the Rockies broadcast for an inning or two, and both of the announcers wondered why Conforto was doing so badly. One said, “He should be a dangerous hitter.” When Kike, Kim, or Edman returns, I think he is gone. By going 3-5, Freeland cemented his role for at least a few days. Nice to see Alex call settling in….
Olney was on a podcast and basically said the Dodgers goal is to get to the playoffs with the pitching set up.
That seems to be the only goal. Not necessarily even through a divisional or league-wide best record.
He also said that the basic sentiment around the league is if the Dodgers have enough in the pen.
The league thinks the lineup and starters will be fine.
Kim playing LF tonight for Oklahoma City. Maybe Conforto gets DFA’d on Sept. 1 and teams then unable yo pick him up for the playoffs, not that anyone would or he his left off the Oct. 1 playoff roster. You choose.
“#Dodgers Dave Roberts confirmed Tanner Scott will be activated Friday vs. Padres.
Kirby Yates will be activated on Saturday”.
— Kirsten Watson (@kirsten_watson) August 21, 2025
7 Dodgers in updated ESPN top 100 prospects
Outfielder Josue De Paula, who won MVP in the Futures Game in July in Atlanta, was one of seven Dodgers ranked among the top 100 prospects in Kiley McDaniel’s updated list at ESPN:
12) Josue De Paula
44) Eduardo Quintero
46) Zyhir Hope
56) Mike Sirota
73) Alex Freeland
85) Emil Morales
99) Jackson Ferris
Drama awaits beginning tonight. Hoping Machado once again won’t speak to the media post-game(s) due to his petulant angry disappointment. A heaping steeping cup of schadenfreude would be especially satisfying. The Conforto conundrum continues. The mind gyrates in the face of as yet unanswered questions. Why is he still in the lineup? Will he be around much longer? Ah, the joys of speculation…
The cavalry begins to trickle in tonight. An $18 million a year closer who had lost his way followed by a hopefully rejuvenated splitter/fastball $13 million dude on Saturday. I can almost remember being jazzed about a stacked bullpen at the dawn of the season. The offense and defense will soon be rejuvenated with A-team contributors. High hopes with a side of trepidation. Go Dodgers!!!
While a potential return date remains unclear, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Muncy took some swings on Wednesday without issue, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“He hit off a tee [Wednesday], so he is in a good spot. Trending in the right direction. I don’t know time of return, but all things that I hear, it’s been really promising. … No discomfort.”
i’m willing to bet anyone out there that Michael Conforto doesn’t go anywhere. A big mac, a burger king whopper, your choice! i really believe if they were going to cut him, he’d have been gone. Now give Doc credit, he’s tried about everything possible. But yesterday? Cleanup? he just made a mistake, right? i give up. And yeah, we gave Barnes a much worse time and he had climbed over .200! Can’t criticize AF for the signing, i thought it was a sneaky good idea. it just hasn’t worked out. ……. Dodgers need this first game tonight. Yu Darvish may not be so generous in the first inning tonight. score first and score often. keep that bullpen in check. dodger bullpen should be somewhat rested and replenished. time to step it up again Dodgers!
Here we go another three game series with the Padres at there home. The big three ohtani Betts and Freeman have got to hit or click. This would be the weekend for them to start that. Kikie and Kim should be back but on like monday that will help. and the the week after that Edman and Muncy will help out a lot. Then there wont be any excuses why there not just clobbering teams they will have there team and no injuries. But yet again as playoffs get close and Freeman and Betts have to play. Then they get run down for the playoffs to then start with two guys with little tor no rest to just get in to the playoff. I thought the idea was not to do that this year. Where the regulars were playing so much and then there tired when the playoffs start. Well tonite should be interesting the home team fans do not like us. And they will be amped up for this. The good thing is we just saw them last weekend both teams should know about each other.
The Los Angeles Dodgers could be getting utility man Kiké Hernandez back by next week, according to manager Dave Roberts.
9:40 PM ET
Dodgers (73-55)
Padres (72-56)
SP Blake Snell L
3-1 1.80 ERA
SP Yu Darvish R
2-3 5.97 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
SS Mookie Betts R
C Will Smith R
1B F. Freeman L
RF T. Hernandez R
LF M. Conforto L
CF Andy Pages R
2B A. Freeland S
3B B. Kennedy R
74° Wind 6 mph Out
08/22/25 Los Angeles Dodgers activated LHP Tanner Scott from the 15-day injured list.
08/22/25 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned RHP Matt Sauer to Oklahoma City Comets.
“Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler is being removed from the Boston Red Sox starting rotation, per manager Alex Cora.Buehler is going to the bullpen and will not start Monday for the Red Sox. The right-hander is sporting a 5.40 ERA across 22 starts this season”.
I’m betting and hoping Conforto gets DFA on September 1. There is no more need to endure the pain watching him in the batter’s box and outfield any longer. Nice guy but not one of AF’s better signings.Move on!
When your 4 superstars go 2-15, you don’t deserve to win. The Rookie tried to show them how, but they are slow learners.
“Vicissitudes: a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.” The New Oxford American Dictionary could have been describing the unpleasant turn of events that has seen the Dodgers’ fairly recent lead of 9 games gurgling down the drain. Damn, now they share first place with those aggravating pretenders from the south. Oh for the days of the stability, of a productive lineup 1-9, a healthy pitching staff and a rock solid defense. Despair is an option if one is so inclined. BUT: a brain bath of dopamine for Dodger fans could be in the offing when once again the squad is operating with their best of the best. GO DODGERS!!!
News from Internet:
Bill Plunkett on new acquisition, Adam Serwinoski ($$$$$)
Open on www.baseballamerica.comhttps://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/adam-serwinowskis-pitch-package-excites-dodgers/““Big, funky (arm stroke). Really good fastball,” Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said of the 6-foot-5 Serwinowski.”The pitch package as it is right now is really solid.
“We feel strongly that getting with our (player development) group, we can add a harder slider to round it out, potentially make some adjustments to his changeup.”
Longenhagen chat:
Open on blogs.fangraphs.comhttps://blogs.fangraphs.com/eric-longenhagen-prospects-chat-8-22-25/Aviaries: What’s your concern level wrt Zyhir Hope’s really poor contact rates in the low minors? You still have him ranked pretty highly among all prospects, and while I understand he has a lot of pop it just seems crazy that someone whiffing on a third of his swings in A+ is a top-50 prospect.
Eric A Longenhagen: It’s a lot of whiffing, he’s probably still a 50 for me but I’d expect his ordinal rank to drop on next update
Jay Jaffe looks at what current pitchers and catchers may make the HOF
Open on blogs.fangraphs.comhttps://blogs.fangraphs.com/cooperstown-notebook-the-2025-progress-report-part-i/Kenley Jansen has a sneaky case!
Baseball America picks one player per team to enjoy the September callup ($$$$$)
Open on www.baseballamerica.comhttps://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/20-mlb-september-callups-wed-love-to-see-in-2025/Nick Frasso for the Dodgers
Maddux Bruns turning a corner, as per Dodgers Digest?
“Maddux Bruns…Atta Baby
4.2IP | 2H | 0ER | 8Ks | 3BB
Bruns has had a challenging year, in the midst of a career that has been high-centered due to injury, so what he needs is good health, and several good starts posted on top of each other.
Because he’s still only 23, and still as talented as ever, and will still, almost assuredly, put things together the way we’ve expected from him.
I had a long-time Major Leaguer tell me last year that everyone’s table is different, and that statement stuck because it’s so true.
Bruns has posted an ERA of 3.38 this month and has 17 Ks in 16 innings. He’s still issuing too many walks, but that is part of the process. The main thing is, he’s posting one outing after the other, and if he can keep doing that, the “execution” piece should catch up with the “stuff”
Ardaya ($$$$) on Patrick Copen
Open on www.nytimes.comhttps://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6562793/2025/08/20/dodgers-pitching-prospect-patrick-copen-lost-vision-eye/““He has three legit fastballs,” Gomes said. “And he’s taking steps forward. Even as he’s moved up levels, the walk rates have been maintained … his overall pitch package is really impressive.”
Matt Eddy @Baseball America looks at the toolsiest players of the 2020s ($$$$)
Open on www.baseballamerica.comhttps://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-players-with-the-top-20-tools-of-the-2020s-so-far/Tons of Dodger representation. Kershaw, Freeman, Ohtani, Betts
Future Dodgers was on the Dodger Blue video podcast:
DePaula, Hope, Sirota, Ferris, QUintero among those discussed.
Baseball America asked managers who has the best tools in Minor League Ball ($$$$$)
Open on www.baseballamerica.comhttps://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-milb-best-tools-managers-vote-on-the-top-prospects/Quintero, Elkins, George amongst other Dodgers